My gorgeous Boxer boy is just over a year now and on the whole he is an absolute darling but there are two things he hates: the hoover and the lawnmower! The latter I can deal with as he gets shut in the house when I have to mow the lawns but can anyone help me with hoover scenario?

Some days he just lets me get on with it and isn't bothered by the noise or the movement but other days it is quite clear that the Dyson is number one enemy. He growls, barks and regularly pounces on it trying to eat it as I'm moving about. I've tried showing him that it won't hurt him but he clearly doesn't believe me.

Any advice?

Rosie

My advice would be to not let him touch the hoover, as soon as he reacts to it leave the hoover running and make him back away from it, tell him to sit and be calm. when he does this reward him, then continue and repeat till he gets the message.
He needs to know it's your hoover and what you own he doesn't touch. Every time you hoover make him move away from it so he knows it's yours and he doesn't need to worry about it. 

My mother's Cairn Terrier used to do this, she enjoyed it immensely and we never felt the need to spoil her fun :-D :-D   but she was a lot smaller than a Boxer :-D

My own dogs always remove themselves from the room I'm hoovering, they seem to believe that they'll get sucked up like everything else - daft dogs :)

Yes my middle Lab plays with the hoover and enjoys a good spar with it !

mine bark and attack it and i just let them get on with it-- lifes too short!

We have had boxers do this in the past, like others on here we let them have their fun and did not feel the need to stop them.

If you feel the need then maybe try some reward based desensitisation starting with the vacuum  off and them in a sit, then moving the vacuum around whilst still off, etc building it up as you go. Every time dog reacts put them back in the sit, until eventually there is no reaction.

This has worked with a terrier we owned previously.

Thanks guys. I really don't want to stop him having fun but his bark is so deep and loud now that i worry about all the noise he's making. My neighbour has a very young baby and I would hate to think he's waking her up with his hoover moments. Maybe I should ask her before worrying about it!

He is very funny with it so if people don't think it's a problem I'll let him get on with it!

Daft thing!

> My neighbour has a very young baby and I would hate to think he's waking her up with his hoover moments. Maybe I should ask her before worrying about it!
>

And maybe it's the noise of the hoover that would wake the baby :-)

Yes most of my boxers would duff-up the 'hoover' if I let them but once the novelty wears off, I put them out side and out of my way.

Today, for the first time ever so far, my 14month old little girl allowed me to hoover without barking and chasing and trying to fight with it!
No training, just ignored he,r grumbled at her sometimes and finally today....

Karen :)

Well the solution I've come up with is just to stop vacuuming.

It's a sacrifice, but one I'm prepared to make.

(P.S. I have all wooden flooring and I do put a broom round it all daily so I'm not quite as bad as I might seem.)

I have three TT's and two of them go crazy when I start up the vacuum. I think the pup thinks it is an actual being because whenever she passes it she wags her tail and gives it a lick. They bark and go for it like crazy but it makes me laugh and it tires them out too which is a benefit when the weather is particularly awful. My neighbour did ask me what was going on but, as long as you dont do it at unsociable hours them let them get it out of their system.!!! Mine are extremely well behaved at other times and I am not the type of person who vacuums twice a day or even every day for that matter.

Hi,my lot used to attack the vac as well but they tend to leave it alone now. Took a lot of telling them to leave it  and a couple of new hoses and one new wheel though before they got the message lol

I wish I could just get FozzieBear to move when the vac comes out.  I have to lift his legs to do under him, and he'll even lie there and actually be hoovered!!...............well, he's easily mistaken for a big furry rug!

Tell me about it..my boy (Boxer)  loves to attack the Hoover,along with the hose pipe, lawnmover (dangerous) .  has done all his 9 yrs of life..

He also loves to have his chops sucked in by the nozzle... stupid dog,  mind he also likes to be hooverd ... great way to get rid of molting hairs!!!

Should have put a stop it it yrs ago, buy hey  he LOVES IT....lol!!