Why won’t you let your dog say hi to mine when we’re out walking?

I don’t know if it’s just me, but every time I take my 12 lb small dog out for a walk and we come across another small dog, the other owner discourages the dog from socializing and keeps on walking. I can understand if their dog is intimidating, big, or dangerous. But surely, you can let your chihuahua or pug and my dog sniff each other for 30 seconds just to say hello.

I don’t want to misunderstand anything, so I’m hoping there’s a good reason for this. I do take him to our local dog parks to socialize with other dogs, but there’s something neighborly about letting our dogs say hi, and it makes me sad that it’s not a thing anymore.

Any thoughts on this are welcome. Thanks!