It happens every few weeks. I'll be walking my dog through my neighborhood, and will notice a nervous look on the face of a passing stranger. Usually, the person will just give us a wide berth, but other times he or she will actually cross the street.
My dog is 12 years old, medium-sized and mostly black with a little gray around the muzzle. She greets almost everyone with a big goofy smile, and likes nothing in the world more than treats and butt scratches. She's hardly what I would consider threatening.
But I get it. Not everybody likes dogs. Maybe the passing stranger was bitten as a child. Maybe he or she is allergic, or didn't grow up with dogs and doesn't know how to interact with them.
But if that's the case, then how do I explain this phenomenon?
My friend's dog is about the same size as mine, but all white. She is scared of new people and has taken a nip at more than a few strange hands, yet whenever I take her along on a walk, people always want to pet her.