Assess the Type of Barking
to differentiate from a territorial bark. When a dog barks at a vacuum cleaner, they are executing an alarm bark. This is when a dog barks at a sight or sound in any situation. Their body language is stiff, and they pounce forward a couple inches with each issuance. With this body language, they are trying to protect themselves from something they fear, and they are communicating to you that they are upset. To determine the type of bark of your dog, you should ask yourself the following four questions:
1. When and where does my dog bark?
2. Who is what is the target of my dog's barking?
3. What is provoking my dog to bark?
4. Why is my dog barking?
Quiet Training
To treat alarm barking, the ASPCA suggests that you practice "quiet training" with your dog. This type of training is designed not to eliminate your dog's barking completely, but instead to decrease the frequency of the barking by putting boundaries in place. With this training, the dog is only allowed to bark a certain number of times until you give a firm command of "Quiet." When you first start this training, you will need to physically close down on your dog's muzzle with the gentle touch of your hand, but after awhile your dog should know what to do upon the first utterance of the command. Treats are also good to use as positive reinforcement of this technique. For example, you may want to develop this training a bit more by saying "quiet" and then having your dog sit beside you. If he/she stays by your side and quiet for several minutes, you reward with several treats. Over time, you may increase the number of seconds your dog is to stay quiet before it gets a treat. Start with two seconds and work your way up.
Head Halter
A head halter is a device that fits around your dog's snout that acts to curb unwanted barking. Depending on the dog, the head halter can either calm or distract your dog enough so that it doesn't alarm bark at your vacuum cleaner. If you're going to use a head halter, you need to supervising your dog at all times and remember to reward with treats if he/she stays quiet. Fear of Loud Noises
Oftentimes, a dog barks at a vacuum not because it fears the object itself, but because they fear the noise that it emits. Why? Sometimes a past traumatic experience informs this behavior, and other times it's a result of genetic tendency. For example, according to the ASPCA, German Shepherds, Border Collies, Cattle dogs, and Shetland sheepdogs are more prone to developing a fear of loud noises. Another possible reason dogs and vacuums just don't mix is because the vacuum may just be too loud for the dog to handle. The average range of hearing for a dog is 40 cycles per second to 60 rHZ, but the average range of hearing for a human is 20 cycles per second to 20 rHZ. There is a huge discrepancy between these two numbers, which is why vacuum manufacturers engineer quiet vacuum cleaners designed to be both human and pet-friendly.
Desensitization and Counterconditioning
If your dog fears loud noises, like the sound emitted from a vacuum cleaner, the ASPCA recommends Desensitization and Counterconditioning (DSCC) in conjunction with the quiet training previously explained. This type of conditioning must be carried out with the guidance of a trained animal behaviorist because of the delicate nuisances of the desensitization process. You want to expose your dog to the sound without scaring your dog at the same time. This is why you need a behaviorist that can gauge the dogs reactions and make desensitization training a comfortable experience for your dog. In case of the vacuum, you would place the vacuum running in another part of the home where the dog can hear the vacuum to some degree but will not experience the full noise level that provokes a fearful reaction. In time, usually between a few weeks and a few months, the fear should resolve itself upon frequent conditioning to the noise.
Medication
We hope this blog post gave you some insight into your dog's behaviors. If you would like to speak to a trained vacuum specialist about our post or perhaps purchase a pet-friendly vacuum cleaner of your very own, please dial our toll-free number at 1-866-972-8227.
