Jasper's funny habit

[JudyN]

Well, one of the many...

When Jasper meets people (particularly ones he knows), or dogs he takes a shine to, after saying hello he will run back to me or OH and stick his head between our legs

often people read it as him trying to get his muzzle off, but I don't think it's that at all. It looks to me as if he's come over all shy and is hiding his head, like a toddler hiding in his mother's skirts, but I don't think it can be that either - that's an anthropomorphism too far. But it's a very set behaviour that I haven't noticed in other dogs.

I'm sure it's linked to excitement, but don't think excitement on its own would cause this specific behaviour. is it 'just' excitement, or could he be after reassurance (why?)? 'Head in the groin' is... erm... one of his favourite positions anyway as it's quite a convenient angle to give him a good ear and neck rub and no doubt smells delightfully of Mummy or Daddy

[MPbandmom]

Sky does something similar, although she may do it to the person she has just met. She will often plow through and circle her front end back around. Maybe looking for bum scritches and head scritches at the same time. When she does it to us, we usually just give her a good rubbing all down whatever part of her body is closest to us at the moment. When she does it to other people they usually jump backwards. She doesn't do it every time, and is rather sneaky about it, so it can be hard to catch before someone is jumping backwards.

It is rather embarrassing when she has just met someone and then starts to plow through their legs. At least Jasper comes back to you first.

[Nettle]

Mine run right through my legs. All of my lurchers have done this. It's polite and not likely to upend me but more like getting a stroke on both sides. They are all wiggly giggly when they do it, and I too have been anthropomorphically guilty of thinking it's like the slightly shy kiddie running to the safe place and holding hands, as it were. They only do it with me and OH.

[Ari_RR]

This is very nice.

When Ari likes someone, it starts with sniffing with no regard to personal privacy... which unfortunately means that the next time we meet the same lady - she will try to pass us on the other side of the street, much to Ari's disappointment

Or he will try to engage the person in a game, play bowing and jumping around and snarling... all excited, trying to say "let's play!", but often interpreted as "I am going to eat you now!", which also means the person passing on the other side of the street next time we meet

He doesn't have very many human friends among neighbors, as you can imagine, poor misunderstood boy... Bad upbringing, i am sure

But he has friends among rugged male types! Landscaping crew, the guys who fix roads and roofs, and such - they don't mind, God bless them

Your dogs are awesome.

[JudyN]

It must be a lurcher thing, Nettle! Wiggly giggly describes it very well The difference between your dogs & Jasper is that he's 30" tts... and my inside leg is about 27" He can run between OH's legs, but OH (and other men who know Jasper well ) usually has his legs firmly together, with his hands down for protection, when that hard plastic muzzle approaches at speed

Ari, so you're the person who keeps saying 'He just wants to be friendly'

[Ari_RR]

Ari, so you're the person who keeps saying 'He just wants to be friendly'

No... I actually try to encourage people to play with him when he is in his playful mood. I just say "you can play with him if you want, it's ok"... With limited success, I must admit.

And I am still searching for the most effective and yet polite way to chill a lady being sniffed by a dog... Maybe him being intact and short haired causes additional embarrassment?... But he is just a dog, not a human, for goodness sake! I suspect that telling him "Stop sniffing the lady!" would not be very proper either... I don't know. We try to avoid ladies who seem to be easily embarrassed.

Sorry for hijacking the thread. This really belongs to "Vent"... Some folks are too serious.

On the other hand, of course, having better manners wouldn't really hurt him

[Sanna]

I have no idea Judy but

When Ari likes someone, it starts with sniffing with no regard to personal privacy... which unfortunately means that the next time we meet the same lady - she will try to pass us on the other side of the street, much to Ari's disappointment

Or he will try to engage the person in a game, play bowing and jumping around and snarling... all excited, trying to say "let's play!", but often interpreted as "I am going to eat you now!", which also means the person passing on the other side of the street next time we meet

He doesn't have very many human friends among neighbors, as you can imagine, poor misunderstood boy... Bad upbringing, i am sure

But he has friends among rugged male types! Landscaping crew, the guys who fix roads and roofs, and such - they don't mind, God bless them

this made me chuckle, Precious does exactly this
Though he prefers to sneak up on people (ladies in particular) and ram his head up their bottom contentedly sniffing and grunting.. He's perfect height as well and has been known to lift unsuspecting 'friends' off the ground this way

[Erica]

Amadeus and Zeus also are in the "no manners with women" club. Delta gets too close to my dad sometimes, which makes Dad freak out a bit I think it's more the reaction than any sniffing that Delta's aiming for.

[emmabeth]

Kelda does it, loves to shove her face under your arm or between your legs, its v common with deerhoundies and deerhound bred lurchers and it always strikes me as a comfort thing, its a bit like they are asking for a hug (but the face shoving IS the cuddle that they want).

Kelda also does the between the legs thing and being a deerhound, even though shes a little un, I am a short-arse and shes taller than my inside leg by quite a way!