Put up your doggie dukes!!!!

Just got back from my evening walk with the dog. She has now been attacked by 7 dogs, 5 of which were
dogs that their owners swore were friendly. I don't know what it is. She just met the cutest cocker spaniel.
The woman said he was absolutely friendly. They went nose to nose for a few seconds and then whammo,
he went at my poor Lacey. The woman was so sorry. She couldn't believe it. I told the folks that kenneled
Lacey back in April that I did not want her around any other dogs off leash because of this. They told me that it might be because she is so submissive and the other dogs bully her because of it. Both me and Tim think it's because she is so darn cute, the other dogs are jealous. Either way, I think my dog needs self defense classes
and I am getting more and more nervous when folks don't leash their dogs. Liv and I walked her last night
and a little dog rushed at her from its own property. I quickly picked up Lacey(no easy feat as she is trying to
meet this little dog and squirmed like crazy, scratching up my arms, trying to get down.) I walked off the sidewalk into the street to get off the dog's property and the dog followed us into the road. Then I walked back onto the sidewalk to keep the dumb dog from getting hit by a car. The people ran out of their house when they heard all its barking and caught their dog, apologizing like crazy. I got the impression the dog was not supposed to
be out alone or it was not friendly and might have bitten, or both, judging by the way they raced to catch her
and the way they kept apologizing. The thing is, my dog wants to meet other dogs and met several great ones
on Saturday but I am really getting nervous about it now, especially with the dogs that are off leash 'cause once they go at her, you can't get them off. We just recently had a case just a few miles from my house where 2 pitbulls got out of their yard and killed a spaniel being walked by its mom. It's crazy. You go out for a relaxing walk with your doggie and it's kill or be killed out there. I wish Lacey was just a little more assertive. I may have to go buy myself some darn mace though. I've got an 80 some odd year old woman who walks a 90 some odd pound pit in this neighborhood and she carries a tiny stick with her to keep her dog in line. It scares me to death. There is no way she could hold that dog back and that's exactly how Tim's uncle saw his poodle killed 2 years ago. I don't want my doggie hurt. I don't feel like getting my arse handed to me either after kicking someone's vicious mutt off my puppy(though I think I can take the old lady). Maybe I can borrow a cat to use as Lacey's bodyguard.

Late addition to this story. Our employee, Alan, lives just a few blocks from us. The other night, he was standing in his driveway with his fiance when a couple of teens came by asking nervously if they'd seen a dog. They said no. The teens continued down the street.  A few minutes later, they were rushed by a pit and had to jump in the car to save themselves, while the dog jumped at the windows snarling, trying to get at them. CUJO!!The teens came back and tried in vain to catch the dog, begging Alan not to call the cops because they would kill their dog. I don't think mace or a cat is going to cut it. I think I need to walk with a pistol. I know there are plenty of pits that are super dogs, BUD included, but I'm starting to really worry about happening upon a lose one during our walks. We had a woman around here killed by one 5 years ago. Frightening.