What a great chuckle to wake up to Connie

Bob, an excellent suggestion regarding something I wouldn't have thought of - to go as far as taking the 'scary object' out of my house - but I am finding out that you have to be creative and open to doing whatever it takes.

When my son's bulldog came to stay it was immediatly obvious that he had never seen a vacuum in operation. He blew his anal glands when I came near his crate.
For a few days I would turn it on, like the radio, and just act oblivious. Like the dishwasher, other machines.
It's the moving while sucking that gets them, I think. The bulldog, stupid and fearful, got over it pretty fast. There was an initial desire to attack it after the fear subsided, but that passed too.

Yes, I am sure Maggie's puppy will get over it very fast too.

Oh Betty - what a picture that crated in my mind.

Yeah it was the moving that got to him - or maybe he is trying to teach me to be a better housekeeper (grin).

Yes Connie, I am sure he will get over it fast too - I haven't reintroduced him to it as I still have a house guest and that is very stimulating to him. Given that I not going to add anything else to the mix right now.

I will post what I did and how he reacted once I am back to being alone with him. Thanks all for the excellent advice.

One of the dogs I have now came from a life in an empty barn and outside, so he had lots of mechanical stuff to be surprised and sometimes anxious about.

In his case, it didn't take more than a couple of days to get from point A to the finish line for almost everything that he was afraid of.

But I've also had a dog who it took over two weeks to become nonreactive to the washing machine.

I just base it on the dog. If he zooms through it, great! Easier to accelerate the process (IME) than to deal with a setback.

This whole conversation is a great reminder to encourage all puppy owners to think about sounds when they are doing socializing.

During those first few months when you're taking the pup out to see and experience things in the world, don't forget all the great opportunities there are at home too. Leaf blower, food processor, smoke detector, motorcycle, doorbell... What are all the occasional sounds in your household that you can expose the pup to while he's young?

I try to make a point of making a racket around the house with a new pup (in a very non-threatening way)--just so they get to understand that random loud or strange noises are a part of life and nothing to react to.

A BIG ditto to Tracy's post.

Train & bus & fire stations are noisy places with strange sounds & BIG vehicles.

The male Border terrier I had actually wanted to attack anything noisy with a motor. I even had to put him up when I mowed the grass because he would hide behind a rose bush or something and attack the mower as I came up to him.
The wife thought it was soooo cute when he went after her vacuum cleaner. That was until he attacked the bag, ripped a huge hole in it shook it all over the living room. I had a hard time keeping a straight face on that one. Didn't have the nerve for a "told ya so" either or Ida been doing the vacuuming. LOL!

Sugar was a curious and fearless pup, and one day followed me into the living room when I was hoovering, and when I took the brush off to use the nozzle, I dropped the hose to move the table, and she rushed up to the hoover and got the hose suctioned onto her great big nose, she thought it was playing with her, and had a few seconds of delirious fun before I yanked it off.

At the age of 4 she still gets waggy when the hoover comes out.

She ever was a strange one

Lol at some of your responses (Bob you're a smart man haha) (Tracy, thanks for the reminders on all that my pup might find startling.

I just love my pup - Although I haven't tried the vacuum cleaner again - my friend just left a few hours ago - I have to share what I think is too funny.

Yesterday I thought, I will put on my Spiritual music and it's very calming and my pup will calm down - yeah right.

The first song came on and it has wind chime type sounds in it and some low, kind of guttural sounds as well and Heiland barked and barked until even my tiny girl who is used to my music chimed in.

So what I find calming and serene was a whole different ballgame - mind you I told them both to be quiet and left my music on because I needed the calm fix. Both dogs ignored it in a bit.

Then last night we built a fire in the pit - another first for Heiland - he stayed up on the deck for a bit and inched closer until he could feel the heat - he stood in front of me and wasn't happy - guess he thought I was nuts - but after a few good treats he decided he liked it and stayed by my feet.

I will vacuum later today and post how it went - keeping a very watchful eye for any reaction on his part .. I would never leave him in distress.