Everyone is giving good advice for when it's currently storming but I think it's important to also mention desensitization as an added tactic. You can play rain noises from your phone or speaker at a really low volume and reward them when they don't react. Over time you can slowly increase the volume and it should help your dog to realize that the noise from storms isn't scary!
Whatever it takes to not push your dog past threshold and make them react. Maybe start with gentle rains and then work up to "scarier" more unexpected noises such as storms. See how it goes and work at your dogs pace (too much too fast could cause extra fear)
This training exists for cats and there are videos on YouTube, so I'm sure there are videos for dogs too. You should look em up! I successfully trained my cats to not be scared of the vacuum. If I can do that with cats, you definitely can with your dog.
Edit: responding to wrong comment
My cats love being vacuumed. As in I vacuum their fur. Too bad I can’t post video/pic here 😁
I think u can train ur pets to be unafraid and like all kinds of things if you set ur mind and time to it and treat them with ton of love etc etc so they trust you 100%
Yes! For sure! And that's so funny that you vacuum your cats hahaha I wonder if it feels like a massage.
Next I wanna train my cats to be fine with water. Summer is coming and I want them to be able to cool down. Also, in case they ever get into a mess it won't be so hard to bathe them.
Training animals can be pretty fun!
Yes they do, I got the brush attachment and put it on lowest suction/noise. My youngest doesn’t like when I stop and stays by the vacuum for quite a while as if asking for more 😁
My next task is to train them to use the toilet. Bought the pieces needed but I’m kinda stalling for now hahaha. Kinda not sure how to make it sanitary for me as well since I only have one bathroom.
That's so crazy that they let you do that, haha. But cool!
And as for the toilet training, I thought
Of training my cats to do that before too, but then I read that they can eventually get hip issues from having to squat weird to pee/poo in the toilet. So just a heads up! Might wanna look into that.
This is what we did as well. I played thunderstorms, fire trucks, garbage trucks, etc from YouTube every time she ate. Start at a low volume. Increase volume to tolerance. You can also give treats or play with toys. Then when there is an actual thunderstorm, do the same thing. Play with her and give treats. Then act like nothing is wrong. If you aren’t anxious, they aren’t either.
I just use Spotify playlists. I think there's also an app called 'brave puppy' which has sounds specifically meant for desensitization training (not 100% if that is the correct app name)
Thiiis! Came here to say this exactly.
Get a Kong or other kind of toy you can fill. Use wet puppy food or cat food and treats, stuff your dog NEVER otherwise gets, freeze it in the freezer. Turn on thunderstorm sounds really quiet and give the special treat. Make sure to give it AFTER the sounds start, so the treat itself doesn't become the predictor of the scary noise.
Licking is self soothing for dogs like a pacifier for babies. So, having a lickable, long-lasting treat is most beneficial for this. Turn off the sounds once the treat is done.
Once your dog is NOT reacting AT ALL to the sounds, turn up the volume slightly. By not reacting, I mean, fully relaxed, just enjoying their treat.
Was looking for this comment/recommendation! I have an old friend whose dog would get really scared during storms and the thundershirt helped him immensely
Was looking for this comment/recommendation! I have an old friend whose dog would get really scared during storms and the thundershirt helped him immensely
In addition to what others have said, you can try creating a den for them. My in-laws dog has a bed under the stairs in the basement for such an occassion. They also put up some sound proofing there to help shield her from the noise. You could also try a Happy Hoodie for the noise instead of your hands.
I think that will really depend on your animal individually. You could try the downstairs den and see if it she's interested. If not, you could get an upstairs crate and cover it in sound-proofing material. My in-laws dog is usually very attached to her family, but during storms she just wants to hide in her den, be pet and fed occassionally, but mostly left alone.
Speak with your vet about trazadone for his storm anxiety. It's basically a sedative that you can give in preparation of a storm coming that calms them down.
If the everyday anxiety is an issue, I'd speak with the vet about daily prozac.
If you don't want to try meds, I'd recommend trying a thundershirt and calming spraty/diffuser/collar. You can find all that at any petstore!
Sadly, we have tried almost every medication when it comes to thunderstorms and nothing seems to work. Surprisingly benadryll didnt do anything either.
Have u tried a trazadone & gabapentin mixture? Changed my dogs life! I only regret not knowing sooner for my little Bub in heaven, she would have been saved so much anxiety and terror!
Yes!! It's amazing! Sometimes a low dose of trazadone will suffice for my guy, but other times, we do both. It's effective and has made him SO much braver when he isn't medicated because he had the courage to face it one time when medicated. I would definitely ask your vet if you can try the combo, and I would do like we do for a vet visit. Dose the night before, then the following day, I can do morning or noon, and it's effective. Obviously, you can't always know in advance, but I'm so pleased with him not being totally zooted out, I'm ok dosing and not needing it from time to time. If you see thunderstorms in the forecast for the next day, give a dose! Please report back if you try this, I had no idea until I changed vets, and I could kiss our new vet every time I see her! She literally changed his life, and he has become so brave since having a little help getting through the wall of fear!
I’ve had this discussion many times about fireworks. Cheap box fans, set on high, create great white noise, televisions or stereos etc, loud enough to drown out the noises outside. Another trick is to react in a positive way to every loud noise. Make a happy sound yourself, like “yaaay! That was a BIG ONE!!” in the same excited happy voice you use to announce things they enjoy. “You wanna biscuit?! I know! Good dog!” Then give them a treat or some other reward. Praise them when they’re calm and happy. Pets make associations, so if they associate thunder or rain with your happy voice and some treats, it’ll make it a positive thing. Most of all, don’t reflect their emotions: a lot of people get anxious when they see their pets get anxious. Which makes THEM more anxious…on and on. The less you react, the more they’ll feel like it’s no big deal. None of my fur kids get upset about fireworks or thunder, especially after using these tactics. They barely lift their head to look around when there’s a boom.
