# What's the difference between an explorer and runner?



## TzusnHedgies (Sep 25, 2012)

The title says it all really! I've searched all over google and can't find a clear definition. Depending on which one I have, I'd like to learn the best way to handle him.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

I don't really consider "runner" a personality type, just an activity level. They can relate, but not always. Runners are very active, use their wheels a lot, and tend to have longer, leaner body types. A higher activity level leans toward an "explorer" personality sometimes. I prefer the term "adventurer" actually. Explorer/adventurer type hedgehogs are less interested in being held, cuddled, or sitting still when they're out of the cage. They'd rather run around and explore on the floor, use you as a jungle gym, that sort of thing. They can be more outgoing, not as timid. At the other end of the spectrum is the "cuddler" personality - more slow-going, more willing to stay in your hands or lap, and possibly more tentative about new things. There's a wide range of personalities between those, though. Sometimes adventurers can seem more timid, more likely to huff or get startled, because they're tightly wound so to speak - and sometimes cuddlers are the most chill, the most unphased. So it really comes down to a description of how they behave when you take them out - if they want to run around or if they're content to just sit on you. Sometimes it even can vary in a single hedgehog based on time of the day. But, yeah, I wouldn't use "runner" as a personality type - some of my craziest wheelers are the sweetest cuddlebugs. Some of my "laziest" hedgehogs are the least willing to sit still and be loved on. It's all about the individual, really.


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## TzusnHedgies (Sep 25, 2012)

Thank you! That's a very detailed description! I thought I had a runner, but since Caramel has settled in; I don't think he wheels much at all. I'd say he's an explorer, because he doesn't want to be held for one second and struggles to get away. But when I put him down, he immediately hides in the closest space he can find.  I don't know how to bond with him. When I pick him up, he usually balls up for a second and then put his quills flat (while trying to get away). I usually put his snuggle sack in my lap so that he can go in there. He huffs at the slightest movement of his snuggle sack and by some sounds. I got him from a good breeder that socialized all the babies. I think one of his brothers that the breeder still has, is sweeter (he wasn't available when I got Caramel). I'm feeling like I wish had him.


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## TzusnHedgies (Sep 25, 2012)

I should add that the first hedgehog that I ever held at a breeder's house (years ago) was very sweet and cuddly. Her name was Dolce and it fit her perfectly. She wasn't lazy, she was just content to be held it seemed. Her quills were completely flat and I could pet her until the cows came home. Since then, I have never encountered another one like that. It's actually confusing to me when hedgehogs ARE affectionate to humans. Since they're so solitary, I don't understand how one even COULD bond with a human. I'm just about as confused as I could possibly be!


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Anubis, Vendetta, and Delilah are all like that. They never prickle, they love to just be held and sleep on one of us. Plumeria (Delilah's mother) is similar in that she's very mellow, but she's more reserved - she has a little prickle in her now and then, but she also will sometimes have her quills a tiny bit raised even when curled up cuddling in my hands. A handful of the others would fall more into the cuddler category but not to the same extent as the three I mentioned. Basically all of ours are wheel-crazy to some extent.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Also, since he's still fairly young, you might just be dealing with some residual quilling combined with him still getting to know you. My boy Archimedes was pretty much a ball of quills and huffed nonstop up until almost 16 weeks old. Some of ours right now aren't that bad, but they've had various levels of grumpiness during quilling, and for some of them it's only just now wearing off all the way, and those younger ones were all born in June, so they're pushing 4 months at this point. Just don't let the grump get to you. He might never be a cuddler, and a lot of hedgehogs will have a little bit of a prickly personality, but just keep at it and you'll probably find that there's more improvement as he gets to be an adult and gets to know you over time.


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## TzusnHedgies (Sep 25, 2012)

I don't think he's quilling, because I haven't seen any quills anywhere and when I handle him, no quills come out. Just now I was holding him; he was squirmy, but I kept holding him and he bit me. Didn't break the skin, just a I've had enough. I didn't put him down then, because I've read that you should never let them down when they bit you so they could get down. He got huffy and rolled into a ball. I just put him in his snuggle sack. How can I bond with him?


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

They can still have residual quilling grump even if the quilling itself isn't obvious, so just because of his age, I wouldn't rule it out. If he doesn't like being in your hands, let him crawl on you when you're sitting on the couch, or set up a playpen and lay around in it and let him explore on/around you. Some hedgehogs are never going to be cuddly or like being held. You could also try to change how you're holding him. If you've been holding him on his back, maybe he doesn't like having his belly exposed and would be more willing to relax if he's in your arms. Sometimes they'll also put up a fuss if they're being held away from your body, because it doesn't feel secure enough, but they'll settle if you put them in against your chest. We have one girl who's insaaane, always very squirmy and won't settle in my hands, but she'll chill out when she's in against my chest. Kind of like this:


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## TzusnHedgies (Sep 25, 2012)

That's a sweet picture.  

The thing with Caramel is that if I set him down on me/the couch, he'll immediately burrow and hide at the closest location- and stay there. The only thing I can come up with at all is to hold him and carry him around in his snuggle sack. That's all I've got.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

So leave him in there. It doesn't have to be a bad thing. I tote mine around in bags all the time, no matter how grumpy, and some of them take naps with me. I tuck their bag in by my cheek and we sleep together for an hour or so. Also, if he's willing to use you as a hiding spot, it's not necessarily a bad sign. It means you're his safe place.


