# Afraid of oven



## Neoflyte (Aug 21, 2010)

My newly 4 year old started acting afraid and going outside for extended periods over the winter, yes, we have a doggie door. Eventually I realized that he is afraid of the oven. It's gas and makes occasional clicking sounds as it heats, runs and cools. Whenever the oven is on he hightails it out of the house. Today, he went outside when I was using the top burners, though yesterday I roasted tomatoes in the oven and was using them this morning to make sauce.

As far as I know he has never burned himself on the oven, not that I've witnessed and he isn't usually shy or afraid (unlike my 4 year old female rescue, but she's another story). I'm less concerned about why he is having this behavior, though I'd like to understand it, than I am about correcting it. I don't want him afraid and I definitely need to be able to use the oven and stove.

So what suggestions do you all have on how to help me help him overcome this?

Thanks!


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## Emily1970 (Apr 21, 2011)

Our oven is electric and my 2 are fine with the burners, but when you open the oven door, they bark ferociously and want to try to rush the stove until you close it again. :-\


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

Have they tasted your cooking previously???? ;D


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## Bernie (Jan 17, 2011)

Afraid of the oven!?!?!? WHY?!?!? That's where treats come from!!!


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## finch (Sep 19, 2011)

We have a lab-mix rescue that is afraid of our stove. A couple times when she was younger something burned on the cooktop, caused smoke and now she flees to our bedroom as soon as she hears it turn on. I have never tried to correct this behavior since she has some anxiety anyway, but she does come back in the kitchen if she hears the other two dogs getting treats while we are cooking. 

I'm not sure any proven way to fix it, but if I were to try it, I'd teach her a "place" command and put her in the place with a stay, reward and then start the stove/oven, all the while rewarding while she stays. While not the same "fear" issue, this is the technique I used when Finch would try to get in the dishwasher while I was loading it. I put a rug in the kitchen that she has to sit on while I have the dishwasher open and as soon as I open it, she runs to it and sits on it, waiting. Now at the end of the loading, if she stayed put, she gets a reward (usually a treat).


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## Neoflyte (Aug 21, 2010)

Ozkar said:


> Have they tasted your cooking previously???? ;D


Oh! What a cheap shot 

What I am doing is closing the doggie door before I turn on the oven, this stops an escape, and if he tries to crawl under furniture, which he's doing, I tell him No and don't let him do it. Last night he gave up and hung out in the same room as me and our other V, Amber. Mind you, he was shaking and unhappy, but he did spend some of that time on the couch next to me - so it's an improvement.

After reading a number of posts detailing what seem to me to be extreme measures, things that disrupt lifestyles, hand feeding/eating before your dog/etc. I'm determined to keep this as simple as possible. Meaning while I love my dogs, I don't want to rearrange my life or create more problems trying to fix one - and that's no judgement on anyone's problems or efforts  I just want my dogs to fit in with our program and think that's very obtainable. (That being said, when my boy started to not eat his food I did start adding some cooked chicken to his daily bowl - jeez, maybe I'm a hypocrite! Ack!) 


I'm hoping this is just going to be a time thing, something he'll get over with proper encouragement. But I'm still hoping someone else will have a suggestion or two ;D

Final word: I'll say one other thing after reading the food discussions, you'll probably all roll your eyes and think I'm terrible, but I feed my dogs Kirkland Lamb kibble from Costco. They have tons of energy and great coats, but then what healthy V doesn't at 4 years old?


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

It's a good thing.  You don't want a dog that is not at least cautious around an oven. What you need to do is make the dog comfortable with the kitchen with or without the oven on. I would use treats (certainly not in the oven) but maybe 5 or 10 feet from the oven on a daily basis until the fear subsides. It will get better. Just be consistent and persistent until he gets it. Good things happen when using the stove and being in the kitchen. This should be an easy one.  Train with food 2-3 times a day for ten minutes for two weeks. Come back to us with your results. Good Luck.


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

I think I would spread some peanut butter at different heights on the refrigerator door and turn the oven on while he is licking it off. The refrigerator is in the kitchen, easy to clean, and you for sure don't want him licking a hot oven. The different heights should keep his nose in action during the clicking. 

