Those with Asperger's Syndrome often display seemingly odd or conflicting emotional responses in situations, yet they are often mentally stable, highly intelligent, and productive members of society (Summer Glau, for instance has Asperger's).
Likewise, many intelligent people often face any tense situation with a smile or a smirk, or even laughter. Many would find it peculiar and most odd for a grown man, with military and police training, who was an officer of the law, who was armed and with a dog, to actually be unnerved by nothing more than a smile and laughter. Actually, it's pretty humorous to me, as well.
By his attire, "he wore a double breasted suit black in color, well shined black shoes, a white dress shirt, with a plain black tie" this indicates that he wasn't an escaped mental patient, but actually stable and intelligent enough to be both productive and successful. I overdress like that myself all the time, and when officers ask me for Identification, they glance at it, never call it in (or if they do it is after they leave), thank me and go on their way. The manner in which one holds themselves, their subtle mannerisms, as well as their grooming habits, unconsciously wields a lot of sway on an unconscious level with people.
Your dog's reaction is rather odd, I must admit. Animals do indeed sense things that humans do not. My ex-wife used to have a friend over for barbecues on the weekends and both my dog and my infant daughter would freak out the moment he walked in. My daughter would have nothing to do with him and my dog would growl at him non-stop and watch his every every move. I never really liked the guy either, but he was an old friend of my wife, so I just kind of dismissed the reaction of my daughter and dog. We didn't find out until a couple of years later that he was a pedophile. After that, I pay much more attention to my daughter's and my dog's instincts.
The man very well may have been harboring emotions that triggered an emotional response from your dog. He might have had a bad day at work and was internally dwelling on it, or maybe he was at the park dreaming of ways to get revenge on his cheating wife to cope with finding out his spouse was unfaithful. We've all been there before. The emotions that we have on the inside sometimes can burn intensely hot and strong, even if we have the control to suppress them or keep them in control. Dogs can't necessarily distinguish the difference between a strong emotion that is internalized from one that is going to be externalized. He could have had strong emotions towards you with intended hostility, as you seemed to take it, or he could have been harboring strong emotions internally that were never directed towards you or never intended to be externalized in any way. We don't know and your dog doesn't either. Your dog just knows that he had strong emotions.
Having left a note on your windshield, shows that he is keeping his distance from you as a sign of cautious respect, knowing that you are easily provoked.
The nature of the communication is strange, but not the delivery method. Perhaps he spoke something in a soft voice to you that you failed to hear when he first approached you? Considering his manner of dress, he was most likely soft spoken initially. People accuse me of whispering all the time and if they aren't looking at my lips they don't even realize I'm talking to them half of the time.
I personally like the previous poster's suggestion of leaving a message in an envelope in response to him on the windshield of your vehicle. It would be interesting if he takes it.
I think the irony of this story is if he turned out to be nothing more than a Mormon Missionary or a Jehovah Witness.
Maybe, your dog just doesn't like religious missionaries wanting to proselytize their religion!
One time, I was walking on my way to work at 5am when a large black SUV with no plates at high speeds swerved across three lanes and jumped up over the curb to block my path on the sidewalk. Two well dressed and well groomed men in black suits jumped out of the vehicle and started to rapidly approach me. One of them had a briefcase and started to open it while the other started to flank me. The whole situation seemed entirely surreal and out of a movie. I reached back underneath my jacket to place my hand on my sidearm that was on my back hip, and took a quick step back to brace myself, but before I could give a word of warning, the MIB with the briefcase produced a leaflet from it. Having been expecting him to pull something else out of the briefcase this relaxed the situation enough for me to glance down at what he had in his hand that he was holding toward me. Imagine my surprise when I noticed it was a Watchtower pamphlet! If I had been any more paranoid I would have drawn my sidearm on them when they started to approach me!!! I couldn't help but break out in laughter after that!
Sometimes the strange is more harmless than you might be lead to believe.
[edit on 5-6-2009 by fraterormus]
