It's not surprising that dogs will instantly like or not like some humans. Animals are amazingly intuitive. I geek out about animals, especially the enthusiasm of dogs. I find it easy to match their level of joy and curiosity and perhaps it is why they seem to instantly trust me. Paying attention to a dog's body language and level of stimulation is extremely important to me. If i see that she may be overwhelmed, i will give a dog time and space and refrain from anything complicated or specific commands. If i see that a dog is stressed out or not wanting so much socialization we can find a place for some quiet and stillness. I was playing with a sweet dog at the humane society and picked up a ball to throw for her. I noticed that her body language instantly changed as i handled the ball. It occurred to me that she had some history of abuse, perhaps someone threw balls violently at her or she was "target practice." This made me very sad and as she cowered near a corner, i put the ball down and went to comfort her. We eventually got back to a playful space but it took some time. It's important to pay attention to such things and i feel that i have become quite good at it, thankfully. It has been proven repeatedly that animals make us healthier and ease stress, not to mention provide comfort and company. For this and so many other reasons, i enjoy time with pets and feel very fortunate to be in a part of the world where we make the health and well-being of animals a priority.