Funny how a dog allows people to talk to each other.
It’s as if you are giving them permission to say something.
Try it.
People will not even look at you first though.
They look at the dog and smile. And then they smile at you.
Most likely, they will talk to the dog first too.
If you really want people to open up and talk though, when you take your dog for a walk, take your kids too.
A dog, particularly an exotic like Charley, is a bond between strangers. Many conversations en route began with “What degree of a dog is that?”
-John Steinbeck, Travels With Charley In Search Of America