SwiftPaws Support logo
SwiftPaws Support logo

All articles

Pup afraid of the fan noise?Updated 2 years ago

SwiftPaws Home main drive unit runs pretty quietly, but some pups may exhibit a fear response to the sound of the fan.

Our best suggestion for helping your pup get used to the fan noise would be to do a little conditioning and positive reinforcement training. 

Start with the machine turned off (you could even bring the machine by itself inside and start there) and reward her with high-value treats near the machine. Don't try to go too fast, it's better to start at a distance where she isn't worried at all and slowly work your way closer. Don't focus on the machine, ask for any type of behavior she already knows like sit, wait, watch me, etc. You're just looking to reward her for keeping her focus on you and not worrying about the machine. 

Once she is fairly close to the machine and comfortable you can go all the way back to the distance you started with, this time with the unit on (so the fan is running). She should get to the point where she realizes the machine itself is nothing to worry about, in effect you're teaching her that if she ignores the machine only good things will happen (i.e.: she gets a treat!). 

Once she is more confident around the machine when it's on, you can take it back outside and she should be less sensitive. You will most likely have to repeat the positive reinforcement process outside and/or during a play session to help her generalize what's she learned indoors. It is really satisfying to watch a pup build confidence!

Please note at some point during this process she might decide to check the machine out for herself, if she does, let her explore! You can encourage her by telling her she's a good girl but otherwise don't interfere, wait until she is done checking it out and then reward her again.

There are lots of great resources online about positive reinforcement training you should be able to find some videos if you need help.


This article inspired by SwiftPaws customer Sung C

Was this article helpful?
Yes
No