I totally get where you’re coming from. I personally want as many dogs coming to say hi as possible. I’ll stop and stroke all of them. I love dogs.

“It’s okay. He’s friendly!”

“I’m not.”

This is only tangentially related, but your comment reminded me of it.

Once I was at a large dog park (fenced in, dogs allowed off leash, full on dog park), that had a half mile trail around a lake in it. I was at the lake with my dogs when I heard a man yelling. Turns out a runner came jogging though on the path and a herding dog (cattle dog maybe) was chasing him nipping at his ankles. The runner and the owner of the dog got in a massive yelling match about who was at fault. I still to this day can’t decide who was wrong. On one hand the dog absolutely shouldn’t be chasing people and nipping their ankles. On the other hand why the hell would someone choose to run though a gated, fenced in off leash dog park? That’s a very stupid thing to do and there were a thousand more non-dog park options to run. Idk just an interesting story I guess

Had this happen a few days ago with one coming full speed at me to the point I tensed up and squared up. Dog owner got at me for reacting like that

This

You’re my soulmate. I carry pepper spray and a GoPro since I’m so sick of aggressive dogs and dishonest owners.

Sub hot take: I absolutely despise dogs, running or not. I think they are foul creatures that should not exist.

I can’t think of a reason why a mentally stable person wants to own one. It’s the weirdest thing to me to want to own an animal.

I really doubt that’s a hot take.

“BUT HE’S USUALLY SOOOOOOOOOOO FRIENDLY”

This is not remotely controversial.

Couldn’t agree more, especially after I got bit by a dog while I was out running. I will stop and start walking the other direction immediately if I see an off-leash dog, which gets really annoying but I’m not taking any risks. Keep dogs leashed or locked up, always.