Afraid of the Vacuum

Let's talk about the dog who is afraid of the vacuum. First, see your vet, because sudden new fears in an older dog can signal pain, vision loss, or cognitive change. Step one: desensitize.

Put the vacuum in the middle of the room, do not turn it on. Drop treats near it for three days in a row. Step two: turn it on in another room, treats in the original room.

Step three: bring the vacuum closer over a week, treats every time it moves. Step four: never force the dog to be near it. Counter-conditioning is a science project, not a bravery test.

Patricia McConnell's rule: if the dog is hiding, the dog is over threshold and learning nothing. Be the leader, be the alpha — and the alpha is patient enough to wait three weeks. Now, the deeper fix: vacuum fear is a desensitization project, not a bravery test.

Three weeks of patient counter-conditioning ends it. Now here's Steve's notes.