Don’t let your dogs approach others without asking:
This applies to strange dogs and strange people — you won’t necessarily know whether their dogs are aggressive, or whether they’re afraid of dogs. You may have the friendliest dogs in the world, but that stranger walking toward you doesn’t know that, and you don’t know them or their dogs, either. This is where communication is again a dog walker’s friend.
Just as you should alert other people to anything your dog might do as they pass, it doesn’t hurt to ask about other people’s dogs with a
polite, “Are they friendly?” or similar question. If the other walker’s dog has an issue, they’ll tell you, and you can both act appropriately.
Generally, people will tell you through their reaction how they feel about dogs. If they shy away as they approach, make sure that you’re between them and your dogs, and keep your dogs from approaching them, even if it’s just for a friendly sniff.
If a stranger approaches your dogs, it’s up to you to let them know whether it’s safe or advisable to do so. No one will be offended if you tell them, “My dog doesn’t like strangers.”
