Minnie Pearl (our 9 month old American Eskimo) loves the vacuum. I think she thinks it’s her new friend. Recently she’s been relentlessly begging me to get it out of the closet so she can “play” with it. I don’t mind because #1-The house stays VERY CLEAN and #2-It means she’s not afraid of it!
My former dogs, Vegas and Joey, were scared of the vacuum. They’d run away in a panic when they saw me get it out of the closet. I was determined to not have Minnie Pearl have so much anxiety towards a vacuum cleaner, so I started training her to get used to it as soon as we brought her home.
How I did it:
I showed it to her before starting it. Then I gave her a treat.
Next, I started it and gave her a treat.
Then I started using it and gave her treats throughout my vacuuming session.
I continued this process until she was used to it without needing treats. Little did I know that the positive reinforcement I did with her would cause her to love it so much! Being a puppy, she has a ton of energy, so the vacuum serves as a form of exercise as she chases it around the house. She barks and chases it until I stop. Then she goes and takes a nap.
FYI: We use the Dyson Ball Animal Vacuum and we love it! This is not a paid advertisement-this is just a product I absolutely love. My husband and I have always had multiple long haired pets throughout our marriage and it is THE ONLY vacuum that has been able to tackle the hair and actually last. We went through three other brands before trying the Dyson. It was quite expensive, but when we calculated how much we were spending on the other vacuums that did not last, the Dyson felt like a better investment of our money. We were correct as it has lasted us for years! Our parents even got one based on our recommendation and now love it too! Being bagless, I love being able to see how much yuckiness it picks up in its canister every time I use it. It gets alllllll the dirt! We also have a handheld Dyson and love using it too. I would never hesitate to make another Dyson product purchase.
Happy Friday ya’ll! Sending our light and love to anyone who needs it!