This behavior can be extremely annoying or outright dangerous. The approach that I take is called “Systematic Desensitization”. It involves small steps in desensitizing the dog to the object and the sound it makes. The steps that I will lay out are only general guidelines. The time it takes at each step will vary based on the dog and the degree of reactivity. Some dogs will take longer and some will progress rapidly. You will need to determine the right pace for your dog.
If you have a puppy start introducing your puppy to the vacuum around the ages of 12 week and 16 weeks. Proper introduction will prevent this type of problem from ever happening.
Step Three: Put your dog on a leash. You should use a collar that the dog is used to such as a buckle, choke, pinch or martingale. Put your dog into a Sit. Your helper should take the vacuum to another room and out of sight. The helper will turn the vacuum on for very short bursts of about 2 seconds, 5 to 10 seconds apart. If the dog does not respond to the vacuum noise instantly praise and treat. If the dog responds by barking or getting up from the sit, correct gently and re-command the Sit. Once the dog will continue to sit through the bursts without reacting then we can increase the length of time the vacuum is on. The progression might look like this. Start with burst of 2 seconds, then 5 seconds, then 10 seconds, then 15 seconds, then 20 and finally 30 seconds. Only treat when the dog does not react. If the dog can not tolerate the longer bursts then take a step or two back. Do not make these sessions too long and always stop on a positive note.
Once you have a solid foundation built and the dog is calm when the vacuum is on you can try putting the dog at its Place and moving the vacuum around the same room.
Step Four: Again you will need an assistant to help. Put the dog on leash as before and position him in the center of the room. From an adjoining room turn the vacuum on. If the dog is calm then move the turned on vacuum into sight from the other room. If the dog remains calm then bring the vacuum into the room a little bit at a time. If at anytime the dog reacts then take a step back. The goal of this next step is to be able to get closer and closer to the dog with the vacuum on. For some dogs this step can happen rather rapidly and for others it might take a few days. Don’t push it. Watch the dog’s reactions carefully and go at its pace. Reward calmness and correct barking and lunging.
Clubs Offering:
Is your dog scared of vacuums? Maybe it’s a familiar routine: whenever you turn your vacuum on to clean your home, your pup goes scurrying away and might even hide under the table for protection from this loud and frightening device.
However, with the proper training and desensitization, you may be able to help your dog get used to the vacuum and stop being afraid.
Your dog hates the vacuum for one simple reason: it’s scary.
“Look at it from your pup’s perspective: they are loud and move around willy-nilly and change the appearance of whomever is operating them,” says Jessica Gore, CPDT-KA, a founder and pup educator at Competent Pup in Los Angeles. “Most owners are not taking the time to properly teach their pup about a novel stimulus, the vacuum, so the default is usually fear.”
Additionally, dogs may perceive that the vacuum is coming toward them. “For example, the dog is lying on the floor, [and] the vacuum is turned on and used in a motion towards him on the floor,” says PhD Board Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Dr. Crista Coppola. “The dog may then jump on the couch, and the person proceeds to vacuum right up to the couch edge. The vacuum is also rarely paired with anything good because the owner is vacuuming and no one is paying any attention to the dog.”
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