Dog is a wimp
 

So I get back from a weekend business trip this evening. When I go to pick up my dog I found out there is an issue. Apparently during his groom they tried to blow dry him thus freaking him out. I have to listen to a 5 minute speech about why it isn't good for my pooch to be around vacuums or anything that makes lound noises.:facepalm: So pooch required a 15 minute towel drying session, the same treatment my Camaro gets.:rolleyes:

This has been an ongoing issue with vacuums and things that blow air quiet awhile. I have a Bissell vacuum but even the tiny handheld dirt devil freaks pooch out. Mind you were talking about a 65 pound lab mix and not a pocket pooch, so I don't get what the deal is. Anyone got thoughts on what can be done to alieviate pooch's fears so we don't have a repeat issue at the kennel?

Maybe Xanax?

you should get a prescription from a qualified vet, don't administer xanax without seeing one first. it is commonly prescribed for them.

never give your animal aspirin.

I'd put Borla ATAK's on the vaccuum, he just wants it louder.

Dogs have much better hearing that humans do, my vet said its the high pitch noise any vacuum makes,,,, I just put my dog in the back yard for a few minutes....

She was joking, but Xanax would not be something to used in this situation.
No need to drug the dog up just because he is a little scared. There are MUCH better solutions than drugs for this.
Administered correctly, aspirin may indeed reduce pain and inflammation, making dogs feel more comfortable.

Don't give your dog medication just for a vacuum. WTF? Put the dog in the yard or have someone take the dog for a walk while your vacuuming.

:laugh: I like this idea the best.

Couldn't find the original but this will do:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxCOd...eature=related

As a dog trainer, I could help you train your dog to be less fearful of things like vacuums and blow dryers. The dog now associates it with something to be afraid of and when you tell him "it's ok, it's ok, don't be afraid", he is hearing "it's ok to be afraid".
Hard to put it in a nutshell, but you start with the vacuum or blow dryer OFF, and close by. If he looks at it or sniffs it, tell him "Good boy", and give a treat. Repeat a lot, so he starts to think "it's pretty nice to have that thing closeby because I get lots of treats."
Now, take the item across the room and have someone turn it on, then off. When he gets startled keep your mouth shut, but when he calms down and looks at it again, start the treats again, and repeat the praise.
Work your way closer, but if he panics, take him away where he can be calm again and start to praise & reward the calm behavior again.
Any decent dog trainer should be able to help you with this. Dog doesn't need drugs, he just needs happier associations with the things he's scared of.
Go to PetSmart and sign up for a six week course to get him more used to going places and doing things. The salon associates at PetSmart are also very good with dogs that are scared of grooming, and will help him get more used to it.

I think I'll give what you said a shot. Ironically this is something that happened at Petsmart. To give you the background on my dog, I got him two years ago from a pound. He was about 3 at the time and they found him as a stray. He was about 15 pounds underweight at the time and was aggressive towards males. He was obviously someone's pet because he was walk trainned, potty trainned and not to mention he has a cropped tail. Gradually he loosened up a lot because I spent a lot of time with him and there was a plenty of socialization when I had renters. Its the same deal with water, the dog absolutely refuses to go anywhere near the water even at the lake. I could go through the story of when he fell in the shallow end of the pool but I'll save that for another day. :laugh:

i had an issue with the vacum with my dog also. I ran the vacum and sat with her and distracted her with treats.
It takes time to get them used to it. Now i can vacum her with the hand held, and she just sits there.

Make him listen to heavy metal "music" for a few hours, preferably when you're not home, that ought to cure him of the minor whistling of vacuum cleaners and their ilk.