I would say you have to watch the dog and see how it responds. Some dogs love to be touched and some don't mind while others don't.

There is a an english Spanial at teh end of my street who is out every moring around 4 or 4:30. I have dog biscuits in my pocket because of Chewy so I always gave him two or three biscuits and continued on to the car, never pet him and usually threw them across the yard to him. Well just 2 days ago I came up to the yard proceed to the front door and then was attacked by a BIG old tongue with a doggie atached who wanted there doggie biscuit! LOL. I walked around the house to go to the car and the Lady said " You know he wakes me up every morning at 4 so he can be out here to get his buiscuits, I thought dogs hated the paper girl"?? LOL. It was funny. I feel bad the dog wakes her up.

I will pet most dogs, because most dogs around her are sweeties. But some are mean, but those ones let you know real quick and I always offer a hand to sniff before petting.

Ash