One of the cutest things Mr. Bond did to show he cared about the new kitten, RJ, was to try to warn him about the vacuum cleaner. As it was being rolled out and having its cord unwound, RJ started playing with the cord. Mr. Bond checked his headlong flight and came back to try to convey: That this was dangerous! We are supposed to run away! Come on, kid, listen to me! It wasn’t until the vacuum was about to be turned on that Mr. Bond abandoned RJ to his fate. RJ ignored Mr. Bond, so absorbed was he in exploring this new object. But soon the noise drove him away, and now he eels out of the room as soon as it makes its appearance, just like most cats. Cats do not care for noisy objects. The vacuum is probably the noisiest appliance we tend to use around the house, though they do not care for coffee grinders or whistling teakettles, either. But the vacuum has other features that makes it truly the Cat Godzilla. It is big and it moves. It moves everywhere, right at their level, roaring as it goes.

We find it loud. Cats, with their better hearing, find it much louder. They usually aren’t around to see us if we suck up some drapes or pennies, but if they do, it only confirms their suspicions that the vacuum is something to be heartily avoided. Which is probably just as well. I was vacuuming the couch near Smidget, who came off the streets as tough as they come. He was one of the few cats I’ve known who would make a point of not leaving when the vacuum came out, to keep his reputation for fearlessness intact. But as I was trying to nudge him aside to get that section of the couch, the hose, which I was using without an attachment, sucked up the tip of his tail.But he did whip around with incredible swiftness, pinned the end of the tube to the couch, and gave it three sharp raps with his paw. Don’t ever do that again. Of course, something smaller… that might not be frightening at all. So we should respect our cat’s avoidance of the vacuum cleaner. Announce its imminent appearance.

Give cats time to clear the room. kirby vacuum cleanersAs we go from room to room, turn off the vacuum and give them time to get past us.shark vacuum cleaner australia where to buy It may seem amusing. shark canister vacuum cleaners reviewsBut cats have good reason to avoid it. Just as we would avoid Godzilla. Got here from a Link or Search? There’s more ways to understand our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on WHY CATS DO THAT.The vacuum of my dreams!Good vacuum, but you might want to consider other optionsApartment dwelling, dog owning, clean freak approved!!!Astonishing performance on long pet hair - definitely worth owningEverything they say it is and moreThinking about a DC 25?

Don't waste your money buy a swiffer insteadMy wife wanted a DC-25 for a long time so I finally bought her one. She has used it for just over a month now and as you can see from this video she is a bit underwhelmed with it. On our hardwood floors it just pushes stuff around instead of picking it up. We decided to test the Dyson against the Swiffer in picking up Cheerios off the floor. There is no trickery here the Dyson literally will not pick up Cheerios off the floor. It is a poor design that doesn't allow any height adjustment of the vacuum so anything that is bigger than dust/dirt on the floor is just pushed around. It also doesn't perform much if any better than our old canister vacuum on the area rugs in our house.We contacted Dyson to see about returning this unit and possibly exchanging it for the older DC17 because we have seen several reviews that said the DC-17 was a much better unit and doesn't have the same issues with hardwood floors that the DC-25 has. Their customer service was less than helpful, leaving my wife quite disappointed with not only the DC-25 but also with Dysons Customer service.

We decided to make this short video so hopefully others don't fall into the Dyson marketing hype and waste ~$500 on this vacuum.The good thing about it is that I purchased it from Amazon and they were as always more than helpful with the situation and are taking care of us.Why Do Dogs Not Like Vacuum Cleaners? Raise your hand if your dog gives you the evil eye every time he sees you grabbing the vacuum cleaner and wheeling it out of the closet, turning the simple act of vacuuming into a multi-task chore. On one hand, you are trying your best to keep your carpet spotless, on the other hand, you are trying to keep your frantic dog, who is barking and lunging at the vacuum, under control. If this scenario sounds all too familiar, rest assured, you are not alone. There are countless dogs who hate the vacuum and are plotting a secret strategy to get Mr. Hoover and Mr. Dyson out of business. Why do dogs hate vacuum cleaners so much? Well, turns out, dogs have several good reasons. Dogs and vacuums don’t seem to get along, but things can be a tad bit more complicated if your dog hasn’t been formally introduced to Mr.Dyson from a young age as he should have been.

