I regularly attend a free dog socialization class with my German shepherd/St. Bernard cross. We go because he enjoys it, and it helps him from being frightened of other dogs. (He tends to get more and more timid at the dog park if we don't go.) At the class, we stand up, unleash our dogs, then walk in circles to music, ignoring our dogs and letting them figure out how to interact with each other. Multiple dog trainers keep watch over the group, and interrupt any overly-aggressive dog behavior.

At the class, dogs that are prone to biting other dogs or people must wear muzzles. I've only seen a few dogs wear a muzzle during the class: a yellow lab, a border collie, and a single pit bull-type dog.

Many of the dogs at the class are brought by foster families and the local rescues, and dogs that are commonly described as pit bulls make up the majority of the dogs present. I've been going for most of a year now, and have yet to see a dog fight break out.

You do need to get your dog evaluated before you can attend, unless your dog has attended before.

I don't know how many other places run these sorts of programs, but I highly recommend that any dog owner enroll their dog in a socialization class or doggy daycare program. Dogs have to learn how to interact with each other, just like people do. I wish I'd been near a program like this when I had my white German shepherd. Her idea of socializing with other dogs was to run up into their faces. Sadly, I wasn't able to break that habit during her lifetime.

FTA: The next day, Torres tracked down the dogs to a nearby house and called animal control.

I hope that there are strong statutes in place in Arvada, CO. Given that the dogs attacked the woman's puppy and were still running loose the following day, the owners should not be owning any pet larger than a hamster, and will probably face justifiably serious fines.