Expert explains why and what you can do to help them
There are lots of things in life that must seem utterly bonkers for our dogs, us sitting in front of the TV in the evenings, getting in the car or even having a relaxing shower.
But when that culture clash turns into fear many dog owners have a problem on their hands, and the vacuum cleaner can be a common flash point which causes upset for our canine companion.
Jay Gurden is an expert in dog reactivity, and teaches a course in the subject for Canine Principles, which helps professionals and owners understand the feelings which cause outbursts of fear and upset in our pets.
She said: “The vacuum cleaner is a common flashpoint for a dog reaction, and many owners simply work around the fact they are scared, perhaps shutting their dog in another room, or waiting til they are out on a walk with another caregiver to do the hoovering.
“But these behaviours from ourselves can actually make the situation worse, confounding the fear and mystique around the device and even creating a phobia and an even worse reaction. I’ve put together these tips to help owners understand their dog’s fear of the vacuum cleaner, and what they can do to help them.”
Here are Jay’s top tips to help with your dog’s hoover heeby jeebies…
Desensitisation:
Desensitisation involves exposing the dog to the thing that can trigger fear and the stress response in them, but at a level low enough that they don’t feel unsafe and don’t feel they need to take action or react to that trigger.
With the vacuum cleaner the combination of sound and motion can be just too much to tolerate leaving them feeling unsure and afraid of the machine.
We can start helping them to feel better about the vacuum cleaner by desensitising them to the noise. Record the sound and play it at a very low volume, perhaps paired with something relaxing like a stuffed KONG or tasty lickimat.
Increase the stimuli in a slow and steady way:
When the dog is relaxed at that level, increase the volume in little steps, always making sure that the dog stays relaxed.
Any sign of tension means stop and go back a few steps until the dog is relaxed again and then progressing slower.
Safety is key:
Once the dog is comfortable with the sound at normal level, we can desensitise to the presence of the vacuum cleaner (without it being switched on) as well.
Desensitisation can work for all kinds of triggers as well as noise such as proximity to other dogs or people, and works in the same way of finding a level where the dog feels safe and doesn’t feel the need to react, and then slowly decreasing that distance while making sure that the dog is comfortable and relaxed in the situation.
To find out more about dog reactivity, and sign up for Jay’s course go to www.canineprinciples.com
