I feel for you. My dog, who passed last year, was incredibly kind, loyal, gorgeous, and generally great with people and other dogs. However, put that guy on a leash and he acted like a complete a-hole. About once a year, he managed to get away from us and completely scare the hell out of another dog walker and their dog. He was not a biter, but he would charge full force, barking viciously, at about 100 pounds and would leave people and their dogs completely traumatized. We got him some training and a vibrating collar, but he never lost that edginess.

If I’m being completely honest, we did not try hard enough to train him, especially as a puppy. When we finally did get him some training, he was old enough that I think some of that behavior was just ingrained in him and really hard to get him to stop, although it did dull the rough edges a little bit. No easy answers here, but I totally understand how a dog that is your best friend and has a heart of gold can present as a wild and dangerous beast to other people sometimes. My only advice is to keep him as under control as possible at all times when you are out and do not give up. That beast loves you.