<table cellspacing='0' cellpadding='0' border='0' background='none' style='font-family:arial;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;width:100%;'><tr><td valign='top' style='font: inherit;'><P>I had a similar experience. For a time the people behind me were letting their pit bull (a really nasty one) run loose. They would just open the door and let it out. Can't tell you the number of time I went in my front yard to hear growling behind me. What I did was let animal control know and they purposes crused the neighborhood until they caught him out and about. I really did not want to start a fued with the neighbors for fear they would complain my were barking. but I hated to take mine out walking in the area so I drove them to the park. Pit is gone now.</P>
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<P>I did get some really good advice from a former postal worker. Carry an umbrella with you (I always do now). the kind that opens with just a button so it opens quickly. He used to do that because if you see an oncoming dog that is running in your direction and flip open the umbrella it does two things. First the noise is startleing to the dog the fuummmpp sound it makes stops them. Second you can keep the umbrella between you and the dog and it keeps them out of bite distance. He said once you lunge a couple times with the umbrella they will leave (hopefully) but at least you can have a barrier that is not your arm between you, your dog and the other oncoming dog. It really does work.</P>
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<P>Barbara, Barney Mo and Flash</P></td></tr></table>