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High Anxiety (Thunderstorm Phobia)
Soothing your dog's anxiety during a thunderstorm.
By Beth J. Bates
Lately, here in the mountains of Virginia, we've had several pretty severe thunderstorms. Luckily our dogs (all five of them) don't seem to have any problems with thunder and lightning. When I was a kid, my aunt's dog had a fear of loud noises so severe that she had to sedate the dog during thunderstorms and fireworks. I used to think that there was little you could do for a dog that was afraid of storms, but I've come to find that there are a few tips to help him feel a little less anxious.
You know the drill. You hear the rumbling in the distance. The sky starts to darken and the rain starts to fall. As the storm rolls in, your dog begins to show signs of anxiety like:By Beth J. Bates
Lately, here in the mountains of Virginia, we've had several pretty severe thunderstorms. Luckily our dogs (all five of them) don't seem to have any problems with thunder and lightning. When I was a kid, my aunt's dog had a fear of loud noises so severe that she had to sedate the dog during thunderstorms and fireworks. I used to think that there was little you could do for a dog that was afraid of storms, but I've come to find that there are a few tips to help him feel a little less anxious.
My Chow, Sushi, used to just whimper, shiver and shake. I felt pretty helpless and wished that I could do more to calm her nerves.
- Panting
- Chewing
- Hiding
- Pacing
- Barking
Here are a few tips that will help make thunderstorms more tolerable and less scary for your favorite pooch.
By keeping calm and giving your dog a safe place to retreat to, eventually he will be less stressed about storms and will learn to cope with the loud noises.
- Some dogs look for a safe place during a storm like a closet or under a bed. Make your dog's safe space more pleasant by putting toys or his bed in that spot. It will help him feel more at ease during the storm. Allow your dog to come and go freely from this space. This may help your dog to be less stressed during a storm.
- Turn on soothing music. Sometimes soft, calming sounds will help your dog feel less anxious.
- Give your dog some, but don't overdue it as you don't want your dog to act out during a storm just to get your attention.
- Never scold your dog for reacting to a thunderstorm.
- Be sure that you and those around you remain calm. Your dog feeds from your emotions so if you freak out, he'll freak out.
Here are a few more helpful resources for coping with thunderstorm anxiety:
How do you help your dog cope with loud noises and thunderstorms?
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Copyright 2009 WE: Women's Entertainment LLC. All rights reserved.
Nothing we do helps calm our female dog. She goes around the coffee table like it's a race track and she won't get settled. She has run of the house so she could go hide in any of the bedrooms, but she don't she just keeps pacing.
One of my Jack Russells is afraid of thunder and loud noises. Often I'll wake up in the middle of the night with her trying to climb under me during a thunderstorm. I allow her to snuggle as close as she wants, tell her she's ok and just rub her gently and she calms down. All it takes is a soothing word and some love from me and she's instantly better. I think it does help that her sister doesn't react negatively to storms. I'm glad I've found a way to soothe her.