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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Harrier who is scared of everything

16 replies

XMissPlacedX · 08/09/2023 14:58

We have a lovely Harrier, he is sweet and funny but a bit thick bless him. He is in general a confident lad and runs around with his little brother playing most of the day.

The issue is, he is scared of the most random things: for example

Spiders 🕷 he actually runs howling from them whilst his brother chases them and eats them.

A bottle of water that one of the kids left on the floor , he wouldn't walk past it and was howling at me to move it so he can walk past.

The clothes airer, he won't go near it in the garden and whilst having a wee he spent the whole time looking at it suspiciously then ran inside.

This is just today , the list is endless! How do I make him more confident or do I just resign myself to the fact that he is a bit of a wuss?

OP posts:

Original poster

XMissPlacedX · 08/09/2023 15:00

Oh and a flying spider flew in last night and he hid under the bed until dh caught it 🤦‍♀️

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andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow · 08/09/2023 18:55

Have you had him from a puppy or is he a rescue? What kind of socialisation did he get when he was younger?

Original poster

XMissPlacedX · 09/09/2023 09:33

@andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow I rescued him at 1, he is 5 now. He was with his 4 other siblings in rescue so I think he had pretty good socialisation and is great around all other dogs and kids. I wasn't sure if it was just the breed as I'd never had a Harrier before. He is also scared of warm good bless him.

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SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 09/09/2023 10:02

He is a scaredy cat but he does sound lovely. Sorry, that's no use whatsoever is it?

Original poster

XMissPlacedX · 09/09/2023 12:11

@SiouxsieSiouxStiletto Lol, I thought as much. I've never had a harrier before but would definitely have another. He wears his heart on his sleeve and we can always tell what he is feeling by the look on his face.

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andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow · 09/09/2023 12:18

XMissPlacedX · 09/09/2023 09:33

Was he a working harrier I wonder? They don't tend to have much "town/house" socialisation so it would explain why he was scared of things like water bottles and clothes airers.

As for spiders, I can't say I blame him

Original poster

XMissPlacedX · 09/09/2023 12:26

@andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow true about the spiders, I rely on his younger brother ( Jack Russell) to get them for me.

He was an unsold pup apparently, had never lived indoors. However it's been 4 years now and I was hoping he would get a bit braver.

My youngest dc (7) made a Lego house earlier and put it on the worktop and the harrier started barking at it 🤦‍♀️

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Original poster

XMissPlacedX · 09/09/2023 12:29

Obligatory photo of our scaredy-cat

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andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow · 09/09/2023 12:30

The socialisation window for dogs closes at 16 weeks, so after that it's a case of having to counter-condition them to things, if that makes sense?

So it's unlikely that a 1yo adult dog will just "get used to things" - they need to be show that those things are safe/okay.

Original poster

XMissPlacedX · 09/09/2023 12:40

@andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow that makes sense. He is fine when outside.

I dismantled the Lego house to show him it was nothing scary and he sat by the door about 10 feet away watching whilst looking really worried.

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andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow · 09/09/2023 12:43

Bless him! Sometimes they can just get spooked over the most random things - my beagle hates desk fans (but is fine with floor ones) and plastic bags. He also doesn't like temporary traffic lights

Original poster

XMissPlacedX · 09/09/2023 13:37

@andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow lol temporarily traffic lights, that's funny. I guess I'm just going to have to accept his funny little quirks then

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Paperbagsaremine · 09/09/2023 13:45

I had a dog who objected to random things.
TBH you just have to make a list of what's really a problem and then work at broadening DDog's horizons /counterconditioning (as a PP said) to dial down how much of a nuisance it is.

I did a lot of getting my dog to sit for treats (or, frankly, just eat treats) when I saw trouble looming. And got a harness which attached both at back and breastbone. He wasn't transformed but it all helped ENOUGH.

Original poster

XMissPlacedX · 09/09/2023 13:58

@Paperbagsaremine Thankyou, he is a lot better with some things that he initially didn't like but all of a sudden a new fear will pop up. Sometimes I get the impression he does it for attention, then other times he looks genuinely scared. His little brother isn't scared of anything (Jack Russell ) and will happily play with things that the harrier is scared of. You would think that would put his mind at ease.

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andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow · 09/09/2023 13:59

XMissPlacedX · 09/09/2023 13:37

@andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow lol temporarily traffic lights, that's funny. I guess I'm just going to have to accept his funny little quirks then

It's so random - he saw them as a puppy too so it's not like he never experienced them until he was older.

TBH I think most dogs probably have random things they're afraid of. I walk a spaniel who has walked past the same sign hundreds of times - until one day when it terrified him for some reason and he refused to move - I had to pick him up and carry him

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 09/09/2023 18:51

Thank you for the photo. He looks a proper sweetie

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