This is what happened- Yesterday afternoon I was running the vac. For those that do not know- we have a A frame type home with a " great room" thats open and takes up alot of the main living area of the main floor. As I ran it, I felt a slight tug, then a second- If I had any thought at all it was cord hit furniture.
Suddenly a big jerk on the cord, only to turn and find Zubin with the cord wrapped around him several times like a roped calf- and the cord itself stuck in the toe pad of his paw. ( borzois have a high knuckle but a hare foot long in the toes that spreads when weight is applied to the paws).
I quickly started walking to him- trying to stop his panic then he started to panic more and started yelling in that sickening borzoi " Kiiii Yiiii Yiii.." . As I am trying to calm him and stop his panic- he opened his mouth and bit the cord in half- at the same time his whirling and being roped pulled the cord out of the wall as he fell over. At first I thought he fell over from the electrical shock, then realized the cord had him totally roped. I held him for a few seconds- his screaming stopped and although breathing very rapid, and wild eyed from fright- he appeared okay. I called the vet. He was concerned about being shock but none of his questions fit how he was doing. ( his eyes were able to focus, his breathing was returning to normal, and he even could get up..). I looked all over his mouth and saw a spot. Called the vet back. He said it was probably a very mild electrical burn but with the description he should be fine..
Considering that Zubin bit the cord in half, and it pulled out of the wall at the same not even finger snap I feel blessed he is okay. I feel like an idiot because I had a similar situation with hottie a few years back but it was mild compared to this as my husband was standing at the plug area and pulled the plug before I got to him.
I didnt think. I was trying to stop his panic but as mentioned before- if I had been holding him and the cord didnt pull from the wall in that split second- I would have been shocked as well.
Let this be a warning- know where your dogs are at all times when running the vac...
I got the old vac out today to do the daily cleaning- Zubin took off obviously scared and bolted into the screen porch. I do not blame him but now I will have to go back to basics. I had hoped he would just be afraid of that vac- or maybe just worried about the cord- but obviously- he knows darn well what "attacked him"...

This morning I got the old vac out. As soon as the vac came in the great room- my normally calm boy Zubin- bolted into the screen porch to get away. I realized he was tramatized like a dog that was in a car when it had an accident and now afraid of the car. I parked the vac in the great room and let it just sit there. I do not believe in "flooding " method as it can back fire just as easy as work.
So there it sits. Finally he came back into the great room ( the screen porch is attached to this room), walking around the great room with one eye on the vac so to speak. Then 'sister" ( ie galina) walked up to the vac to sniff it, and Zubin bolted again on the porch.. I have no doubt from yesterdays event he is majorly tramatized..
I can let the vac sit there in the room until it becomes " a piece of furniture, however its upsetting to realize he is so tramatized by this event.
I rarely ask for help in training- but I would like to hear any offers of advice I could add to this. The method used for a dog in a trama- like a car accident is to take it slow- be around the car, uh maybe get in and when calm treats etc- but a car would be easy to avoid and alllowance of time verses a daily chore of the vac..
Any suggestions please???

OMG!!! Sounds like you were really worried about your pet. I know I would have been!!!!! My only advise is to seek a professional trainer. Just describe to him/her about the problem or situation and maybe they can help you. Sorry I can't give any more advise other than that. Good luck on the matter.

I just talked to my mother. She has had cavaliers for like over 50 years. She said that to try this- when my husband gets home- he will take Zubin up in the loft with him- let him watch me run the vac and when calm- pet and treat- calm pet and treat and let him watch this from a distance with my husband there to make sure he wont jump the railing.. I will try that unless anyone has another suggestion.. Poor little guy!!! I am sure this scared him to death!

Venus has never been a big fan of the vacuum. I see no point in taking the time to try making her comfortable with it. I just wait until she is outside to do my vacuuming. If she can't go out for some reason, she will just run to another room. Since vaccuming is something we can control (unlike thunderstorms or fire crackers on July 4th) just do your best to have him out of the house (or at least out of the room) when you do it.

Maybe close him in another room with a special treat while you vacuum.

Thank you for the replies. Removing him just puts his fear on concrete.. In other words " I am safe cause I was put up" mentality..

Improvement this morning. I got the vac out to park in the living area of the great room, and he didnt bolt. He is eyeing it, but obviously alot calmer..

I'm so sorry about your baby!

When we first got lady, she was absolutely terrified of 3 things: a brush, a balloon and a ceiling fan.

There wasn't much we could do about the ceiling fan. For the longest time she would avoid any room that had one in it, and then one day we moved in a house with a fan in every room of the house, she just HAD to adapt to it.

