Jumping up at strangers and nipping

Hi. Our Louie is just over 2 years old and over the past couple of months he has started having a go at people - after lulling them into a false sense of security!

He wags his curly little tail and puts his head down slightly in greeting and jumps up at people who approach and allow it. Then he will let them stroke him for a couple of seconds before growling and nipping at their clothes. Obviously we keep him well away from people now when we are out and tell them that he can be grumpy but some people don't believe us and still come in for a stroke anyway. It can be quite frightening for the 'strokers' because of the noise that comes out of his big head! Having said that it is a very different type of growl than the one he uses when he sees Spaniels (which he hates - no reason, never had an encounter with one before, I just think he's racist).

When he nips it is only ever cuffs of sleeves he gets hold of (although I wouldn't want to see if he went further!) and if he can't get to people and I am talking to them he does get a bit growly. It may be that he is either protecting me (or whoever is walking him) or his brother Jack. It is just weird that he is so happy to see people before he gets growly.

Any advice on why he is doing this? We keep him away from people when we walk him and he is a well behaved dog so no diva issues to contend with. He only does this outside - bringing people in the house is totally fine.

Thanks for your help

try telling people to put their hand to him to smell first instead of stroking him and towering above him or covering the top of his head. He maybe happy to see people but then when someone strokes and goes above him he maybe feeling threatened and dominated. allowing him to smell them first should help calm him.

Thanks fineline. Just been to the vets to get worming tabs and the lady at the desk just held out her hand so he could smell her. No grumbles.

You're a star!

Will try it more with those willing to be guinea pigs! Thanks again. Xx

no problem, just another tip if you dont want to ask them to put their hand low and close to him completely ignoring him will work also, he can smell them for a distance whilst you pay no attention to him. This will help also and not create over excitement or vice versa.

Sounds like my lady, he's not necessarily lulling them into a false sense of security as he is trying to figure out more about them. A tail wag can mean "I'm trying to figure this situation out" as well as a happy gesture, and the head duck says to me he's feeling fearful; the growl is due to him showing both of these signals to say he's uncomfortable and people still not backing off, so next comes a growl and then eventually the warning nip. People are putting too much pressure on him and not reading his signals correctly.

I would be more inclined to go with fineline's second option of getting people to ignore rather than putting a hand out; a dogs sense of smell is incredible, they can smell you before you even come into the room so putting a hand out isn't required for scent purposes and can result in said hand being bitten if done to the wrong dog.

My lady is fear aggressive, mostly towards men but occasionally women too and doesn't like being stroked on top of her head, in fact very few dogs like to be stroked on the top of the head, so anybody petting him should always do so from a less sensitive area when he is comfortable with them. Before this though ask people to ignore and allow him to sit and work them out from a distance. I use a lead or a crate to restrain Biscuit when first meeting people, so that she can smell and watch them without any pressure being put on her.

Doubt very much he's protecting you or his brother, more likely to be fear of the unknown or due to previous negative experience; is he generally a worried boy? Was he socialized much as a pup with the breeder and with you, or has he ever had any negative experiences with people?

Thank you Rachel, interesting reading. He's absolutely fine indoors and had only been doing it in the past few months and we have had them since they were six months (they are 2 now).

No bad interactions but it could be the head stroking as he's usually jumped up at someone so his head is nearest!

By his head being down I mean the way he greets us. Not fearful but I know what you mean. His whole body language is friendly which is why it's been so baffling. He does exactly the same at home with very different results!

Tried ignoring tip with my neighbour and he even have him a treat but he still had a go and they are really used to them over the fence so it looks more likely to be the head stroking he doesn't like.

Really appreciate the help. You've given me lots to think about and try. Thank you very much xxx

Perhaps now it's a learnt behaviour now that it's happened so many times? And the ignoring hasn't worked? I totally understand, I tell people to ignore Biscuit and she will still go up and jump up on them, they will then try to stroke her and she will growl at them. She's fearful but also has a big personality and wants interactions on her terms, so she wants the time to be able to figure them out (and jumps up to be closer to their face, she's very insecure   ) So she's kept on a loose lead or put into her crate, and only allowed to interact once I can see she's physically calmed. We've been practising for a long time and she hasn't growled at anybody for a few months now, we seem to have finally figured out her greetings; only took 3 years!!

What exactly is the pace that his tail is wagging? And when he ducks his head is he still looking up at the person? Biscuit is generally quite a submissive dog and will duck her head a little on greeting, but if you then go to stroke her head she tongue flicks. If it's someone she knows well she will allow it, but she has been known to growl/nip at somebody she doesn't know doing this.

How long was he there before he gave a treat? Did he throw the treat on the floor away from him, or give it to him from his hand? xx

His tail wags so fat his little butt wiggles around!

The neighbour ignored him for a couple of minutes and Louie was looking in the other direction and was calm. Then I gave my neighbour the treat which he gave straight away and Louie took it from him no trouble. Then Louie jumped up again, tail wagging, was stroked and then had his little crazy time. I pulled him off and then he was quiet again.

I'm pretty sure his head bow isn't anything other than friendly. It certainly isn't his scared look.

Okay, it's really hard to read behaviour in text so i'm not sure what sort of a head bow you're referring to, but you obviously know your dog If Biscuit's head is low, I always wait for her to raise it before making contact.

I would watch him very closely and figure out his trigger points, until you know these it will be quite hard to decipher the behaviour, especially from afar. Perhaps it is in the head touch to the top of the head?

Will definitely watch out for that. It's been really useful talking to you. Thanks so much xx

Not a problem xx