Ever noticed how your dog is scared of vacuum cleaners and/or brooms? And ever wondered why? Of course you have. But while theories abound on the Internet, a local academic has finally revealed the definitive reason why your pooch is afraid of any device that cleans floors.
It appears that those words of “any device that cleans floors” are the key to Graeme Power’s explanation of the phobia. He said, “Following my extensive research on the topic, I discovered that for the dogs it’s not the actual device itself, but more the physical act of their owner cleaning the floor. You see, dogs are quite intuitive, so they see you cleaning the floor, possibly cursing under your breath, and they realise that you’re thinking ‘half the reason I have to clean this floor is because all of the dog hair and footprints’. The dog picks up on this vibe, and starts to fret that you’re going to have second thoughts on allowing them into the house.”
With this reason in mind, Power suggests that limiting the amount of cursing you do under your breath while cleaning the floor will help to alleviate your dog’s concerns. While this may seem like a difficult approach, it will work wonders on your dog’s mental health.
The Watsonia Bugle 