Well I guess I have to admit I don't vacuum often as this problem just manifested.

My darling Heiland the hellion showed fear for the first time.

I thought there might be a problem but decided that I would bring it (vacuum) out and put treats on it while it was not turned on and that would do the trick. Nopers.

Heiland (10 weeks) ran from the room and went to his bed. He was still attached to me so he couldn’t get as far away as he would have liked to.

I shut of the vacuum of course and gave him some commands (sit, down etc. to give him back his confidence) which he was happy to do. So no harm done but my guest had to sleep in a room with one section of the carpet vacuumed (grin)

So if I do become a better housekeeper, (no rush lol) how do I get my pup used to the sound and to ignore it?

Can you have it running in the farthest corner of the house away from him without him reacting?

Hi Cathy - I don't know - I just shut it off and came here for advice as I don't want to mess up my (up to now) very confident pup.

When is a good time to try it again?

I can put him in his sleeping crate as he loves that (goes to bed without a whimper and sits nicely when I go to let him out- bonus!)

I just want my timing to be correct on this.

Loud noises have never bothered him - shopping carts crashing, lots of ppl , huge trucks, bulldozers (OK enough I am starting to brag now lol)

"without him reacting"

That's the gauge, as Cathy says.


I'm also answering a new join-up who can't post yet (his is a motorized wheelchair) .... and Cathy's "without him reacting" is the key.

For me, desensitizing always starts (and stays) outside the reactive zone. It's the zone that shrinks.

And the "presence" of the item (which is greater, of course, when it's turned on, and greater still when it's moving) is based on the same rule for me.

So I start with the turned-off item in a corner of a room (in the next room, if needed, to be "without him reacting"). It stays that way, with us doing upbeat marker work at the distance we need to be.

Every increment is done only "without him reacting." So we don't move closer in a series of planned-out steps. We do it as the dog becomes inured to the presence at its current level.

If I'm careful not to push, not to try to lure the dog inside the reactive zone, not to set some arbitrary timetable, it all goes faster. IME, every time I have tried to hurry it along has set us back.

So now I let the dog set the pace, and it's stress-free and ultimately faster.

(The item turned on but not moving will almost certainly be a new step with a new zone, but it will be quicker, IME, if the turned-off steps are done first.)

With the motorized wheelchair, the wheelchair starts empty and off.

The next step might be someone sitting in it, but it's off. Then the wheelchair running, but empty and not moving. And so on.

If you want to post back with increments and/or issues, please do. I'm going to suggest that the wheelchair person email me and I'll add his questions, too.

Sound OK?

Cathy, I can tell you have done this, from the phrase "without him reacting."




We've had TV, skateboards, the blender, the microwave, and more, over the years here.

So if I am reading things right, I should introduce the vacuum cleaner soon as there doesn't seem to be a time restraint posted? He is fine going right up to it as long as it's not on. He did that the same day he got scared.

So the sight of it isn't a problem - turning it on is. So - have him in another room where he can hear the sound? Gauge his reaction.

If no reaction, then let him see it from a distance running but not moving?

Then slowly, if he shows no adverse reaction, move the vacuum cleaner or allow him to come closer to it (his idea) and check it out while running but not moving?

Am I on the right track? I appreciate your time/answers as I know this has probably been asked a lot of times.

The time thing was that I don't set up an artificial timetable in the steps, that the dog may not be ready for.

Yes, if he is fine with it off, the you can put it far away, but on. Then off. Then on. No luring him to it, because the vacuum cleaner's destiny is to be a boring background thing, unworthy of attention.

Yes, right track. The time thing is about not hurrying these steps artificially. That is, suppose the wheelchair guy's dog is skirting far around the chair turned off .... then it's not time for him to have it turned on.

All up to the dog.

I know that many folks include counterconditioning, which is great, but I've had the best success with zero attention on the item. I don't feed rewards while I increase proximity because I've had such good success with making the item boring background.

Well, working with upbeat basic ob outside the reactive zone is a kind of relaxed counterconditioning (upbeat, fun, rewards), but I don't include the item in our attention.

All JMO!

I just take the Downtown Dogs work (skateboards, bikes, etc.) inside.

What Connie says above!
You have a large yard correct? If you still get reaction at the furthest distance in the house you can take the vacuum cleaner out in your yard. Only when he gets used to the turned off machine should you then take the pup to the far end of the yard and just play with him. You may need to have someone else turn the machine on when you are far away.
Over time you can get closer but use the dogs reactivity to judge how close. Ideally you don't get close enough at first to get any reaction.

 Quote: Bob Scott

.... If you still get reaction at the furthest distance in the house you can take the vacuum cleaner out in your yard. ...

This is a great point.


It made me remember someone here poking mild fun at me once, though, about my emphasis on the trigger item being outside the reaction zone and in its least active form (turned off, unhooked, unmoving, whatever). I can't remember who it was, but she said "Couldn't you just start with a small picture of the item?"