The more people I meet, the more I like my dog.
But yes, he has a lot of personality, and learned he is free to express it. It was sad that for a long time he would flinch if I reached out to pet him. Took a long time for him to learn to completely trust even those that feed and cared for him. Today on walks he greets people without much reserve, though he still prefers "his kind", i.e. other dogs.
He plays every evening with his favorite toy (we load it with treats, and when he bats it around they fall out), probably his first toy, other than a stick. We tried different toys, until my wife found this, and he loves it. It is quite rewarding to see this old hound get real joy out of playing with it every evening. Wife loads it up after dinner while I walk him, and he comes loping across the room to attack it.