Dogs are not so much the problem - owners are the problem. Obviously not all owners - some are totally responsible and considerate - but those who aren't give the others a bad name.
Some dog owners don't seem to comprehend that their pets are dangerous, powerful animals that need to be properly trained and controlled. Just because you give him a cute name and he's a big softie at home, that doesn't mean he'll be fine in the outside world, where his instincts kick in.
Other owners are just plain dumb. In my local park, I'm often confronted with the owner on one side of the path, the dog on the opposite side, and a thin black lead running like a trip wire in between. In poor light, I've often come close to a big tumble.
And then there are the owners who are actually proud that their pets terrify the living daylights out of innocent passers by. We once stayed in a lovely country holiday cottage where we had to go everywhere by car because the dogs in the neighbouring farm blocked the lane and threatened us when we set out on foot. I'm quite sure they had been trained, or at least encouraged, to do that.
I don't know what's to be done with the owners, but my tactic with aggressive dogs is either to stop still and slowly move away, or to pretend to pick up a stone and make as if to throw it at them while shouting.
