Definitely. Urination is an act of submission in a dog's world. Submission is supposed to be a signal to the dominant dog to back off - "I give up." Unfortunately, it doesn't always work that way. We took our current therapy dog to a local dog park when he was about 8 months old. Several dogs got very aggressive, and he did what dogs are suposed to do - he rolled over on his back and urinated. About half of the dogs backed off and left him alone; the other half went after him even more! When I saw this I went to the rescue with cane ready. It ruined this dog's docile temperment for nearly a year afterward; he bacame very fearful and aggressive, and I was afraid for a time he would be useless as a therapy dog. We never went back to the dog park. I've been asked to do an article on the flip-side of dog parks; I'm kinda reticent about it. Bottom line, good dogs come from good owners & vice versa.

Actually I was thinking about more rural areas where dogs can legally be - and are - shot by farmers/property owners for running deer, harrassing livestock, etc. but the above point is well-taken too.

Just the other night at obedience class, we learned of a dog we'd known from a previous class - sweetest fella - who suddenly turned on his owner without cause or provocation, and bit him seriously on both hands (held up in defensive posture). They had no choice but to have him destroyed. Very sad.

Dogs - even house pets running amok - who have been running free regularly, especially when they begin to run with other dogs, revert very quickly, and can become quite aggressive, often without warning or provocation. These same dogs may act docile and normal at home with their owners and completely differently when out on the prowl. There is just no way to tell. This is why most animal control officers now use snare poles (and sometimes carry firearms) routinely. They know from experience how fast a situation can change.

My concern with pepper spray is that it could be false confidence; one has to be fast and accurate against a potentially fast(er)-moving predator with built-in hunting instincts and a possible partner. It's easy to say not to act afraid, but these animals learn to smell fear. Just too many variables.

If people are (made) afraid to come out of their homes because of roaming dogs, that's a serious public safety issue, and needs to be dealt with seriously. There's also a potential civil liability against owners who flaunt the law and civil authorities who have been negligent in enforcement.

Call animal control, the police, the media.... If you can, take pictures from a safe location (inside a building) to assist in proof/identification.

Be safe,

Doc