Does your dog attack and chase the vacuum cleaner when you are trying to clean?
Rather than giving up and living in a house full of dust bunnies try these very easy steps:
- 1) Pull out the vacuum cleaner without turning it on.
- 2) Click/reward any glance toward vacuum and remaining calm.
- 3) Allow the dog to “check out” the vacuum. Again reward the dog for remaining calm.
- 4) When the dog is brave enough to approach the vacuum, start moving the vacuum back and forth a tiny bit without turning it on. Again reward the dog for staying calm.
- 5) If close proximity to the vacuum is too arousing, increase the distance between your dog and the vacuum.
- 6) Ask you dog to sit and move the vacuum back and forth without turning it on.
- 7) Reward the dog for remaining calm.
- 8) If your dog is successful: Turn on the vacuum, but do not move it around.
- 9) Reward you dog for remaining calm.
- 10) If the dog gets nervous increase the distance between vacuum and dog.
- 11) Finally: Combine the motor noise of the vacuum and moving it around at the same time.
- 12) Again reward the dog for remaining calm.
If at any point in time your dog gets stressed out or tired go back to a previous and easier step to allow the dog to be successful again. End the session then and there with lots of praise. Always end a lesson on a positive note.
Most dogs can learn to tolerate the vacuum in a very short period of time.
A very small investment in time and effort to make vacuuming stress free for everybody in your household forever!
