Hostile wolves beg for bones when in the air

When the player attacks a wild wolf, naturally it will attack back, occasionally jumping at the player. If the player is holding bones, during the jump it will still beg for the bone (incline it's head to the side), but not if it is on the ground.

What I expected to happen was:
Nothing special when I'm holding bones in the vicinity of a hostile wolf.

What actually happend was:
When the hostile wolf jumped at me, it begged for my bone.

Steps to reproduce:
1. Spawn a wild wolf.
2. Hold bones in hand and attack it.
3. When it starts jumping at you observe it's head.
Might be easier to see when jumping off a high spot with the hostile wolf.