If you cannot simply put your dog in your
yard or in their crate while you vacuum, there may be a solution:
reassociating the vacuum with good things instead of just a loud, scary
noise.
While you are in the process of retraining
your dog, do not vacuum your house while your dog is home! Ask a family
member to vacuum while you take your dog for a walk or vacuum while the
dog is at the groomer.
To desensitize your dog to the vacuum you
need to reassociate the vacuum with good things. The easiest way might
be to fix the dog's bowl of food, turn the vacuum on in one part of the
house, and feed the dog in another, "safe", area of the house.- Where
he can still hear the vacuum but he doesn't show signs of being afraid.
Do this every day at mealtimes, gradually placing the bowl nearer and
nearer to the running, but not moving, vacuum. Never move so fast that
the location of the food in proximity to the vacuum visibly frightens
your dog. This may take days or weeks or even months depending on your
dog's personality. Eventually, you'll have your dog eating right next
to a running vacuum, and then the next step would be to more the vacuum
while he's eating. Eventually you'll have a dog that associates
vacuuming with food and happily eats while you vacuum your home
undisturbed.
