We try our very best to avoid people given George's reactivity.
The distance is normally so great I probably wouldn't even realise if I know them.
But occasionally it is unavoidable.
A while ago I'd driven George to a local area for a walk. I park on a random street as it's quieter.
We'd not been out of the car long and George was having a calming sniff when an off-leash dog came around the corner. It appeared from the only blind spot.
I immediately created some distance as George was struggling. A few seconds later, the owner appeared around the corner who happened to be someone I know.
It's supposed to be a strictly on-leash area (one of the reasons we go there).
I find it difficult to tell people I think they should have done something differently (in this case, have your dog on a leash). Plus, his dog was behaving perfectly, calmly sniffing around whilst George was barking. And it was nice to see him.
But maybe I should have done. Maybe I need to get better at this.
He does know about George's challenges and we had a brief chat. George was clearly struggling though.
When he asked which way we were walking I said "whichever way you're not going". Thankfully, he knows George so I don't think it came across as rude!
If it had been someone else though, they might not have been understanding.
If I bump into someone I know who doesn't know what we are dealing with, and George is struggling (almost 100% likely to happen), I think I will make a sharp exit and then send a message to explain.
Before George's reactivity when he was younger, we were doing some socialisation near a market, sitting in the distance watching the world go by.
A lady I have never seen before walked past and said "Is that you George?". Turned out she worked at his daycare but I hadn't met her.
George's social circle is wider than mine 😆
We'll continue being social anxiety ninjas for now. The likelihood of bumping into people we know is small but we'll deal with it if needed!