We were out before the crack a dawn this morn trying to get our patrol in early, hoping to accommodate the schedules of others. It's fall, it's dark... and the Niglet was especially jumpy this morn. Most of the patrol went well, most of the tards were either in bed or gloomily faced with another day at work.
Dawn finally broke... but the bloody spooks were still ooot n' about! We turned a corner, rounded a tall hedge - and got jumped by this!
I chat my pants and gobbled in fear bravely faced the apparition ... but the poor pup just LOST it! I had her pulling in mindless terror at the end of her leash and struggling to get away. I dunno if I did it right, but I reeled her in and made her settle and look at the thing... but she was just frightened to her little core. When we got home she ran upstairs and burrowed under the covers of the bed.
The poor thing. We are going to go visit him tomorrow and expose her to it until she sees it for what it is. I always do that with animals that get spooked. When I was a kid I had a beautiful appaloosa that balked and flipped at the sight or motorcycles. Mom and I almost got into fisticuffs when she refused to let me ride because of it. Like - hells bells, lady! Is the nag supposed to sit in his pasture because he is afraid to go out? Sheesh!!!
When we visit him tomorrow we'll start with some distance and slowly move in until she's comfortable. Sometimes ya just gotta work through these things…
Had one react that way to a snowman. Keep the pup at it until they figure it out. Got to where he'd went up to it and peed on it. Take that Frosty!
ReplyDeleteTry approaching from down wind, they trust their nose.