Dogs. Maybe more accurately, the cavalier way with which dog owners undertrain and undersocialize their aggressive, hostile animals where I live.

First, the necessary caveat: I don't hate dogs. I grew up with a dog. I treat dogs with respect.

What I don't respect is the way most owners handle their dogs. I can't believe how common it is for people to give absolutely no discipline to their shitty dogs. For example, I'm told by dog lovers that dogs barking at you simply because you're walking by on a public sidewalk isn't healthy behavior. And in cities, most dogs are socialized enough to handle the idea of strangers and shared territory.

But if I'm anywhere else but downtown in some major city, the dogs consistently turn hostile and aggressive: barking, chasing me and others in the street - every unacceptable behavior in the book short of outright violence, thanks goodness. I've seen dogs come out to bark at me in the middle of busy streets where they can't necessary see cars coming at them. If any human acted this way, they would be certifiable. But the worst the dogs get? A mild scolding by their owners.

Worse yet, I can't find a solution for this. I recently posted a LifeProTips request for dealing with barking and chasing dogs - I haven't found anything too promising. There's no recourse here. I'm uncomfortable yelling at dogs because they're not mine to discipline. I'm uncomfortable carrying mace around because I know I'm not going to mace a frickin dog for barking at me. Really, I shouldn't have to do anything, because when people bring animals into shared and public spaces, it's their responsibility to control those animals.

Yet no one does.

The world is full of shitty, ignorant dog owners chasing their hostile dogs, barely holding on to the leash while the dog runs the show. In my experience, the majority of dog owners have very little control over their dogs, and couldn't care less.