but luckily we dont see it often around where we live.

there is a aussie cattle dog X who lives around the corner from us who runs loose ALL the time and he is also agressive and has come after the dogs and i quite a few times *shudders* and all you hear from across the road where the dog lives "get *censored* back in here you *censored* mutt"

laura as long as your dogs were not bothering anyone and were safe i see nothing wrong with giving them a little freedom.

and i will admit that when we return from the park our dogs run from the car to the front door un leashed, and somtimes theodore (chihuahua) goes out to the tree out front to mark his territory but comes strait in when called. and also clover will go unleashed from a friends car to the back yard (a whole 20 meters or so) without any problems. so we are not srict about leashes ALL the time.