I stopped running in my development soon after a few runs because of dogs. Early in the mornings a lot of people put their dogs in their backyards. Though most of them are fenced yards it still made me uncomfortable. Being barked at by a dog that looks like it could step over the four foot fence is quite scary to me. As if that is not enough, you have those people who do not have a fence nor do they chain their dogs. Forgive me for being paranoid, but I think I am a moving target for the dog.
Yesterday, I broke my rule and ran in the development. I ran on a street where I was sure there were no dogs. Wrong! I ran by a driveway and out of nowhere a quite large dog ran upon me. I stopped and walked to the other side of the road and started looking for something to protect myself. Keeping my eyes on the dog I spotted a 4 x 4 in front of me. (So happy the builders are sloppy.) I picked it up and started walking back home, keeping my eyes on rover.
Now I love animals, don't get me wrong. Last year we were adopted by a cat (that someone dropped off in the development) and as I type, word must have gotten out because there are two others hanging around. I just think a loose dog is a potential threat.
I also think many dog owners think their dog would never hurt anyone. They may be right but I think anyone outside of the owner is a stranger and therefore can be perceived as a threat. A dog should not be allowed to roam the streets unsupervised.
Animal owners while professing to love their animals should be responsible and respectful of other people. It is hard for me to feel the love while locking eyes with a large dog approaching me.
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