I would start just a few minutes at a time and then let him leave the room if he is still scared. Increase the time he is in the kitchen with the oven on by keeping some peanut butter on your finger ready to spread when he finishes what is already on the door. After he knows there is peanut butter on your finger, you should be able to pause longer and longer in between peanut butter treats.

Good luck!


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

Your dogs fear of the oven is similar to my puppies fear of traffic on the road. I was told by my trainer not to treat this bad behaviour. This did not work, in fact he got worse not better.

Fear is an innate instinct which any animal relies on to survive - it is not bad behaviour. I am now standing and walking along roads with treats and reassuring my puppy and guess what we are making progress.

I think your dogs fear is similar. i would put him on the leash and sit him beside you and reassure him with treats while the oven is on. I would turn the oven off before allowing him to leave the room - by leaving while it is on you are reinforcing that leaving the room removes the noise. I would gradually increase the time in the kitchen with the oven on.

Oh yes - you don't have to hand feed him the treat, you could always just drop the treats on the floor for him  They've got to be his absolute favorite treats though!!!


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

along similar lines, Ruby's scared of the vacuum cleaner, even the sight of it, so I've been putting treats on it whilst it's switched off to try and get her to accept it and not be afraid of it. It's working slowly but I think it's fair to say that I don't think she'll ever cuddle up and go to sleep with it. Obviously not a strategy to try on an oven I'd say.


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## Neoflyte (Aug 21, 2010)

Thanks for the suggestions. It's not possible for me to use treats anywhere as Amber, my female is a food maniac and Rowdy would never get a chance to get to them first. He likes his dinners, but he's not the ape-sh** Snoopy happy dance spaz that Amber is over it. 

Rowdy is starting to relax about the oven. He still heads outside 1/2 the time when it comes on, but the other 1/2 he has decided sticking in the house is ok. Last night he laid at my feet, so we are making progress.

Thanks again.


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## bjm442 (Feb 6, 2013)

My dog runs over to the oven when me needs to go outside.


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## NeverGiveUpRAC (Aug 27, 2012)

Cole was afraid of the oven UNTIL he realized the treats and yummy smells come from!! Now he looks exactly like Bernie!! ^^

Its not exactly a bad thing he is afraid of the oven! 

Maybe...when the noises happen say "lets go see..." walk to the oven and say "ok everything's ok" 

I would do something of that sort. Especially if you say treats can't reach him haha


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## lyra (Nov 2, 2012)

We have an AGA which is constantly hot. When we got Lyra she soon identified it as a cosy spot but as she began to try exploring it with her paws she found that it was hot (not enough to burn but it is uncomfortable if you keep a hand/paw on it). 

Her reaction was to bark at it every time she put her paws on it. This graduated to her fighting with it  She would constantly hit it with her paws while barking at it at the same time. It was hilarious. 

She finally accepted that it wasn't going to back down so she stopped fighting with it and now they seem to be the best of friends, she sleeps snuggled against it when in the kitchen.

I'm sorry this is of no help to you Neoflyte but as we were talking ovens I thought I would share!


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

Most V's are happy to be cooked LOW & SLOW - it's just like their training ! cook to high they haVE THEIR FEELINGS HURT - cook to slow and you will never see the potential - Quote from the V cook book !


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## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

Dozer is suddenly afraid of sizzling on the stove and our down draft. We linked it back to the smoke alarms. This is a recent issue so we haven't really tried to fix it other than giving him treats (ie more kibble) in the kitchen while they're turned on.


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

*Re: Re: Afraid of oven*



harrigab said:


> along similar lines, Ruby's scared of the vacuum cleaner, even the sight of it, so I've been putting treats on it whilst it's switched off to try and get her to accept it and not be afraid of it. It's working slowly but I think it's fair to say that I don't think she'll ever cuddle up and go to sleep with it. Obviously not a strategy to try on an oven I'd say.


You people who live over the pond sure do have some out there bedroom ideas........fancy trying to curl up with an oven 

As for solutions, I think you're heading in the right direction. Just take it slow, make lots of repetition and allow the oven to become just another part of the environment. She's most likely given it a sniff or lick one day and hasn't forgotten it.... 

Oh........and stop cooking for her, that still might be part of the fear..........


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