Off leash dogs are becoming an epidemic, and I just have no patience anymore. People who don’t want to engage with or defend themselves against stupid off-leash dogs aren’t the problem. The dog owners are.
I’m so tired of the excuses. “He’s friendly!” … “But I’ve always let them off leash here!” … “She just wants to say ‘hi’!” Just stop.
AMEN to that.
My last dog was off leash probably 90% of the time once he was 2 years old. He didn’t leave heel position, and when allowed off heel, was extremely responsive to voice control. Some woman called animal control for my “threatening off leash pitbull” in a park once. Animal control showed up, saw my Boxer, I put him in a stay, threw the ball, waited a few mins, sent him after it, and told him down 1/2 way to it, then called him back. Animal control officer complimented my dog and left. “Fear of an attack” is ridiculous language in that law.
My favorite response to “he’s friendly!” when an off leash dog comes running our way is, “mine’s not.” Funny how fast the other dog owners can move to grab their dog when they want to.
Feel very lucky that they do run then. My experience with people who scream “he’s friendly” is very different than yours. I yell back that my dog is not, or that my dog does not like other dogs and they continue to say “Fido is friendly, it will be fine”, all while doing nothing to control their dog.
People like this are infuriating.
My sister says this (“She’s friendly!”) about her dog with a long history of dog aggression. She’s friendly until she’s not, and then it goes to crap pretty quickly. It’s a sort of wish projection for my sister as in “Please let my dog be friendly and not attack this other dog.”
She also thinks that having her dog on a leash is some sort of magical protection; but I watched her dog pull her over to another dog while on leash and then attack it, all while she’s holding the leash - the other dog owner still has to rescue their dog.
People are idiots.
To be fair, I shout “They’re friendly!” when my dogs alert bark and approach a strange car in the driveway. But I can also recall them and put them in sit stays if the person in the car is clearly worried about the dogs/waiting to get out until the dogs are called.
I live alone and have a big mutt who’s basically a marshmallow puff that loves everyone, but when someone I don’t know pulls up, I yell the opposite. “Hang on! Let me put him inside so you’re safe!” Lol! I want every drug addict who staggers back and forth down my road to be very afraid to come up here. I’ve even taken him out on a leash and let him bark a few times at people walking along the road to drive home the message that a big, bad dog lives here.
The truth is that three elderly, crazy-about-people dogs (including a Peke and very small terrier-mutt) live here who would most likely help a burglar carry the valuables out to the getaway car! 
Yeah, I have a terrier - and she is not friendly to other dogs. So people yelling “he’s friendly” as they let their dog drag them closer is kind of funny, esp. when my dog has flipped the terrier switch to FULL. Luckily she is only 23# and we use a pinch collar so have been able to prevent any serious dust-ups but I am continually amazed by how clueless some people are. I mean, when she is acting like a tasmanian devil on speed, you would think people would realize they need to back off. 
I think somewhere in the back of their clueless mind they think that their ever so friendly (aka pushy) dog will make your not friendly dog miraculously friendly once pushy dogs gets in their face.
(Your description is so perfect, that is exactly what my terrier mix does too.)
I describe her as a cross between a tribble and a tasmanian devil. And with a split personality reflective of each. 
Terriers can certainly be a bit of a challenge at times, but once you get used to them, they are tons of fun. We love her to pieces and I would much rather have something like her than the “fat” Labradors belonging to the OP’s neighbor.
And if someone’s pushy dog gets in my dog’s face, they are going to wish they had tangled with a porcupine instead.
Fence your entire property?
I would have no problem going Full Karen and reporting the dogs to animal control and taking videos and photos. You have a right to feel safe and secure in your yard, and if your other neighbors feel they are being sweet and dog-friendly by tolerating this, they are idiots.
The only reason someone hasn’t gotten hurt is sheer luck. When my dog got a hematoma (that needed an operation to remove necrotic flesh) from being bitten by a vicious dog that didn’t break the skin, I was surprised, and my vet said, “there is no such thing as a non-serious animal bite.”
Your neighbors have a responsibility to leash their dogs when walking and take reasonable steps to control the dogs with a fence or run-in. Period. I assume you put a great deal of hard work into your home. You have a right to feel safe. Why should someone’s refusal to clip a leash on their dogs put you and your loved ones in danger?
I didn’t read any other replies but just wanted to say that there are plenty of fence options that will keep the neighbor dog out, won’t block the view of the people behind you and keep you ( family & anyone else) free from the biting that will eventually happen.
Your neighbor most likely won’t do anything but eventually get on bad terms with you. Just put up a nice , pretty, mid sized fence and enjoy your new home/ yard in peace.
I am not sure I understand this reasoning. The OP should not have to spend her money to put up a fence to keep out dogs that belong to someone else. The onus is on the dog owner to ensure that her dogs are not being a nuisance to the neighbors.
And if the dog owner won’t take proper steps to do that, then the OP is within her rights to contact AC and/or take other means to dissuade the dogs from coming onto HER property (such as using a bug zapper racket like I suggested earlier, or other devices or means suggested by others).
My dog backs up my statement that she is not friendly. Then, the people look at me with accusing glares, as if I am in the wrong, while they and their unleashed dog run away with their tails between their legs. 
I agree on trying pepper spray but a huge no on wasp spray. You want to scare the dogs off not blind them.
If a town has leash laws, can an HOA waive them?
In other words if the town has leash laws, don’t they apply even at an HOA community?
I’m more knowledgeable on the 1991 legislation than the later amendment. The dog would have to bite to be put to sleep. “Fear of” allows the owner at fault to be dealt with, since it is the owners responsibility to have their dog under control.
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