Why Are Dogs Scared of Vacuums?
Having a dog as a pet is one of the best things one can ever have. He gives you company, gets excited when you come back from home which is good for your health. However, as much as your love your favorite canine companion, him shedding his fur all over the house isn’t fun. Your dog will have his fur stuck to your furniture, clothes, and all over your floor as well. Luckily, the market offers a wide range of vacuum cleaners that can nip your dog’s fur problems in a matter of seconds. With the right vacuum cleaner, you get to reduce the amount of dog hair on the carpet and furniture. When vacuum cleaning your house and your dog is around, you might have realized that whenever you put it on your dog runs away into another room. Naturally, dogs are afraid of loud noise. Every time you pull out the vacuum cleaner, the dog gets scared of the loud noise, moving furniture as well as the furry of activities that often accompany vacuum cleaning. In case you are wondering why are dogs scared of vacuums, today’s post shed more light on this behavior.
So, Why Are Dogs Scared of Vacuums?
In most cases, when vacuum cleaner surfaces and your dog is around, he starts exhibiting fear-driven behaviors such as trembling, hiding, or barking. We have outlined the main reasons why dogs exhibit such behaviors, so let’s take a look.
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Vacuum Cleaners are Noisy
Why are dogs scared of vacuums? The main reason is that vacuums are loud and threatening. One unique thing about dogs is that they have the ability to detect the smallest sounds that even the sharpest human ear can’t detect. What’s more, is that dogs can detect very soft sounds at high frequencies. Therefore, considering that a dog is capable of hearing sounds at lower decibels than humans, imagine how loud a vacuum cleaner is to him. Just like humans, dogs get uncomfortable when the sound gets too high for them. In a normal household, you are likely to use the vacuum cleaner maybe once or twice every week for just a few minutes. This means that the dog doesn’t get time to familiarize themselves with the device and get comfortable with it. Therefore, every time the vacuum comes out making all that noise, your dog startles and becomes frightened.
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They are Smelly
The other unique thing about dogs is that they are not only smart but also have one of the most powerful senses of smell compared with humans and other animals as well. Your dog is capable of detecting a specific smell inside the house that no one in the house can detect. While you might not even realize it, your vacuum is kicking out a lot of unusual smells that only your dog can detect. While you might only be able to smell the warm fragrance of a freshly vacuumed living room, your dog on the other side is getting uncomfortable because of the dust particles and foul smells coming out of your carpet or under the couch. Given that dogs heavily depend on their sharp sense of smell, it becomes easier for his owner to see when he gets anxious. It is also possible that your dog gets alarmed by the suction of the vacuum cleaner. When he decides to sniff the vacuum, the vacuum sniffs back, but at much greater strength.
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Why Are Dogs Scared of Vacuums: Signs That Tell Your Pooch is Afraid
It is easier to tell when your dog is frightened, however, there are more subtle signs we might miss that indicate that our dogs are uncomfortable about something. If we verse ourselves in our dog’s language, we will be able to accordingly train them to be more comfortable with the vacuum.
Some of the most common reactions that show your dog is afraid of vacuum cleaners are:
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Running Away from The Vacuum
This is one of the most common reactions by dogs who are afraid of vacuum cleaners. Frightened dogs will try as much as possible to distance themselves from the scary object by running away into another room. Just like humans, dogs enter into a fight or flight mode when something scary happens. The fight might be barking or lunging. On the other hand, flight means that the dog runs away from the scary thing.
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Hiding in Another Room
When your dog runs away from the harsh noise caused by vacuum cleaners, chances are that he is going to run and hide in another room where he considers himself safe. You will see him hide in a closet, under the bed, or in another room where she at least doesn’t have to see the vacuum.
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Barking
Nervous dogs will start to bark immediately you pull out the vacuum cleaner. This is because nervous or anxious dogs often bark at anything that scares and since they are not used to the loud sound that the device makes, they enter into a fight mode that makes the bark.
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Freezing
While most dogs will either run away or bark when you pull out a vacuum cleaner, some dogs get so frightened that they can’t move an inch. This shouldn’t be confused with a dog that’s lying flat on the floor relaxed. A dog that’s frightened to a point of freezing means a dog who is standing, averting her gaze and maybe trembling as he moves in slow motion. You will notice that the dog might even have a lowered body when he is walking.
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Accidents
In most cases, accidents are caused by anxiety. This is still the case with dogs. Just like humans, dogs feel butterflies in their stomach when something frightens them. Prolonged exposure to vacuum cleaners could cause her to pee or poor in the house. You shouldn’t punish him if such an accident happens because it is a response of the nervous system and not an example of bad behavior.
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Hyperarousal
In rare cases, your dog may start to present abnormal behavior changes when you pull out a vacuum cleaner. He may start biting, lunging, humping, pacing, panting, running, and whining around. All these are signs of hyperarousal and they manifest from her nervous energy.
Why Are Dogs Scared of Vacuums: How to Vacuum Without Scaring Your Dog
You have now noticed that every time you pull out the vacuum cleaner, your dog gets anxious and sometimes runs away to hide in another room. One of the best things you can do to prevent your dog from getting afraid of the vacuum cleaner is by introducing him to one at an early age. Socialization in puppies is all about new things and new experiences. If your puppy isn’t socialized well, he is going to respond to new things such as vacuum cleaners with caution or fear as an adult. Therefore, if you introduce the vacuum cleaner to a puppy, he is going to grow knowing what it is and be less afraid of it. On the other hand, if your dog is already an adult, this ideal might not work for him. What you should do if you find yourself in such a case is try and expose him to the vacuum is small portions. You can also try and give him treats when the vacuum cleaner is around so that he can learn that it isn’t something to fear.
The other way to do this is to have another family member run the vacuum cleaner in another room, while you play with your dog in another separate room. The one running the vacuum cleaner in the other room will then move the vacuum closer while you encourage the dog not to run away by rewarding him with treats. You might not be able to successfully train your dog to do that all at once, however short and regular sessions with plenty of repetition and reward will eventually bear fruits and your dog will never have to fear the vacuum cleaner again.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Why Are Dogs Scared of Vacuums?
Q: Are some vacuum cleaners scarier than others?
A: Yes, depending on the make, some vacuum cleaners are pretty quiet, compact, and unobtrusive compared to other cleaners that are loud and scary to dogs. If your dog has been scared of an upright vacuum cleaner in the past, you should try and introduce something new with a canister style vacuum or a Roomba. Generally, a quieter vacuum cleaner will potentially be less scary to your dog.
Q: Why is my dog suddenly afraid of the vacuum cleaner?
A: There are multiple reasons why all of a sudden your dog is afraid of the vacuum cleaner. One reason that could make your dog have a negative reaction toward the cleaner is if you get too close to him while vacuuming. You could have startled your sleeping dog by suddenly turning on the vacuum cleaner. These two reasons can suddenly cause your dog to start getting afraid of the vacuum cleaner.
Q: Why are dogs scared of vacuum cleaners?
A: Dogs are often afraid of vacuum cleaners because on two major reasons, they are loud and they produce a strange and unpleasant odor. Dog’s sense of hearing is way more sensitive than that of humans, making loud noises less tolerable.
Related Read: Best Air Purifiers for Pet Odors
Conclusion
Dogs are different and how your dog reacts to a vacuum cleaner might not be the same way your neighbor’s dog reacts to a similar vacuum cleaner. If your dog gets scared when a vacuum is pulled out, try and follow the procedure outlined above on how to vacuum without scaring your dog. Start as early as possible and see how your dog transforms to not being scared of the vacuum cleaner.
See Also: Why is my dog peeing on Carpet.