Pits and terriers tend to be mouthy dogs. I am very strict with any dog -- ABSOLUTELY NO TEETH ON HUMANS. Especially with a dog such as a pit bull, that mouth will just get stronger. I do this because I don't expect them to understand that human skin and sensitivity is not the same as a dog's (their skin is incredibly tough, especially compared to ours, and their pain tolerance is also far above ours). It's not so much due to what I can or can't handle myself, but so that I prevent problems when they interact with other people, such as my very thin-skinned grandparents or very young children. Not seeing or feeling what he's doing, I can't say that it's affection or anything like that. I would suggest trying not to anthropomorphise what your dog is doing. Dog psyche is not the same as human psyche.

Personally, I would like to see exactly what's going on when he does this, there is other "body English" going on that will indicate exactly what's on his mind. Is he "mothering" you? Or is he dominating you? Or is he comforting himself?

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