Just a video for 3 minutes of me hoovering š Or for those of you dog behaviour enthusiasts like me, a video of an adolescent who has developed conflicting emotions around the hoover.
Hero used to chill unfazed, id hoover around him, while he just watched or played. He has had a few knocks to his confidence in the world, which happens in life, but the consequence is a heightened sensitivity to things he previously was unaffected by.
He is 20 months now so his Testosterone levels are set and stable, however, stress hormones fluctuate and little things can build up. Take a look at trigger stacking, its the straw that broke the camels back theory. And just because he is near adulthood, although each dog is individual and id say Hero is still adolescent presenting, they still need our support and guidance.
I could ignore his behaviour, shut him in another room, hoover when he’s not around, but that’s not going to create the outcome i want – a dog unbothered by the hoover.
So I roll the hoover around without sound, then with sound and in between i invite opportunities for him to safely investigate. He can choose to, he can also reject the offer. We got at his pace, no need to rush.
He is a white dog so ideally I need to hoover daily but this week he has started play bowing and zooming when the hoover comes out…. This is not play, its conflicted feelings, stress and excitement in the same pot. Vocalising tells me those feelings have become too big for the pot and they’re spilling over.
This will escalate if not addressed, and my last dog was a hoover hater… those who live with a hoover hater know how stressful that is for everyone. š«£š I dont want to be involved in hoover fighting, so not my sport!
What I thought was lovely is how Hero chose the newly learnt trick of standing between my ankles (peekaboo!) as his place of safety. He could move away and hide but wanted my reassurance. Proud of him for choosing this rather than avoidance, for communicating his need, and for investigating! š„°
If your dog is sound sensitive and/ a hoover hater consider pain as a factor. Speak with your vet about it, or a canine physiotherapist/massage therapist for ideas and support.