Reputable breeders know the importance of this and will make sure that their puppies are exposed to common household sights and sounds from a young age before sending their pups off to their new homes. “It’s easy to run the vacuum around the puppies from the age of four weeks until they leave for their new homes. If we pre-condition puppies to accept sudden loud noises using treats and praise, we can teach them to love potentially scary things like thunderstorms and vacuums,” claims dog breeder Sylivia Smart in her book “Dog Breeder’s Professional Secrets: Ethical Breeding Practices.” If you got your dog from a pet store, a backyard breeder or some other questionable source, chances are very high that your puppy has likely never encountered a vacuum cleaner before, and if he did, chances are, it wasn’t likely a pleasant experience. Some dogs are more fearful than others when it comes to being exposed to certain stimuli. Fear can stem from lack of early exposure and negative experiences, but it can also be genetic. 

If at least one parent of a puppy reacts to noises, there are chances the puppy will react similarly, explains board-certified veterinary behaviorist Karen Overall. When a dog shows fear, we often forget that fear has an adaptive role that helps in the continuation of a species. In the wild, being overly confident exposes animals to undue risks that could harm or even be lethal. Fear instills a healthy level of caution that prevents putting animals in harm’s way. However, according to veterinarians Gary M.Landsberg, Wayne L. Hunthausen, Lowell J. Ackerman, authors of the book “Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat,” when a fear is out of proportion, without the presence of a real threat, it may turn into a phobia that interferes with normal functions, and at this point it’s considered maladaptive. Whether a dog’s hate for vacuums stems from lack of early exposure or an innate predisposition to fear, let’s face it, if we look at the vacuum from Rover’s perspective, things can seem a tad bit intimidating.

Dogs will likely never understand that a vacuum collects crumbs, dust and debris and that it has a helpful hygienic purpose in the house. From a dog’s eyes, a vacuum is a scary monster on wheels that emits roaring noises, moves erratically, first charging and then retreating, and sucks everything in sight. And forget about trying to seek shelter under a table or couch, the vacuum always seems to eventually find him. With this whole stimulus package, it’s not surprising if the mere sight of the vacuum is enough to trigger a dog to take an offensive or defensive stance. In some cases, dogs aren’t really fearful or vacuum phobic; rather they are simply interested in rounding the vacuum up just as they would do when herding unruly cattle or sheep. The lunging, chasing and nipping attempts are all are part of the dog’s repertoire of hardwired, instinctive behaviors that are often also directed towards other moving objects such as bicycles, lawn mowers and cars. Sometimes those herding genes also kick in when a broom, mop or leaf rack goes into action.  

Since eventually the vacuum is turned off at some point, your dog will likely think it’s thanks to his barking, nipping and lunging that the vacuum was sent into a silent surrender as it retreats back into the closet. If your dogs has decided to hate the vacuum, you have several options to make his life more bearable around the monster on wheels. The first option is to simply manage your dog’s environment. When it’s time to vacuum, simply keep your dog in the yard, or if feasible, keep him in a distant room where the vacuuming sound is more muffled and tolerable. Then, once you’re done, swap rooms until you are done vacuuming the whole house. Alternatively, if you wish to work on the problem, you can try to implement a behavior modification plan based on desensitization and counterconditioning. A sample is outlined below. Desensitization entails gradual exposure to a trigger in such a way as to not overwhelm the dog. This may mean starting by presenting the vacuum when it’s turned off and immobile.

Counterconditioning entails changing the dog’s emotions towards the vacuum so that instead of dreading its presence the dog looks forward to it. Turning the vacuum from a monster on wheels to a treat dispensing machine can be helpful. Here is sample of how to stop a dog from attacking the vacuum with some steps. For correct implementation, please consult with a dog behavioral professional for hands on assistance. After several reps, the dog will eventually learn to be calmer in the presence of the vacuum. At some point, the dog may be kept off leash, and since there’s less fear, the dog may be in better shape to cognitively function so he can be taught to go on a mat or keep a down stay at a distance while he’s kept occupied by working on a stuffed Kong or a safe bone. If at any time the dog appears nervous, this often means that the program has progressed too quickly and the dog may need some intermediate, substeps in between.According to Konrad Lorenz, vacuum activity is a term used to depict motor patterns that, under normal circumstances are directed at a stimulus, but are still performed in spite of the absence of said stimulus.