[LawnGnome]

The dog part is definitely key. We moved a few blocks — so within the same neighbourhood — shortly after getting our dog, and it was amazing how much more quickly we got to know our new neighbours with our (extremely extroverted) then-puppy compared to the previous place. (And, on the flip side, I'm on a first name basis with every dog on my block, which usually implies also being on a first name basis with at least one of their humans.)

[sokoloff]

I can recognize and name more dogs on our block than people.

[drcongo]

Ha, me too. I have a terrible mental block with human names but for some reason I can hold the names of 100 dogs in my head.