If I'm alone with Max, I sometimes pick him up because he has fear issues around some other dogs and I don't want him to freak out. The behaviorist that I worked with said that since Max feels anxious around other dogs that I should not force him to go up to other dogs to say hello and play. She compared his anxiety to the anxiety a person who is afraid of heights might feel if he/she were forced to stand on the edge of a cliff.
What offends me is that some people with big dogs just let their dogs come right up to Max without even asking if it's ok and sometimes I don't have time to scoop him up. The one day I walked out my front door (I live in a townhouse and the sidewalk is a few feet from my door) and BAM-a Lab was sniffing up on Max before I could react. Of course, Max freaked out because we were up against my door and cornered in a sense. The woman had the nerve to give me dirty looks because Max started his high pitched barking and lunging. She never should have had her dog's lead extended the way she had--I thought it was incredibly rude and inconsiderate.
