photo: intellax
We haven’t had a thunderstorm in a while and I’m thankful. When it comes to dogs and thunderstorms, we have mixed reactions. Sydney doesn’t seem to notice; Rodrigo looks to me with concerned eyes and before I can speak, he’s in my lap.
Most dogs that are afraid of thunderstorms are also afraid of fireworks, gun shots, and other loud noises. Nancy Kaiser, an animal communicator, shared that “most thunderstorm fears come from past life negative influences that have been triggered somehow.” This includes fur parents making a big deal (me) when they notice that their dog is afraid (me) and opening their arms for a protective hug (me). But how can I not? He’s my baby!
A Keep the Tail Wagging follower asked me to look into tips on how to handle dogs and thunderstorms and this is what I learned…
Cal Orey, Author, shared that we can turn up the radio and television before a thunderstorm begins and act like it’s completely normal to do this; not a novelty. We don’t want to alert the dogs that something is wrong and spark their anxiety.
Marilyn Wolf, behavior consultant and trainer, recommends the following:
- clothing that is tight to the dog and is supposed to reduce anxiety (my trainer suggested something similar for car sickness)
Rescue Remedy Pet Formula
– which we give to our dogs on the Fourth of July (and the week prior)
Medication from the Vet – something that we use as a last resort, because the medication can be intense
May 7, 2012 at 11:30 pm
I recommend the original patented Anxiety Wrap to my clients with fearful or anxious dogs. The unique design provides a superior therapeutic effect and it’s effectiveness is backed by research. To read more about how the Anxiety Wrap compares to other similar products on the market, see this article: http://dubuquedogtrainer.hubpages.com/hub/dog_anxiety_wrap
May 8, 2012 at 6:34 am
Thanks, Cindy
I’d never heard of these products until I started researching for this post. I love that there’s something to give our dogs some peace
Kimberly
Twitter: thefurmom
May 19, 2013 at 5:31 am
When our rescue boy first came to live with us almost 12 months ago, he was terrified of thunder storms, absolutely terrified. Given that we live in a subtropical area that is prone to some very wild weather, it was awful to see him so frightened.
One huge thunderstorm he even bit me, just out of fear.
It was so difficult, but we worked really hard at not giving him love and hugs during a storm, which is the thing we wanted to do most in the world!
But it worked, instead of being a shaking, whimpering ball of fear when there is a storm, he’s now as calm & sweet as he is the rest of the time.
It’s hard to do, but it was so worth it! We’re still working on other loud noises (such as smoke alarms), but hey, we’re all a work in progress!
May 19, 2013 at 9:48 am
Thank you so much for sharing that story, Elle – I love that you were able to work with your dog. Our dog, Rodrigo, is doing a lot better with thunderstorms. We finally got him a Thunder Jacket and only had one small thunder storm and he was fine. We’ll keep it just in case
Thanks for stopping by!!!
Kimberly
Twitter: thefurmom