Living in an urban environment means sharing indoor common areas. Whether these are hallways, entryways or lobbies there are a lot of areas that you will have to take your dog through to get to the outside. Unless you work a swing shift chances are pretty good that you will run into other dog owners and people. The same rules apply for passing people and dogs inside as they do outside. The difference is that you might not be able to turn around and go the other way.
Make sure your dog is always on the outside (on the side away from people and other dogs). Don't allow your dog to stare, focus on, sniff or otherwise acknowledge the people or dogs you are trying to pass. Nothing is more intimidating in dog-language than the stare. How comfortable are you (as a human) when somebody stares you down and doesn't look away? If you dog is focused on you they won't be able to get into trouble.
Respect other people's schedules and that other dog owner might not have time for a greeting nor want their dog to interact with yours. Keep your dog close to you while traveling through crowded common areas. The person heading to work will not care how friendly your dog is if Poochy is jumping on their new suit with muddy paws.
Tip for the day:
Work on the "watch" command with your dog. When at home without distractions, take a treat and wait for your dog to look you in the eyes. Say "yes" or use a clicker to mark the behavior. Once the dog understands that "watch" means to look at you, you can increase the duration of their behavior and eventually effectively use the "watch" command to get your dog to focus on you while moving throughout the shared areas of your community.
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