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The dreaded vacuum. As soon as the dog sees you headed to the broom closet to get the vacuum, your furry friend becomes a monster and begins to bark, growl, and bite at it. Some of them tense up and hide, and others couldn’t care less. And, as if running the vacuum is not a dreaded chore, now you may have to deal with a dog demonstrating aggressive or fearful behavior toward it.
So, this begs the question, “Why are some dogs afraid of the vacuum, and what can we do to help them?”
The 4 Possible Reasons Why Dogs Are Afraid of Vacuums
While some dogs do not seem to be phased by the vacuum cleaner, others react to it like thunder and fireworks. They are loud and appear threatening. Especially the self-propelled ones because they are not only noisy but also appear out of nowhere and then disappear. The unexpected movements can be alarming for a dog.
1. Sudden Appearance Out of Nowhere
One of the most common reasons dogs have a negative reaction to the vacuum cleaner is that they are not exposed to it in a gradual manner. Suddenly, there is this loud, obnoxious apparatus being moved here and there, and it appears to be attacking everything and taking over the room. Of course, your canine becomes fearful or protective.
2. Dog Has a Fearful Nature
In some cases, your dog may have a nervous and fearful personality. These are the dogs that are fearful overall. They get startled easily and are nervous with loud noises and things that are strange to them.
Dealing with nervous, anxious, and stressed dogs can be challenging. If you need extra support for your fearful dog, we suggest speaking to a vet or a certified canine behaviorist.
3. Past Negative Experiences
Other times, it may be because the dog had a negative experience with a vacuum cleaner. Maybe their tail got caught in one, or they had a negative experience with a different kind of loud household utility, or even outside machinery or cars. This may be especially true in rescue dogs that haven’t been raised in a home or socialized properly from an early age, and may find common household items, everyday noises, or regular routines scary.
4. The Behavior Was Inadvertently Reinforced
Maybe you recall the first time your pup saw a vacuum cleaner. They were running around it, barking at it, even trying to bite it. And you may have laughed and praised them, as the scene must have been cute and entertaining. From this, your pup may have concluded that guarding you against the vacuum and barking at this strange noisy machine is a behavior you desire. After all, you praised them for it. This may have reinforced the behavior, which is now a regular occurrence every time you use the vacuum.
Signs Your Dog May Be Fearful of the Vacuum
- Urinating
- Hiding in another room or under the furniture
- Barking
- Pacing
- Drooling
- Looking for an escape route
- Shaking
- Destructive chewing of the vacuum
How You Can Help Your Dog if They Have Vacuum Phobia
Desensitizing methods may help to minimize the fear of the vacuum. It will depend on the severity, however. You can praise the dog and feed them some treats while slowly exposing them to the vacuum.
- First, put the dog and the vacuum in the same room at a distance where it doesn’t scare them, while it is not turned on.
- Praise and reward your dog with treats as long as they are relaxed and calm. This way, they will associate the vacuum with something positive, like being fed treats.
- For dogs that seem fearful, move the vacuum farther away until they regain a comfortable and relaxed state.
- Next, you can slowly move the dog closer to the vacuum by setting treats closer and closer and then eventually on the vacuum while it is turned o This phase may take days or weeks.
- You could also ask a friend or family member to slowly move the vacuum while keeping it turned off, imitating the usual vacuum movements. During this time, reward the dog with treats and praise as long as they remain calm.
- Eventually, if the previous steps have been successful, try turning the vacuum on in a different room from where the dog is. Again, ask someone else to do this while you reward the dog with treats, as long as they don’t fear the distant noise.
- Slowly get your helper to move the vacuum closer, ending with it turned on and in the same room as the dog. There’s no need to push it toward the dog; being in the same room is enough.. This phase may take weeks.
As with any training or desensitizing methods, it can be time-consuming, and you may get frustrated. Do not punish your dog if they don’t behave in the desired way, as that will undo all your hard work, and practice patience so the dog does not become more stressed.
For dogs that are overly sensitive and nervous, you may not want to push the issue. In that case, you can manage the dog’s environment by putting them in a closed, quiet room while you are vacuuming. Give them something to occupy themselves, like a puzzle toy, and turn on some music or the television.
Conclusion
While not all dogs will react to the vacuum cleaner in the same way, most of them will have some sort of reaction to this large piece of machinery that is making loud noises and invading their space. Remember, some dogs are naturally nervous and will run and hide from it, and others will bark at it or try to bite it.
Either way, there are methods to desensitize your dog so they become comfortable with the vacuum, or you can control the environment to help relieve the dog’s stress. This will make for a more pleasant cleaning experience—if there is such a thing! Consult your veterinarian or a certified canine behaviorist for help if the above tips weren’t enough.
Featured Image Credit: Jaromir Chalabala, Shutterstock
