Okay, my apricot standard poodle, Tess, is nine months old (and as I type this she's the main pic for the Tribe. Yay! :-)--). Generally speaking, she's a huge fan of people. She loves dogs more--if there are dogs around, people don't exist--but in lieu of dogs, she's very sociable; likes being petted, must still be discouraged from jumping up. She's also not usually very vocal (unless there's a dog in our front yard, or we're cutting up meat).

However, three or four times now she's reacted badly to random people while we're out and about--barking, even growling a little, and hiding behind me. The people have been of both genders, all ages from kids to the elderly and in between, it's happened at high noon as well as at night. In fact, the only common thread I can see is that she's been leashed all of those times, but then again, except at the dog park, she's *always* leashed when she meets new people. I socialized her extensively from the time she was 12 weeks old, especially with kids (took her to school at pick up time every school day from the time we got her--she is *totally* comfortable with kids), but also with both genders and every possible age range.

My question's twofold, I guess--
Any insight into why this would happen so randomly?
and
How would *you* handle it when it happens?

Thankfully, the people I've met have all been very understanding about it, but I feel as though I ought to correct her, and I do....but at the same time, her reaction seems fear based, somehow, and I don't want to come down on her too hard for expressing anxiety. At this point I've been pretty much staying neutral and ending the interaction fairly quickly (although I don't end it while she's either barking or growling. I don't want her thinking for a moment that that's the *way* to end the interaction, you know? I wait until she's quiet and relatively calm, but I don't drag it out).

It's not a huge deal, but I am curious as to everyone else's take on this.
:-)