We used to joke, that if a burglar came in the house, he wouldn't need a gun, just a balloon or a hair brush and he could take anything in the house he wanted.

What we had to do was get her used to the concept that we wouldn't let these innane object hurt her.

First we would set it in the floor in her full view for a little while. Then after awhile (and this will sound silly) we started acting like they were pets. (hey we were kids, it seemed like a good idea at the time!) It was pretty silly, because we'd hold a balloon in our lap and stroke it and go "good balloon, good boy" and let her see us do this. Same with a brush. We were more interested in getting her used to a bursh.

You might feel silly talking to your vaccuum but your dog now thinks it's alive, so do what you have to I guess. Treat it like your trying to introduce a strange new family member, or perhaps a newly reformed dog your baby already had a scrap with.

Let him think that, you approve of this, you know it's harmless, in anyway possible. You may want to leash him as a "comfort teather" and walk him to it. You may even want to take the vaccuum outside and sit it on the sidewalk so he knows "I'm going to have to deal with this".

Also, I see good ideas in letting your husband restrain him in full view of the vaccuum with reassurance and treats. Always with the "good boy and always with calm gentle tones (you know this!).

Also, try getting a small hand held vac, one that makes the same noise, but doesn't look the same, so he can interact with the noise on a smaller scale and it will confuse the "association of the sound".


That's my best advice for this type of situation.

hmmm - wow galaxy- that is good.. " good balloon, good boy..". That just might work. Zubin wants attention as well when I pet the others- so I am going to try that and let you know. That is VERY GOOD! Give yourself a gold star! Thank you!

I am really thinking as crazy as this is- it might just work. AS I said he always comes for attention as well when I pet the others, and also I thought maybe then he might think I DO have control over this object.. hmmm ( highly impressed! )

That was the only way we got lady over her fear of the brush and balloon, was we started acting like it was an actual living pet. Mom thought we were nuts, but she got over her fear, not sure if it was jealousy, if she tought we had control over it, or a combination of the two, but it was the most effective thing I've ever tried.

I typed something else but I hit a keyword : /


I hope it works for you :P

Though you may feel extremely silly XD

GALAXY- I just tried it- and ITS WORKING.. LOL>. I will keep doing this though out the day! Thank you soooo much! I can not thank you enough. I do not care if I look like an idiot- no one is home anyway- but if helps my boy get over this...lol- I CANT believe its working.. lol ( but what the hey- I was desperate.. lol.. ) Again- thank you and very good advice- adding another gold star!

I'd rather spend a little time looking like a mental patient than spend the rest of my life with a scared baby!

I'm glad it's working. Just don't let anyone have you committed! XD

lolllllll especially with the life span of this breed.. ( uh Michelle goes mental for a day - verses 13 years of fear of vacs- uh which would I take.. lol.. )

I thought I would make a quick appearence on here again..
Corgi does not enjoy the vac either but he does not high-tail, (short-tail as it may be) it out of he room either, but he does keep an eye on it and I feel he does know it is under our control...

Thank you corgiguy.. I am hoping to now teach Zubin this. I doubt he gave it much thought before hand.. About a half an hour ago while I was uh petting uh the vac, he came up to me and vac and stood there for several minutes as I petted him too.. This is the craziest thing I have ever done- but it does seem to be working and I learned something today for sure!

Love makes you do nutsy things!

Just keep thinking, this is all for love, this is all for love XD

Ya know Galaxy- I have been in dogs all my life. And NEVER have I seen one training idea work so fast. YOu are a genius! and must have a real talent here.
I was desperate.. This is one of my babies and its not like a car accident where I can take my time. This is a daily to at least every other day event. This was the craziest idea I have ever heard in my life- but my love for Zubin was like what the heck- try it.. DARN if it didnt work!
I personally owe you! I am serious. My boy is so much better using this.. YOu should write a book! I can not express to you my thanks. I felt so awful when this happened- the danger and then the fear. But By God- it worked!
And now I remember why I am on forums. Sometimes we shake our heads like what is it with this person- or people with their own agendas- but this time- I got the answer I needed and I tip my hat to you!

You are very welcome ^.^

Basically, the dog now sees the item as a "living" and "dangerous" "creature". It's definately about putting everything in terms he can understand.

Plus, it's just not fair when he's not the one recieving said pettins! Those are HIS you know!


Now, if I can only teach my dog the concept that she is not supposed to eat everything in a 5 mile radius... that includes her taste for ant beds!

OUTSTANDING! I have a video of what I did but it sure did work.. I am dumbstuck this would have worked but God Bless you- it did!