Trustfall said "I can totally appreciate your concerns and I have been places where people are not comfortable with dogs. I never allow my dog to approach anyone unless they ask to pet her. She is trained to keep all 4 paws on the floor and she is kept on a short leash beside me. I always keep an eye on people and if I notice someone who looks like they are ready to find an escape, I find one myself so they can continue on. I like to have the ability to take my dogs places where I have control over them. They are never allowed to leave my side (except in pet stores where I allow them to browse for their own toys). I know it sounds nutty! "
It sounds like you are a very responsible dog owner. If more people were like you, I'd have no issues at all. Too many people have a sense of entitlement with their dogs and feel absolutely certain that their dog would never ever hurt anyone.
If all dog owners were like you I'd have no discomfort.
Sadly the number of times dogs, especially large dogs, have sprinted toward me and then scratched me as they jump on me has made me really uneasy around them. It's really tough to gauge an unknown dog's intention as it runs toward you, and I feel like not enough dog owners understand it's actually painful to have them claw even when it's playful to the dog. The experience can be especially terrifying for young children, and a lot of dog owners can't seem to grasp that concept.
A lot of people also don't appreciate the risk they are creating for their beloved dog. I almost always err on the side of the dog probably won't really hurt me... But if someone perceives things differently and defends themselves that's on the owner.
Just because someone loves their dog and "knows" it would never hurt anyone, doesn't mean it should ever be outside their control or that anyone else wants to be chased or touched by it.