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## TzusnHedgies (Sep 25, 2012)

Thank you! Starting tomorrow I'll tote him around. You reminded me that I did take a nap with him once! I put his little snuggle sack between me and my husband. It wasn't the most restful nap for me, because I kept checking on him. But yeah, it _was_ a good thing.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Toting around can do wonders. It gets them used to being jostled and eventually they'll be kind of "whatever" about it. I always encourage people to take their hedgies out in carry bags on short trips to the store, running errands, etc. - it's great for socialization. 90% of the time when we go somewhere (other than my fiancé going to work) we have a hedgie or two with us.

And yeah, naps with them are the best.  Except once or twice I've had one slip out of the bag and leave a poop somewhere on the bed, lol. Sneaky little goobers!


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## TzusnHedgies (Sep 25, 2012)

Oh my goodness, things are going wonderfully! I didn't mean to take Caramel out again (it's been about 3 hours that he's been back in his cage). But he was tunneling under his paper towels (while I've been waiting to order liners) and I knew he would get too cold under there. He must have been too warm in his snuggle sack on his snuggle safe disc. So I picked him up and I got out the bug mix. I folded a blanket on my lap, put him there and fed him a few bugs with BIG tweezers. I don't want him to associate my fingers with food. Aka, something to chomp on. I was really, really glad that I used the tweezers, because I think I would have lost a few finger tips! I put his snuggle sack on the other end of the couch and let him crawl down my blanket to go in there. Imagine my surprise when I felt a wet nose and quills on my leg! Scared me to death, but I didn't move. He crawled on me, on the blanet and then down the couch to his snuggle sack again. He actually had a good time! So I guess he is an explorer/adventurer.  

I'm going to to what you suggested and take him out places with me. I'll just fold a little puppy pad on the bottom. And speak of the devil! He's back! lol I'm going to put him to bed for the night. Thanks again!


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## TzusnHedgies (Sep 25, 2012)

Oh, forgot to add that I'm also getting a ceramic heating bulb and thermometer for his cage.


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## hedgielover (Oct 30, 2008)

Sounds like progress!  This was really interesting to read. Sometimes hedgehogs are like that, it doesn't seem like they are going to come around and then suddenly they reach out. My favourite was in warm weather taking Quigley to the park. I had so much fun with him. He'd run a little ways off and then come back and find me. Sometimes I'd follow him around sometimes he'd follow me. I always knew that he trusted us when he came and hid under my legs or burrowed in beside me. I miss those days.


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## SquiggyTheHedgie (Jul 26, 2011)

When I first got Squiggy a little over a year ago, he was the grumpiest most terrified little hedgie ever. He hated being held, touched, or even being next to me. Then whenever I put him down he would just curl up and hiss at me until I went away. Now though, hes a super sweetheart who will cuddle with anyone and never raises a quill. It took a lot of patience and time working with him to get to this point. I held him everyday, took naps with him, sang to him, fed him snacks, and basically bugged him every day til he liked me :lol: No worries though, he definitely got all his beauty sleep. So even if Caramel never end up being a cuddler, with a lot of time and patience Im sure he will warm up to you and show you he loves you in his own way


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## Virtual_Rachel (Mar 23, 2012)

moxieberry said:


> Anubis, Vendetta, and Delilah are all like that. They never prickle, they love to just be held and sleep on one of us. Plumeria (Delilah's mother) is similar in that she's very mellow, but she's more reserved - she has a little prickle in her now and then, but she also will sometimes have her quills a tiny bit raised even when curled up cuddling in my hands. A handful of the others would fall more into the cuddler category but not to the same extent as the three I mentioned. Basically all of ours are wheel-crazy to some extent.


Holly is like that too. She doesn't prickle and is very happy to sleep on my lap or crawl up on my shoulder and snooze under my hair. But when she's feeling active she'll crawl off and have a zoom around the lounge, or burrow under the rug. But she's generally very content to just snooze on me.


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## TzusnHedgies (Sep 25, 2012)

Sorry to be so late getting back to this thread!

Moxieberry- The exact same thing that your girl does (only settles down when she's close to your body) is what's going on with Caramel. I was reading his signals all wrong. I think he's just a super scaredy cat and it's more comforting to be held close next to my body. 

Hedgielover- That sounds so adorable with Quigley.

SquiggytheHedgie- I have a weird feeling that Caramel may end up being a cuddler after he feels comfortable with me. Or like you said, at least more comfortable and we can have our own kind of bond. I've been doing similar things as you, like taking naps with him. I've been interacting with him a lot for short periods of time (maybe 4 times a day). I started feeding him some bugs occasionally when he's on my lap in his snuggle snack. I use giant tweezers, because otherwise I would lose the tips of my fingers. Really! So I'll give him a cricket, a grasshopper or two and then the mealworms are really little, so I drop them in his snuggle sack for him to look around for and eat. I do that rarely so that he doesn't expect it. And then when he was eating last night, I put a little bit of chicken in there, so he knows that good things come from me. Tonight I had him on my bed for a few minutes, but my husband was already alseep and was moving around too much and it was scaring Caramel. I showed him his snuggle sack and he went right in. I sat there for another 10 or 15 minutes and when I checked in on Caramel, he was sleeping. He didn't huff at all when I closed the snuggle sack, which is progress.

I think we're gonna make it.


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