I love him, but he drives me NUTS!

dss62467

dss62467

Cathlete
I'm talking about my dog. He's such a sweet dog, but man! I wish he wouldn't talk so much. It's always, "bark bark this" and "bark bark that". And so loud! (he's a german shepherd/pit bull - so he's a watch dog by nature).

But the thing that truly bugs me is the way he attacks my vacuum cleaner every time I use it. I can't stand that! Usually I'll put him outside while I'm using it, but it hasn't been over 13 degrees today and I didn't think keeping him outside that long was a good idea. So...tonight I decided to see if he's really as tough as he lets on. When he attacked the vacuum, I let the vacuum attack him. I started chasing him with it and the big baby ran upstairs and hid. Maybe he'll think twice before messing with the Simplicity next time!
 
That's just like my dog! My Lab is very jumpy to begin with, and the vacuum cleaner freaks him out. He runs to his bed or under the desk whenever I vacuum, which is often with the way he sheds. Even things that are out of place scare him. For example, when people started to dump their Xmas trees out on the street, he got all freaked out when we came upon one. His hair stood up and he started woofing under his breath, and I had to coax him up to it so he could smell it and determine for himself that it wasn't a threat. Now he just pees on them, LOL. However, he makes a great watchdog because he barks at every little noise at night. He's so sweet, though, I don't know what I would do without him!
 
Oh Donna, that is so funny! Let me share this story with you. I had a german shepherd, Max, who has now passed on but he hated the vacuum cleaner also. At this particular time, we had an old Hoover upright. Anyway, one day, I had left the vacuum in the spare bedroom and I heard Max barking and barking and when I went in there, he had the vacuum backed into the corner and was very proud of himself. Later when I turned it on again, I did what you did and went after him with it and he attacked it!!! So, whenever I vacuumed I had to put him out!

Jo
 
We have a lab that quite often feels like just getting in the way.

We bought one of those kennels (travel crate) and we put him in it for his own safety sometimes.

We just have to say "Go to your crate" and off he trots.

Dave
 
Donna , that's kinda mean, don't you think? He's already uneasy with the vaccum. Why don't you just yell a few stern words at him & see if he can take your lead.

Really, I wouldn't know how to deal with this type of behavior. I have a silly, scared-cat dog too, but I let my DH deal with him. He has the patience to baby him.

Now my dog Chico, well... he can do no wrong!!! Actually, he tries to act so tough with everyone but in reality he is a mama's boy. Oh I love my baby boy! Have I mentioned that before?

I don't think or pretend everyone just fawns over Chico, but I love him with all my heart, he couldn't possibly need anybody else!;-)
 
Yeah, yelling at Duke doesn't do any good; Just irritates me more because I can't stand the sound of yelling. He's not scared of the vacuum - he just likes to be "tough". He doesn't attack anything else, just the poor vacuum. My sister brought her 8 week old toy fox terrier to our house around Christmas. Duke didn't really know how to play with it (it's so small, it fell asleep in the palm of my hand). He ended up picking the little dude up in his mouth and then dropping him back down. The little terrier was soaked.
 
I've got a nice quiet older Lab. It takes someone pretty menacing looking to get the hair up oin his back, much less make him bark. However, I HAVE seen him get that way, and boy howdy, I wouldn't want to be the stranger he's after!:7

Now that my kids are grown, I'm glad the house is quiet though--including him.

Please don't use a shock collar on him though. I think the more these things are bought by consumers, the more available they will be for idiots who torture animals.........

My dh talks about putting a shock collar on my baby when he just doens't mind in two seconds! I told him HE'll wake up wearing it around his neck one night and I'll have the controls! }( if he ever does that.
 
Shock collar? OMG no way! I said I LOVE him!:) I know what you mean about not wanting to be on the receiving end of the dog when he's got his ire up. There used to be this border collie around the corner from us. Every time I'd walk Duke past the collie's farm, he'd come running to the fence and they'd try to get at each other. It's the only dog I've ever seen Duke get that way with, but I tell you - you can see why people are afraid of pit bulls. That would have been a nasty fight.

But...he shows remarkable self control sometimes. My sister had this mutt (I think it was a cocker-spaniel, labrador mix) and she wasn't very nice to other dogs. She attacked Duke once and grabbed right a hold of Duke's bottom jaw. Duke could have ripped that little dog in two, but he didn't do a thing. As Peter Parker's Uncle Ben says, "With great power comes great responibility".
 
OK, I have to tell you this story. I used to have a house rabbit, named Nubby. I loved him more than any animal I've ever had. I had to say that, because he died and I still miss him. But anyway, on to the funny story.

Nubby was totally unafraid of the vacuum cleaner. The other rabbit would just tear off under the sofa or to the farthest corner of the room, but Nubby would just act like the vacuum cleaner was an alien who lived here and came to life occasionally. He would lope along beside it, keeping an eye on it. If it stopped, he would sometimes push at it with his nose, like maybe it was sick. It was so cute.
 
My dog is the same way with the vacuum. She's a sheltie (herding dog group). I don't even have to turn it on. I can start to get it out of the closet and she will start barking at it. She will get in front of it and put her head down low and her butt up in the air and bark. I'll yell no and she'll back off. Eventually she gets tired of the barking and jumping around that she'll go lay down. She is a scaredy cat though. She'll only do it when I'm there by myself - if my husband is home she will go stand behind him and not bark at all. My mom calls her a big ninny.

Kimbra
 
My Scottie dog's barking is driving me (and probably most of my neighbors) nuts so I am getting her a collar...not a shock collar but a collar that emits a high frequency sound when she barks to try and stop this annoying problem. She LOVES to be outside but it's always yap, yap, yap. I have an older Scottie who is so quiet and never barks. I will let you know how it works, it is in the mail as I type.
 
You need to desensitize them to the vacuum. Also don't coddle them and tell them ok when they get scared of it. Act like it is your friend. What you silly? That's the vacuum, let's say hello to the vacuum. Toss treats towards it until the dog is comfortable around it. Do all this without it on. As the comfort level rises, then do the same thing with it on.

I taught all my dogs a 'go see' command for new and "scary" objects. When they see something scary, talk nice to it, say silly girl/boy that's a "x". Toss treats and tell them to go see go see, etc. They'll figure it out and it will make your life easier. Have a party when they do investigate new objects. Play, get silly, give treats. Let them know investigating new things is so much fun!

For barking, do you ignore the barking or does barking get him what he wants? We do a timeout for barking. I have a young Vizsla that thinks barking will get her what she wants. She does win...a quick timeout for 10 seconds. I leave the room or ignore her. Slowly but surely, she is coming around.

If you dog is barking as in being a watchdog, teach him a that's enough command. I have a Dobe and when he alerts me to something I tell him good boy, not that's enough and he stops and goes back to whatever he was doing.

Colleen
 
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