Leash law

I love dogs....I really do. I used to want to be a veterinarian until I realized all the math, chemistry, and anatomy classes they had to take. I had dogs as pets growing up and I loved them all; especially my mutt, Nikki. She was with me from grade school until college. I'm not a dog expert on the breeds so I'm not sure exactly how each breed of dog is supposed to be "wired", but I do know that some dogs are scarier than others.

Usually, the bigger the dog, the scarier the dog. I haven't always been aware of their size, or frightened to an extreme by the large breeds....until I had children. I would like to think that I can go into my own fenced-in-backyard and not have to worry about the safety of my children; but, this morning, as Andrew was playing in the sprinkler and Luke sitting on my hip, I heard a deep grunt and then a growl. I immediately knew what the sound was but couldn't place the location of the dog. I then turned to my right and saw two HUGE dogs on the other side of the fence. This fence is a simple chain-link that is lower than it should be due to the erosion of the soil...therefore, instead of it standing at its full heigth, it is only half as tall as it should be. The dogs could have easily jumped it and attacked if they wanted. Andrew was about 30 feet away from me but our eyes met each as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. I looked him sternly in the eye as I slowly walked toward him, took his hand, turned toward the house and said, "Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk." It took forever to get to the back door, but we made it safely. I looked back to see the dogs still staring at us and slowly pacing back and forth against the fence.

This was MY territory, though...why should the dogs feel threatened by me? Well, maybe it's because one had some Pit Bull in him and the other looked like a Great Dane. It's just scary to think back on all those times when I've been in the outside laundry room while Andrew has played in the driveway, just a few feet away, without a fence to protect him. Or, when we were in the front yard this past Saturday washing my van and I turned my back to turn on the waterhose. Anyway, I'm just using this space to vent......if you are a dog owner, whether it be a small or large dog, please keep your dog on a leash or behind a secure fence. They may be friendly with you, or when you're around, but they're still animals that can be scary to those with whom they're not familiar.

I would type some sort of spiritual application here, relating the fear of dogs to the safety of God, but I'm too angry at the moment.
Ok, I feel better now.