[Cha Cha]

I also see both sides. I love big dogs and I am generally not afraid of them, and I very much appreciate a well mannered, well trained dog of any size. You can read a lot by the body language of another dog coming toward you either on or off leash, and wether or not their owners have control or the dog does. I do not allow my dogs to lunge towards people or other dogs, I do not allow them to bark, and I do not let the approach others uninvited. Just because someone else thinks their dog is friendly, the person or animal it is approaching may not think so. I would have picked mine up in the same situation. I will never take the wait and see approach.

I walked mine around our local pond the other day, and didn't see a gentleman had his little dog with him as they fished. When we walked by, his dog lunged at mine, (it was on a leash) and started barking and growling. The man was put off that we walked by. My two didn't even give his dog a moment's notice as it was lunging and growling. I did apologize and told him I didn't notice he had a dog but I could tell he was upset with me. HIS dog was the one out of control, but I guess it was my fault for it.