Hi Everyone! Hope everyone is doing well. I have a question about Hyde.

For the last week or so I have been taking Hyde and the other dogs hiking. Sometimes it is just Hyde and one other dog or Hyde and all 3 dogs. When we are on the trail Hyde is the only one off leash cause he doesnt leave my side or he walks right behind me. One day we were walking on the trail and we passed two women coming back down the trail, Hyde was on my side a foot away and ended up in front of the women, I then heard him growl. I called him over and he came right to my side, I thought maybe he was scared, caught of gaurd by the two women showing up from no where. So two days later we go hiking agian and this time we pass one person coming down the trail and he growled agian. He doesnt growl at every person we pass, or everytime we hike, but it disturbed me that he even growled at all.(also want to add the other dogs never growl at anyone, so he hasnt learned this behavior from one of the others)

I honestly dont think this is aggression, he just loves people. I think it might be because he gets scared. Hyde is kind of wimpy at times and I think he gets insecure and thats what makes him growl. He has only done this on the hiking trail, never anywhere else.

I know a good solution would be to have these people give him treats so he learns they are friends, but to do this on a hiking trail with perfect strangers seems a little impossible to me.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to give him a little more confidence, but to also teach him not to growl at people. I think if he wasnt nervous on the trail he would be fine and not growl. Agian i think the reason for this growling is cause we are alone on the trail and then all of a sudden someone approaches out of no where.

Also want to add Hyde isnt a scared dog, just sometimes with things that suddenly happen he gets scared, where my other dogs are calm and confidant and dont get scared. does that make sense? Example, i was walking them around the neighborhood and there was a big plastic bag on the sidewalk in the middle, the other dogs didnt even give it a second look, but Hyde got scared and tried running around it. I take him everywhere and all the big things most dogs are scared of Hyde is not scared of, it seems to be the little things that scare him. Anyone have anysuggestions?
Thanks!