Don't know about church, but they're usually in school(s).

For sure on the barking dogs. Absolute deal breaker for me.

@exilesky I'm currently residing with one that literally barks all day long; a very loud, sharp bark in a house virtually devoid of non-echoic surfaces. Thank Bhudda I'm moving tomorrow.

@Condor5 You have my profound sympathy. Glad you are moving - and may you have peace and serenity where you are going.

@Condor5
Agree with you about incessantly barking dogs.

I cannot STAND small, hyper, constantly barking, shrill, jumping up, out-of-control, little dogs.

All dog owners need to train their dogs to behave. People with small dogs make excuses for bad behavior. One Welsh Corgi kept jumping up on me, gouging long, bloody scratches in my bare shins. "DOWN, dammit!" I said firmly. "She's just saying 'Hi, '" the owner said lamely.

"He's a herding dog," I hear over and over. Meanwhile, the damn dog stops abruptly on the trail, making me trip. I nearly fell off a sheer cliff beside the trail.

I have broken up with two men because of their small, constantly barking, out-of-control little dogs. Both men insisted on taking their dogs hiking. The dogs fouled waterways with poop, chased and harassed wildlife and scared other hikers.

During a backpacking trip to the Wallowa Mountains of NE Oregon, my hiking partner’s Welsh Corgi (same one) barked at every leaf that fell. It stopped suddenly on the trail, frequently tripping me. Finally, I insisted he tie the dog to his belt with a rope. Watched with satisfaction as the dog jerked him all over the trail.

I dropped far behind to get away from the constant shrill barking. Blissful quiet.

That night, he insisted the dog sleep in the tent. All night long, that dog barked at every snap and crackle in the woods. I got zero sleep. By morning I had a plan: kill him and then the dog. But he had the map and knew the way, so he was safe. (joking)

"She likes your smell,” people say. Stop making excuses. Keep your dog off me and my clothes.

I grew up with two large, gentle, obedient Labrador Retrievers. Lady won the Michigan State Dog Obedience Championship twice. Our dogs were never allowed on furniture. We told Lady "down, stay" and she stayed down until released.

While hiking and snowshoeing, I have been attacked and injured by eight unleashed dogs over the past six years. None of the dog owners apologized. It took six months for my knee to heal after one dog attack. Now I feel terrified of aggressive, unleashed dogs on the trail.

End of rant.

"Trumpanzees"? Hilarious!

@LiterateHiker the dog here thats barks constantly is a herding dog, a Sheltie. He gets verbal rebukes, but those may as well be treats; no effect on his behavior, whatsoever.
My 2 little guys are sometimes underfoot, but they're not barkers, by any stretch of the imagination.
I've been bitten and ran at on the trails more than once, also. Very annoying.

@Condor5

My wonderful hiking partner, Karen, taught me this technique to repel unleashed dogs:

With hiking poles pointing down, hands at waist level, vigorously sweep the poles back-and-forth at your ankles, crossing the poles with each sweep.

Dogs back off.

@LiterateHiker good trick, I usually just stop and yell at the owner, or ride faster.

@Condor5
A competitive, bicycle rider I dated carried pepper spray. Riding past one house, Bill was always charged by six, large vicious dogs. Where was the homeowner?

Speeding up, Bill kicked one dog in the head, taking that dog out. Quickly pepper sprayed the rest.

@LiterateHiker I love dogs, but that kind of neglect is inexcusable. You let your dogs run wild, it's on you what happens to them. I would try to outrun them, but failing that, I'd do whatever necessary to stop them.

@LiterateHiker, @exilesky thank you. I'm glad too. And besides that, I'm going to a climate that's 15-20 degrees cooler year round; from desert to coastal.