Because (and I may be being over-sensitive) I have noticed that a lot of people seem to want to hurry their dogs along just when mine begins to amble over for a good bum-sniffing.
It isn't that they're in a special hurry, I don't think, as I often see them bimbling along some time later.
It saddens me a bit when this happens, as my dog always seems to get much less out of a walk when she hasn't had any fun doggy encounters.
A friend has suggested that it's breed snobbery: I don't want to think this, but on reflection it really does generally seem to be people with 'purebred' dogs who do it. Ours is a mutt- a Rottie/Alsatian cross getting on in years, and a real sweetheart (I may be biased).
By the way, I am referring to dogs who are off the leash here- I would tend to assume that they haven't got behavioural issues that mean they need to be steered away from other dogs.
Anyway, I'd be grateful to hear about your experiences with this- or whether perhaps there is something I can do from my end (re-assure the owner by calling across to them that she's already had breakfast?). Obviously, most doggy people are friendly and do stop and chat, but we do have some mornings (like today) where my poor hound comes home looking a bit depressed. Anthropomorphism? Me?! 