Stop Your Dog from Being Frightened During a Storm

Does your dog act like it is the end of the world whenever a Storm Chase hits? Does he or she cower, run, and hide at every clap of thunder? This response to a storm is an involuntary fear response, which makes it very hard to eliminate completely.[1] Fortunately, however, there are ways to minimize this behavior and decrease your dog's fear.

Steps

Using Behavior Management During a Storm

  1. Do something fun with the dog. The best way to change your dog's fearful behavior is to sidetrack it with an activity it enjoys. What does your dog like to do the most? Maybe it's tugging on a toy or playing catch. Whatever it is, try doing it during a storm.
    • You, and your dog, may get wet from walking or playing in the rain, but it will be worth it if your dog is sidetracked from its fear.
    • If your dog is behaving well, and responding to commands correctly, this is a great time to give it a treat. This will reinforce the good behavior, and not the bad.[2]
  2. Give your dog a "sacrifice" item during the storm. If your dog tears things up out of fear during a storm, then give it something to focus its destructive attention on. This could be a stuffed animal, a chew toy, or a rawhide bone. Whatever you give your dog, make it something that will grab its attention and allow it to focus its nervous energy.[1]
  3. Do not focus all your energy on consoling your dog. Do not cuddle and act as its protector. This doesn't mean that you can't give it a pet, give it some comfort, and act nicely towards it as usual. You just shouldn't act as if it does have something to be afraid of. If you do this, it's going to assume that protection is needed.
    • In addition, if you act like the dog needs protection, your dog will also assume that you are available to protect it whenever it acts nervous and scared. This can lead to an escalation in bad behavior. If it learns that cowering in the corner during bad weather yields hugs and kisses, it may form the habit of doing that every storm.
    • Some animal behaviorists disagree with the idea of not comforting a distressed dog. They say that you should comfort your dog in any way that you can. This comforting should be combined with redirection, so that the dog is sidetracked from its fear.[1][3]
  4. Don't scold your dog for showing fear during a storm. Just as you don't want to overly comfort the dog, you don't want to punish it for being scared. That only gives your dog another reason to be afraid. Remember that fear is a
    • Instead, go about your normal routine and act as if everything is normal. This doesn't mean ignore your dog, it just means that you should interact with it as normal.[1]
    • Ignoring the thunder and lightening, as well as the dog's nervousness and fear, will eventually teach your dog that nothing is wrong. This can be hard to do, however, as the dog's behavior is the meantime may be erratic and fearful.
  5. Desensitize your dog to loud noises. A dog that has extreme reactions to loud noises may respond to gradual desensitization. This means that you expose the dog to a variety of noises, gradually increasing the volume so the dog gets used to it.[2]
    • There are CDs that you can purchase that make the noises of a thunderstorm. Play them at various times of day, starting with the volume very low. Make it louder and louder until the dog is used to it. This will only partially desensitize the dog, since there are also electrical disturbances in a storm that can't be mimicked by a CD.
    • Expose a young dog to a variety of noises from an early age. If your dog is very young and is experiencing thunderstorms for the first time, you will have a much easier time keeping it calm if it is used to a wide variety of noises already.

Managing Your Dog's Environment

  1. Block out as much of the noise and light as possible. If you can minimize the amount of the storm that the dog experiences, it may reduce the dog's discomfort. Close curtains, especially if you have blackout curtains, and move the dog to a room in your home where you can hear the thunder the least.
    • Doing this in combination with distracting the dog with its favorite toy or game can really alleviate a dog's fear response.
  2. Drown out the impact of the storm. For example, if your dog is afraid of lightening, try turning on a light in the room your dog is in. This will minimize the impact of the lightening.
    • Turn on music, or some other kind of noise, to drown out the noise of the thunder. If your dog can't hear it very well, the dog is likely to be less fearful.
  3. Give your dog a safe space to hide in. This may be its crate or under the covers in your bed. Dogs naturally look for a den to hide in, so give it that space.[1]
    • If your dog goes into its crate, consider covering it with a blanket to muffle the sounds of the storm further.
    • Make sure that your dog can get into its den area without your assistance. This will allow it this comfort whether or not you are home.
  4. Put a body wrap on the dog. There are several products on the market that are basically coats to put on your dog. These coats put gentle pressure on the dog's body, which calms it immensely.[4]
    • Calming body wraps are sold in most pet stores and online. When you are purchasing one, be sure to get the correct size for your dog.
  5. Use dryer sheets to eliminate static on your dog's coat. It may sound weird, but many dogs dislike lightning because it causes static in their fur. Rubbing your dog down with a dryer sheet will help make the uncomfortable sensations go away. It may even help the dog get back to sleep if it wakes up due to the storm.
    • Do not let the dog chew dryer sheets. Once you rub it on your dog's coat, put it out of reach of the dog. It can make a dog very sick.

Medicating Your Dog During a Storm

  1. Try using pheromones. There are medications on the market that use natural dog pheromones to calm your dog. The come in plug-in diffusers and can also be applied to a bandana around your dog's neck.[5]
    • Researchers are investigating which hormones work best for calming distressed dogs. One researcher has used a hormone emitted by mother dogs to calm their puppies to great effect with dogs scared of storms.[5]
  2. Give your dog natural calming remedies.[1] There is no scientific evidence that calming tonics, such as homeopathic remedies. However, many pet owners swear by them and they are worth trying if they can possibly calm your dog.
  3. Consider medicating an extremely fearful dog. If the dog's anxiety level is so high that it destroys the house trying to find refuge from the storm, or it spreads anxiety to other dogs in the house, ask a veterinarian about having a sedative on hand to deal with this. To get a strong medication for your dog, you will need a prescription from a veterinarian.
  • Sedated dogs may have a difficult time traversing stairways, so be careful! Carry your dog up stairs, if at all possible, or walk lower on the stairs relative to them, to stop them if they slip and fall.

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 https://www.vet.upenn.edu/docs/default-source/ryan/ryan-behavior-medicine/fear-of-thunderstorms-amp-fireworks-(pdf).pdf?sfvrsn=2
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/whatsnew/article.cfm?id=2953
  3. ↑ http://thebark.com/content/reducing-fear-your-dog?page=2
  4. ↑ http://www.journalvetbehavior.com/article/S1558-7878(12)00119-0/abstract
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 http://agsci.psu.edu/magazine/articles/2010/winter-spring/soothing-storm-stressed-dogs
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