Great thread!!! I feel that Ram Puppy has made a very good recommendation: "having a law that stated large breed dogs, or aggressive dogs must go through an approved training curriculum with their owners, and BOTH must pass." But how about medium sized dogs? Ones that weigh 35lbs. or are at least 18" in height (to the shoulders)? Should they be excluded from this evaluation process? I love this idea and am confident my dog would do fairly well in this approval process.

Personally, my wife and i own a large breed dog that often gets mistaken for a pit bull. She is an American Bulldog. But on more than one occasion when taking her to pet retail stores, i have been astonished by people who quickly clutch their children close to their side and exclaim to the child "don't get near that dog, it'll bite you ... or it'll eat you." Craziness, but funny!!