Is Your Dog Scared Of Thunder?
It’s summer and thunderstorms are a common occurrence, some dogs aren’t bothered and yet others are terrified. So, when I came across an article with some tips to help ease a dog’s anxiety I thought it would make a great post.
Here’s the scoop from Today at msnbc.com.
Dog owners who spend many a stormy night struggling to get some sleep while a panting, drooling, trembling pet climbs around on top of them know that the fear of thunder can be a tricky problem to solve.
Dogs with the condition often look to their owners for comfort, yet are in such a state of panic, they are inconsolable. And it can be hard to know how to soothe an upset dog without unwittingly reinforcing its anxiety.
Potential remedies include medication, desensitizing the dog to thunder and training it to retreat to a safe place when a storm hits.
But there seems to be no single cause for the fear of thunder, and there also isn’t any one guaranteed treatment, veterinarians who specialize in canine behavior say. Something that helps one dog might not help another; a method that works during one storm may not in another.
Dodman suggests finding a safe place for the dog and training it to go there during storms, “almost like a bunker in a nuclear war.” It could be a spot in the basement with the curtains drawn and lights on to mask lightning, a kennel with an open door and a comfortable dog bed in it, or a makeshift den in a closet with no windows.
The owner should initially stay with the dog and offer treats and training to reinforce the idea that it’s a pleasant, safe place, Dodman said.Swaddling a dog can also help, calming it like a baby wrapped in a blanket. It can be as simple as wrapping the dog in a light blanket or towel. For a snugger fit, an animal leotard called a sheep suit – typically used on show animals to keep the coat tidy before competition – is an inexpensive option. Shull and Fox recommended an item called an Anxiety Wrap that comes in standard and custom-made versions.
Other things to try include anti-anxiety medications, either alone or in combination. It’s becoming increasingly common for veterinarians to prescribe the generic version of drugs such as Xanax or Prozac for anxious dogs.
The natural herb valerian – the herbal form of Valium – can also be effective, Fox said.
“The trouble is that it takes a good 20 minutes before it has effect, so you’re going to be doping your animal before the big storm comes,” Fox added.
To learn more about thunderphobia and read other ways to help calm your dog go to TODAY Pets & Animals.
* Kylie looking spiffy in her rain gear.
Our dog runs into the bathroom and sits there every time there is a storm. She picked that spot all on her own so we try to drag her bed in there to make it more comfortable. We fostered another dog one time and during a storm, found both of them huddled in the bathroom!
Natcho doesn’t mind the thunder. I don’t even think she notice’s
A thunder storm is about the only thing that gets Molly excited enough to actually bark, she’s a very quiet girl. I’ve used the tactic of ignoring her and being very calm as she runs around the house barking and whining. My thought is that if she sees that I’m not getting excited and upset she will calm down. It does work on some occasions, she’ll come lay at my feet or nuzzle up to me after a couple of minutes I haven’t tried the safe zone idea, I’ll give that a shot and see how it works. The one thing I won’t do is dope her up in order to calm her down.
We rarely have thunderstorms here in Orange County so I’m not too sure how my two dogs would react. However, I’m almost certain Linus would get anxiety since loud noises outside such as mowing the lawn, garbage trucks, and even our ice maker cause him to get anxious.
As the article mentions he already has safe spots he likes to retreat to he either goes under my desk or into his kennel.
My Katie has always been terrified of thunderstorms! She has always done the panting, pacing, drooling…it’s a major anxiety attack. If the storm happens at night, nobody sleeps! But I’ve noticed recently as she’s gotten older, they don’t bother her as often as they use to. Don’t know if it’s because she doesn’t hear as well? But the youngest Dalmatian , Henry has started getting anxious. We have tried everything for Katie and are perplexed that it’s just started affecting Henry at seven years old.
Pogo is terrified of thunderstorms, and the first paragraph of this article describes her response perfectly: heavy panting, uncontrollable trembling, heart racing and thumping out of her little chest, and running around constantly trying to get away from it, no matter how much I try and calm and console her. She doesn’t pick up on any fear of storms from me because I love them.
She’s been so bad we’ve had to resort to medication from the vet. Unfortunately though as the article says, it takes 20 minutes or so before they kick in and that’s 20 minutes of trying to calm the poor little soul. Eventually she will often go to sleep thanks to the meds, usually in my arms.
Thank you for this article Horst. I might give the anxiety wrap a go. Just found them online.
Our oldest Golden is scared of storms. He generally heads for the bathroom or the floor in our bedroom when a storm hits. He’s also scared of firework, though he’s gotten better about that over the years. Thanks for the read.
Our oldest Golden is scared of storms. He generally heads for the bathroom or the floor in our bedroom when a storm hits. He’s also scared of fireworks, though he’s gotten better about that over the years. Thanks for the interesting article!
I absolutely love the picture of the little dog in the raincoat for this post. May I use it on my blog,
Thanks,
Tabitha
My husband and I were unable to console our thunder-frightened dog until we happened on a solution. We used to sing to the dog at the top of our lungs. That way we could drown out the thunder sound, and the dog loved the attention. Only problem was we got sore throats during long storms. I am not kidding about this. It worked.
What I would usually do to ease Shadow’s fear of thunder is to wrap him with a blanket and keep him close to me. Then when I feel that he’s already settled, that’s the time I would put him to his own bed. It works all the time for him. It eases his trembling.
I hate storm’s. I have to take a pill,lay by mommy and she hug’s me and cover’s me up.
I use the same tactic with Pennie that I use with my children; I try to ignore their whining to show them there is nothing to fear. However, I also think self-calming is an important tool for dogs and children. I encourage Pennie to make a Pennie nest. Even if we aren’t home there are always blankets laying around so I figure that she can always find a blanket to make a nest to self-calm. I encourage the children to find self-calming things as well. Of course if there is an unusual thunder storm, then we may all, including Pennie, group together on the couch, but for the most part I think it is good to try to get Pennie to self-come because I can’t possibly be home for every thunder storm.
Binx actually has a couple different reactions when it comes to thunderstorms. If it is a mild one and I act like it is nothing he will stay near me and relax. Lately however our storms have been pretty intense and he has been going a bit nuts! He barks his fluffy head off for a minute as if he thinks that is what is going to make it stop or something. He runs to the patio door to see outside and like that also. After a few minutes he will settle down next to me and rest until it is done. I have found what is calming him down quicker is the it’s not a big deal approach.
Ten years ago my puppy dachshund Ethel was sleeping in bed with me. A sudden storm came up. Ethel had never been afraid of storms. All that would end shortly. The storm became horrific. The winds blew, lightning went through the skies and the thunder raged. All of a sudden everything was still and then it felt like the world was coming to an end. Glass started to break in our bedroom. Three trees came through the windows. I could feel the wind and rain on my face. I grabbed Ethel in my arms and yelled at my husband, who was still sleeping, to get out of the room. The back portion of our house was in bad shape and our yard was a disaster. Eventually all was put back together…except little Ethel. She never forgot that night and the slightest shift in the wind or drop of rain on our roof started her shaking and panting. I would hold her and try to consol her but nothing ever worked. Ethel is no longer with us and now we have Lulu, also a dachshund. The first sign of a storm, Lulu starts panting and shaking..at least Ethel had a reason!!!!
Savannah goes in my walk-in closet and curls up on my dirty clothes. This is the only place she seems to feel safe even if I am with her.