Scary Noises

Emma, can you tell me why my 16 year old basset hound is horribly afraid of vacuum cleaners?

Well, in a word, "no."

I assume all dogs and people can be afraid of the same thing for different reasons. The best I can do is to share my own experiences.

I am not real fond of the vacuum cleaner but I use to shiver every time I heard a hair dryer! It could be the noise? Sounds, pitch that we animals hear that you don't. I don't much prefer the hum of leaf blowers either. Even when I am inside the noise just gets to me. My human had a few tricks though to help me overcome my fears.

1. Whenever I am afraid or unsure of something, she turns it into a massage! When the hairdryer or the vacuum cleaner is off the nose or the nozzle can double as a great tummy scratchier! I have learned that these machines I still don't prefer on, our not half bad when they are off! She has tricked me over the years this way too. You know that thing they sell on TV that files your dog nails, heck I thought that things was muscle relaxer for the first two months.

2. Then I learned to not fear the hairdryer when she was using it but if it was my turn to get blown dry I would still be so hesitant to enter the restroom. Thinking it was the noise she put these big human ear muffs on me. (They are the kind you use when you shoot a gun.) I have taken them to a gun range, a live blasting and the race track) I am sort of fond of them now.

3. I believe you humans call all that "desensitizing". If this doesn't work understand one thing. The vacuum cleaner IS scary! Have YOU ever laid on the ground and watched that thing come at you?

4. Maybe a dog can be afraid due to insecurities? Crate him/her when he is scared. If you are not use to crating your dog you should know that the only person that thinks the crate is cruel our humans. Us dogs love the security our own tight little space can bring us.

5. If all else fails, remove me. Have someone take me on a walk while you clean. As much as you want to teach me it's okay, I just may be better off outside.

Note: Speaking of "teaching me it's okay" remember saying "good girl" or "it's okay" while I am shivering up a storm because you have the monster running. Is only teaching me that my scared behavior is correct. Don't use human words of encouragement to try and calm me down. I am a dog and we do not respond to that emotions. Give us reinforcement when we are in a calm state around the object of fear. My human made me sleep with the bicycle trailer for two weeks when we first got that stupid thing! Now, I love it!!! Just a note.

Emma Zen