Dogs: Why Vacuums Really Suck!

  Posted on May 8, 2015  by Joy of Living  No comments

Party Marty here! Yeah! It’s Friday once again! My favorite day of the week! It’s yours, too, I bet, as you get to read a post from this fine feline! I am here today to dish on sounds of which dogs are afraid. (And they have the nerve to coin the phrase “scaredy cat!”) Dogs can be fearful of any number of sounds, from thunder and lightning to fireworks and hair dryers. One of the most prevalent sounds of which dogs can be afraid is that of the vicious house beast known as the vacuum cleaner. It doesn’t bother me at all, but it sure does strike a nerve in a lot of dogs. Before you resort to ditching that vacuum cleaner, it helps to understand why your dog is afraid of it and what you can do about it.

First of all, some dogs, whether from a breeder, pet source or other source, simply might not have been exposed to loud and strange sounds before coming to live with you. New is scary…especially when it is loud.

Dogs are also genetically predisposed to the fear factor. They are naturally fearful of certain things and some breeds of shy temperament, which is inherited, might not ever develop full confidence in themselves to face the vacuum cleaner.

Some dogs, such as the Border collie, tend to bark at the vacuum cleaner in deference to their herding instincts. They may attempt to “herd” the machine much as they would an unruly sheep.

However, you can help mitigate that fear by associating the loud sound of the vacuum to something pleasant. So, each time you are going to use it, offer your dog a treat. It may take awhile for him to catch on, but if you do this each and every time, he should begin to associate the sound of the vacuum cleaner with something pleasant.

Thanks to dogcare.dailypuppy.com for this great information! Now, thanks to me, I am at the end of my post and can go take my nap. You are now free to carry on with your usual activity.