Getting Your Pet Used to the Vacuum
Using a regular vacuum cleaner with the standard attachments may be too powerful for your pooch and can hurt them, causing them to dislike vacuuming even more. So, it may be a good idea to use a smaller and portable machine at the start to vacuum your dog and once your pooch has been acclimatized and is comfortable around a vacuum, then you can switch to a larger machine.
It may be a good idea to expose your dog to a vacuum from when they are younger, which will ensure that they will not view the machine as a threat and be comfortable around it. However, if you have an adult dog, then you can start by familiarizing your pet with the vacuum by bringing the machine into the room and let it lie around in different places for a few days without turning it on.
This will ensure that your pet becomes familiar with the presence of the vacuum cleaner and is not alarmed by it. Once your pooch is comfortable with the vacuum, then turn it on at a distance away from your pet. Gradually move the machine closer to your pet until he is comfortable around the running vacuum cleaner. Praise your dog and give him a treat each time that he remains calm and does not run away when you turn on the vacuum.
Make sure to start slowly when vacuuming your pooch, around a few seconds at a time. Stop and give him a treat before starting again. Try to vacuum him around 3-5 times the first time and then, when your pet is absolutely comfortable, you can increase the duration.
When purchasing a vacuum for your pet, make sure that the model is quiet and will not alarm or hurt your pet when you’re vacuuming him. Using a regular vacuum with a standard attachment may hurt your pooch’s skin because of the high suction level.
So, ensure that the model you buy has pet-friendly attachments that are gentle on your pet’s skin and fur. Also, look for a pet vacuum cleaner that has an allergen filter, which will help to capture all the pet dander when you vacuum your pooch.
“No matter what vacuum a flea gets sucked into, its probably a one-way trip,” he said.
Many a housekeeper has long wondered if vacuuming is sufficient to get rid of fleas. Finally, a study shows vacuuming is indeed an effective weapon.
Fleas have multiple life stages: Adults suck the blood of their host and females lay eggs on them. The eggs roll off onto the floor, furniture or pet bedding and hatch two to 14 days later. The insects go through three larval stages, the last of which spins into a cocoon to protect the pupa stage. New adults typically emerge within a week or two.
Andrea Thompson is an associate editor at Scientific American, where she covers sustainability, energy and the environment. Prior to that, she was a senior writer covering climate science at Climate Central and a reporter and editor at Live Science, where she primarily covered Earth science and the environment. She holds a graduate degree in science health and environmental reporting from New York University, as well as a bachelor of science and and masters of science in atmospheric chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
The OSU study, partially funded by the Royal Appliance Manufacturing Co. and detailed in a recent issue of the journal Entomologica Experimentalis et Applicata, involved vacuuming up groups of 100 adult fleas at a time, as well as groups of 50 pupae and 50 larvae, from a tightly woven kitchen-type carpet.
I prefer to do my training with special treats, especially when a dog is working through fear. Primal’s Organic Chicken Nibs from Amazon make a good reward. I like that they’re organic and made in the USA. You can find some for your pet by clicking here.
I suggest the BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser HandVac. Having a portable, cordless dog vacuum is a good idea anyway since it can reach the car. You can take yours on trips, or keep it handy at home for easy, fast grooming. To check prices and availability, click here.
After your dog has spent some time watching you interact with a vacuum and learning to associate it with treats, you can move on. It’s best if you can enlist some help when it comes time to turn it on. If you can sit with your dog and some treats, it’s better than when you have to walk back and forth between a plugged-in vacuum and your dog.
Most every dog owner encounters them eventually. Fleas are the bane of dog-loving humans and all their furry pets. Doubtless, if you’ve ever had to deal with these pin-head sized pests before then, you’ve heard that vacuuming up is an absolute essential. However, you also probably know already that tiny fleas can be a shockingly resilient nemesis, returning time and again. Often they come back just when you thought you’d finally seen the last of them. So maybe the old vacuum trick doesn’t do much good after all. Until recently, no one was certain, but I just encountered some new evidence that will clear up the flea-dog-vacuum question.
The working theory is that suction force from the machine itself strips fleas of their protective outer layer. This leaves them to dry up and die. Then again, it could be that getting caught up in all the pressure and swirling tosses the parasites around enough to scramble them inside their carapaces.