I know, it sounds weird. We have two Vizslas. Meg who is 18 months and Oliver who is 3. When friends come to the house, Meg is a perfect dog, sitting or lying down and behaving well. Oliver has always been a people dog and loves being the centre of attention. Recently he has started going up to people - mainly when they are sitting but sometimes when standing and appears to be gulping or looking like he is going to lick them but doesn't. I can only liken it to watching a pup nudge the underside of her mum's mouth to encourage feeding. He goes through this routine with everyone in the room except Lesley (my wife) and me, and we can't get him to stop it. We've tried having him on the lead when guest arrive, putting him out of the room (just starts again as soon as we let him back in) and reward him if he does listen. Most of our friends love the dogs to bits, but we do have a few who aren't quite sure and I'm concerned that this action is disturbing to them - Oliver is not a huge Vizsla but isn't small either. Other than this he is well behaved. Any thoughts on how we could try to handle this would be gratefully received. Thanks

Ignore him totally when he does it and ask guest to also and the behaviour getting no reaction or reward should cease as it is pointless.

By making an issue of it you have inadvertently encouraged it.  I cannot imagine quite what the action is and why it is worrying your freinds?

Hi Brainless. It's the strangest action out - I have never seen it before. A couple of friends who are just not comfortable around dogs find it unnerving (SP?) as he appears to be thrusting his snout at their face. I personally find it highly amusing (more the reaction than what Oliver is doing !), but thanks for your reply. We'll try ignoring it as well, but you know how it is when you ask someone who isn't comfortable with dogs to ignore them, they just can't...

He probably sense their unease and is trying to make them more comfortable around him with these apeasing type actions. :D  Your amusement will also encourge him that this is the way to go.

I'd never thought about it like that, that he is trying to apease them. Although we find it amusing we don't let him see that. Thanks again for your thoughts

My boxer does this all the time with me and other people she loves when she knows she has to sit and not jump up to lick them to death. I think its really cute - one of those quirky things they do so I would just put it down to that and smile to yourself when he does it !!