[Shadow's mum]

If this is in the wrong spot please move.

From the time Shadow was just a couple of months old we have been putting a harness on her to go in the car. We do this for her safety and ours (she isn't crated, I can't fit a crate in the car) When the harness was introduced, she would wear it just for a wee while and we would walk her with it, and take her to the park to play. She would cower/cringe run away when the harness came out. We stopped using the harness for a bit.
Shadow is now 11months old she still hates the harness and the halti, she will run away and hide. If it's just the halti she will go to the front door eventually and hang her head, she looks so sad. If it's the harness that's come out she acts like she hates that thing so much and she is scared of it. My son dropped the harness on the kitchen floor the other day, he was on one side of the kitchen and Shadow was on the other, he called her over to him with treats and all. Nope she wouldn't even walk past it. I had to kick it aside, then she ran quickly past it to get to him. We have tried, treats, praise, leaving it off for a while, putting it on just for small amounts of time and praising her treating her etc etc. Nothing is working.

Any idea why she acts like this with the harness and a little with the halti?
Perhaps a discomfort to being confined/restrained?
How do we help her get over it?

Just thought I'd add once these things are on her, she acts like she couldn't care less, apart from the nose rub every now and then to remove the Halti (which does get removed once she has settled and walking nicely).

cheers Michelle

 

[Shadow's mum]

We've tried this with her Halti. The Halti she is not so bad with now, she knows when the Halti is on she has to work! When the Halti is off it's play time. She does play also with the Halti on, but she is more reserved.

The harness we use is just for the car, not for walking. She loves going in the car, just hates the harness. We have done the harness on=treat or play. Harness off. Harness back on =more treats or play. Nothing works, she hates it. When we do put it on she is fine with it within seconds, it's just getting it on her= she runs and hides or won't go near it.

 

[Shadow's mum]

Hmm the last time it was out we left it on the floor and she wouldn't even come in the room. Perhaps I'll just leave it on the floor away from door ways and let her come to it on her own. Maybe sprinkle some treats around and on top of it. We'll see how this goes. LOL I can just picture her getting brave enough to go near it and kill it(chew it up) ah well. We can only try.