Sydneysiders and their dogs

The dogs around here are amazing. They don't look like US dogs, that's for sure. Yes, there are four paws, there's fur and wet noses, but they just aren't built like American dogs. I believe they're a bit stockier, and the breeds are almost unrecognizable. Also, the dogs are AMAZINGLY well trained. I don't think there are necessarily leash laws around Australia because 75% of the dogs I've seen haven't had leashes on. These dogs are, quite literally, a matter of feet from busy downtown streets, and stay within 3-4 feet of their owners. There doesn't seem to be any real effort made by the owners either to keep their dogs near. Even passing perfect strangers, they don't bark, don't sniff, don't make any effort to acknowledge their existence. It's quite amazing.