You may recall the house on our walk where the mean-ass black dog lived, and how the owners just left the mean-ass black dog, its running buddy–the white dog; and the old dog who always barks so that the other dogs know you’re walking by. And you may recall how terrified I was of that black dog, because it would often run right up to us barking and once tried to bite Mrs. Wigglebottom
And you may also recall how, over the past year, the black dog and the white dog have both disappeared (though the old dog has remained) and how the people in the house got an adorable German Shepherd puppy that the owner would walk around the neighborhood, while the old dog walked proudly behind them.
So, I will give you three guesses as to what puppy was standing unleashed in that front yard this morning when Mrs. Wigglebottom and I walked by.
Citizens of Earth, I ask you: How can this end well?
These aren’t people renowned for their ability to train up dogs to not be aggressive. And this is a dog that’s going to be too large to kick in the head when it decides it doesn’t like everyone walking by the yard.
I’m not a big fan of tying up dogs and leaving them out in the yard. I think it leaves them at a real disadvantage if they should have to defend themselves.
However, if you’re not going to fence up your yard and you’re still going to let your dogs outside unsupervised, put them on a fucking chain.
You know, I gather they got a big scary dog because they think our neighborhood’s not that great. Funny how it is that our neighborhood’s not that great because someone lets their scary dogs run around unsupervised and unleashed.
Tiny Cat Pants 
But Mrs Wigglebottom is ok, yes?
Start calling the dog catcher now, every time you see their dog wandering around. You don’t have to wait for it to be big enough to be dangerous.You’ll see it on a leash, or them in the poorhouse, in no time.
Mrs. Wigglebottom is fine. It’s just that, as much as I hated their previous dogs, they were small enough that, when push came to shove, I could fight them off. But if something were to happen with that dog, I’d have to let Mrs. Wigglebottom take care of it, because I couldn’t.See, this is my fear–that if something happens, even if Mrs. Wigglebottom is not to blame, that because she’s one of the pit bull breeds, she’ll be blamed. No matter who the aggressor is, the pit bull is the problem.Right?Look, she can’t go to the dog parks here in town because "pit bulls" are a problem. The last thing she or I needs is for her to get in a fight with our neighbors’ dog and win and for the authorities to insist I have her put down because she’s "dangerous."I don’t want to see my neighbors in the poorhouse. I want them to do what’s right.
Animal Control can’t help? Isn’t there a leash law? I know that uneasy feeling from an aggressive dog, it sucks! I hope you find someone to help!
Why don’t you just carry some pepper spray? You should probably carry it anyway.
I walk around my own damn neighborhood with keys, a cell phone, and pepper spray already, like a guard at a minimum security prison.Damn you, patriarchy!But yeah, I do carry pepper spray. It doesn’t work on all dogs.
If it’s still a puppy, why not try being friendly with it, rather than waiting for it to grow up and be surly toward you and Mrs. Wigglebottom? Teach it that you’re nice and not a problem and will pat its head and rub its ears, etc., and chances are it will at least be nice to you and if you have the Mrs. with you, hey, make her sit/lay down while you talk to the Shepherd puppy. Or, is the Mrs. too stubborn for that? In any event, I can relate that while the rescued Siberian Husky down the street and my little Rottie can and do get along famously after a little sniffing and snorting about each other, if the Rott is inside or behind the fence and I see the Husky with her owner, Ms. Blue Eyes the Husky can’t stop from running right up to me and getting some love.Might be worth a try anyhow.