I’m going to give you all a little tough love here: strangers don’t need to say hi to your dog. In fact, I don’t want strangers to say hi to my dog or any dog I’m working with. It teaches the dog to look to other people for love and affection and takes the focus away from me.
This is especially true when we’re talking about fearful dogs. We need to create space and advocate for our dogs. If they don’t feel like we have control of a situation, they will take it upon themselves to do so by lunging, barking, growling, and potentially biting. Teach your dog that you will keep it safe by keeping people out of its space. You’re the only one that should be interacting with your dog, anyway.
It’s your dog, it’s your rules. Get comfortable telling people no.