My dog is terrified of the lawnmower how can I rectify this?
chrissy asked:
He s from a dogs trust and had a bad start in life,he has gained confidence in most things
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He s from a dogs trust and had a bad start in life,he has gained confidence in most things
April 4th, 2009 at 5:13 am
get rid of the dog
April 4th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Can you just leave the lawnmower lying around in the garden for him to get used to seeing it, or just shut him in the house when you have to use it.
April 7th, 2009 at 5:30 am
Anytime there is a lawnmower outside being used, keep your dog inside. If she started out with a bad life, a lawnmower may have had been the case. She may have gotten hit by one even. Anytime she has to be around one act normal, and show her that it’s not going to hurt her. After she has done a good job being courageous, praise her.
April 7th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Hi,
My dog won’t come into the garden when the lawn mower’s on too. She doesn’t like the noise in fact she doesn’t like anything that’s too loud or loud bangs. She’s a content, happy dog so the lawn mower phobia doesn’t really bother me. I just keep her in the house when we mow the lawn.
I think if your dog has had a bad start in life and he has gained confidence in most things, you’ve done really well. I’m glad your dog has found such a loving home.
Polly
April 10th, 2009 at 7:21 am
Leave him indoors when you are mowing the lawn or alternativly get someone to take him for a walk.Leaving it laying around may help but it is probably the noise that hurts his ears.
April 11th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
You can desensitize her by exposing her to it so that she is as far away as possible, gradually, over weeks go a little closer. remain calm and unconcerned.
It may take months to go through all of this and if it is the running lawnmower she is afraid of, well she has sensitive ears and I can certainly understand why.
Again you can desensitize her but dont rush her and respect that her fears about the lawnmower may never be resolved and there are things that she knows and experiences that she can never tell you.
April 12th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Keep him indoors while you are mowing. It’s kinder.
April 15th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
We always put our dogs either in the house or confined in an area where we’re not mowing. We don’t want the dogs around the mower for their safety. (open gates, danger around the mower, weed eater etc.) If we’re mowing the front yard, the dog goes in the back yard and vise versa. No need to traumatize the dog further. Kudos to you for opening your heart to a dog who needed you.
Good luck!
PS..we have had 2 rescue dogs and both have had trust issues. We try not to expose them to any more frightening things.
April 16th, 2009 at 1:16 am
Play this as you mow….
April 16th, 2009 at 3:14 am
When you are going to mow, put your dog on a leash, preferably around 6 feet, this way your dog is still near the lawn mower while you mow etc, but he can put distance between him and the mower. I did this with my dog to help him over come his fear of the broom, vacuum, and mop. I will be doing the lawn mower next! Use the 6 foot leash for the first 5 times or so. (I suggest just randomly putting your dog on the leash, going outside and turning the lawn mower on and walking around. Do this because it provides consistency, which is what a dog needs in training.) After you do this for about 5-7 times, shorten the leash to about 4 feet. Use this length for about 5-7 times, then shorten the leash to about 2 feet. After you use this length for about 7 times, let the dog go in the yard the next time you mow and see how he reacts. If he acts scared etc. Start the process over. Good luck!!
April 19th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
i have a one year old rotty who is a resuce dog and she is scared of everything its a hard process all i can say is to show her it wont hurt her and that she needs to trust you,if she is scared just ignore her and walk away leaving the item whatever it is in her sight she will eventualy sniff it and may just start feeling ok,my dog is still scared after all shes been through i think time and patience is the only answer hun thier is no quick process good luck xx
April 22nd, 2009 at 9:12 pm
The best thing for the dog would be to hear the lawnmower from a distance and get lots of treats when he is calm. Stop the lawnmower. Wait and repeat. As the dog can tolerate it , bring the lawnmower closer, until the dog can see the mower and not get upset. It may take days, weeks or months to reach a calmness in the face of a mower.
I have used this method, with a slight variation, to acclimatize my three dogs to the garbage truck. Hearing the truck caused a bark riot. Now I have been giving them
treats when we hear the truck coming. It has taken months, but one doesn’t care about the truck anymore. One barks to let me know that the truck is here, time for treats! The third still needs persuasion.
If you have someone else to run the mower, start feeding the dog treats prior to hearing the mower. See if he can stay relaxed when he hears it.
April 25th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Dogs have very acute hearing. Bigger dogs usually react by barking at the lawnmower. Smaller dogs usually cower away.
If your dog cowers, just leave the dog in the house or some where away from the lawnmower noise.
April 28th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Why do you need to rectify it? He shouldn’t be outside when your mowing the lawn anyway. If the mower blade hits a rock or something the rock can shoot out the side and seriously injure the dog.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:35 am
i personally would’nt let him cut the grass.
May 4th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
I have to admit I think that fear of a lawn mower is a pretty good thing for a dog to have. That way if he is really afraid of it there is not chance that he might get injured. I would encourage your dog to keep a safe distance from it anyway!
For most dogs it is to noise that these machines make that they really dislike.
If you can put your dog in your house with a good chew toy or bone while you are mowing the lawn. That way you know he will be safe and you won’t have to worry about him!
May 4th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
I’m afraid of the damn lawnmower. LOL Just put him in the house when you mow.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Keep him inside when you cut the grass, its dangerous to have him around when you are using a mower, anything could happen. Better safe than sorry.
May 9th, 2009 at 12:27 am
It is quite obvious that your dog has lived a quiet life and is not use to modern noisy machinery.
May 9th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Cats know the best answer.