dog im babysitting has unusual affection signs...

[angelsmama]

She's not one to lick you when she is showing affection.. She grooms you like a little monkey. She will nibble your hair,  work your hair with her paws, and keep right on chewing. It's sweet, but can be annoying Anyone know of any little dogs (I'd hate to know of a big dog who acts like that That might hurt) who does that also or is Gabby just weird?

[Binky]

That's so...odd!  Chicklet (very small paw) does this to the other dogs and cats.  She nibbles on their faces, their noses, their mouth, their tails, etc but she doesn't nibble on me!  I'm glad for that!  She does use her paws a lot to get and give affection.  Must be a small paw thing fotunately-can you imagine a big one "nibbling" you?!

[angelsmama]

She's an absolute sweetie though. She hates any kind of violence. If someone is holding her and someone acts like they are gonna hurt that person, Gabby gets mad. She will growl and bark at them. She thinks she is a big paw, if she hears something at a door she runs barking and thinks she can scare you. If you jump back she walks off her tiny nub of a tail wagging. I'll miss her when she leaves. I missed having a dog in the house to cuddle after my Dotty died back in December last year.

[sc.trojans]

If what you describe is the very fine nibbling, as in what a puppy does to her mother (barely opening mouth) then this is not an uncommon behavior showing affection. 

My berners have always done this as puppies to me, but usually stop and outgrow. My current girl is the first one I have who is over 2 years old and still does it to me every day - it hurts   but we have learned to pull back a little so that she isn't truly getting skin and mostly nibbles our clothes.  She will do this on our head, neck, shoulders or chest when she is most excited and happy to see us.

Yes - Big paws do in fact do it

[specialkdanemom]

Mika does this sometimes, too...usually when we're laying on the bed and she gets overwelmed with excitement and she needs to do somthing more than just lick your face off.  I've heard it called "flea bites", I'm guessing cuz it similar to them nibbling at fleas.

[newflvr]

Isn't this what was called 'baby corning' a while back....just like in the move 'Big' where Tom Hanks was nibbling the baby corn??

[TheUnSaintlySaintClan]

I had a mini poodle who did the same thing. She especially loved my brand of shampoo, so when I'd get out of the shower, she's get on the back of the couch and nibble in my semi-wet hair. It was hilarious.