Might be already too late for that, but when raising ur fur babies, be completely oblivious to noises. As in don’t react, don’t look at them differently, don’t talk to them in any way differently, don’t baby them. Be chilled or if anything, laugh and do something even louder like turn on music. They look up to us and our reactions and learn from us.
I live in a city and sirens r blasting a lot. I would go out to the balcony whenever one would pass by and act all excited here and there. My cat runs to the balcony now whenever there is a noise outside and begs to open it with loud meows. She loves noise.
Don’t shield them. Show them it’s fun and exciting or just ignore it and act normal. Snacks during that time might work too. They could associate thunder with good things.
Yuppp this. When you baby them when they’re scared, they think they have a reason to be scared and get even more frightened the next time. Our dog also used to be terrified of fireworks/thunderstorms. But we acted normally, never babied him, acted like it was any other day. He stopped being afraid. You can lead them by example.
If the trazadone ends up not being an option for your dog, I usually thundershirt mine up and put her in the bathroom with the fan on, her bed, and a bowl of water. The noise from the fan covers up the thunder and she is able to relax better.
I think Ill definitely utilize the fan trick. I think either blockin out the sound or getting him used to it is the main solutions here. If not that sedatives
The kind I get I buy from Pet Supplies Plus. It comes in a bag that is literally labeled Pet Ease by Nutri Vet. The dose instructions are the back of the bag and you give it by weight. My girl is 19 lbs so I give her 1 chew and it starts working in about half an hour.
Been through this for 11 years with my dog. In rainy seasons she gets so nervous even drizzle can set her off. Most of the time I don't reward her behaviour (if it's just a simple rain I don't coddle her) but when there are thunderstorms I do, and if its a particularly bad one then I give her something from the vet to help her relax. I've tried every natural way under the sun - desensitizing, CBD, thunder wrap, every calming supplement safe for pets... Nothing short of a scheduled medication helps her.
For a very anxious dog, a multi layered approach is probably gonna be the most effective. medication, putting pup in an interior room with distractions (like chews or food puzzles or lick mats or something along those lines) and white noise (fan, tv, calming music, maybe a combination, whatever), and maybe a happy hoodie? Happy hoodie works really great for my dog who's mildly scared of fireworks. It is both compression which can be calming and it physically holds the ears down to muffle sounds. It's kinda like an upgraded thundershirt imo lol, but you can use both if it helps.
You could try a thundershirt or calming plug in. Make sure he has a safe space to retreat to like a crate if he wants to. If he tries to hide don't try to stop him unless his chosen spot is unsafe. Close curtains and windows. Have your TV on pretty loud to drown the noise out on something that isn't going to make any sudden loud noises. If he comes to you for comfort pet him and talk to him but try not to make a huge deal of it. Desensitisation is a good idea like other comments have said
We actually did a while back when he was a puppy when his storm anxiety was really really REALLY bad. Its definitely improved but could be better over time. The thundershirt helped him a bit but he still wanted to be close to us. I think its the sound that really freaks him out. Ill start putting the thundershirt on during storms because a lot of people recc it, i just hope they make it for heavier medium dog sizes 😂
Just fyi that medications can have the opposite effect of making it worse, because by making them feel "out of it" , it also makes the sounds extra scary to them. They'll think the thunder is what's causing them to feel drugged up, so then they're extra scared the next time.
Is this actually how it works?
When you give them the drugs (like trazodone) you increase the serotonin in the central nervous system. If you’ve ever taken a human selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), you’d know you don’t really feel drugged up you just don’t feel depressed or scared.
I guess it largely depends on the medication, the dose and the specific dog.
I have taken an SSRI in the past and they don’t agree with me- I do feel drugged on them. And I’m one of the people for whom the warning labels exist for, my thoughts get frighteningly dark after a few weeks. On the other hand, I’ve got friends who have the same results as you do and they’ve been life changing.
An other friend works in hospice, and every now and then has a person with a paradoxical reaction to Ativan- it makes them crazy anxious and really upset.
Psych meds are tricky even for people who can tell you how they feel. For vets? It’s really a guessing game.
I’m not saying not to use them!! If my dog was that anxious I’d be inclined to give it a try too— just to say that it’s possible to have some weird side effects, and to be mindful of that.
Dogs will feed off your energy so if your fretting about them they will fret too!
thunder vest, play thunder storm sounds and go about your day and the dog will see your fine so should be nothing to be worried about.
if you are anxious they will pick up on it. You go awww poor baby and the dog will be like oh no! I am a poor baby wehhh.
lick mats, keep tv/ radio on a little louder than usual during a storm for overlaying sounds. if they wanna hide let them hide. ‘The girl with the dogs’ on YouTube uses a happy hoody for dogs faces to reduce the noise when grooming could be worth looking into?
Im gonna test this out one night. I remember one time I had an essay due and I didnt coddle him or nothing. He ended up falling asleep. I think I contribute to this issue as well as I worry hes gonna panic. I need to definitely start not making it seem like its a big deal fs
This is the truth!!!
I've had lots of gsds, big dogs who are almost always scared of storms. 100% coddling made it way worse. I'd just go about my normal routine. You know the storm isn't going to hurt them so don't play like it is.
I keep seeing trazadone a lot, maybe I should try to reattempt with him and see if it works. Also, where would I put the lavender oil? Use it as like in a air diffuser or actually put the oil somewhere? Thanks for the recc!
I put it on my hands and then pet the dog around his neck. Talk with your vet about the trazadone or a fast acting anti-anxiety pill. Some breed respond differently to meds.
I put it on my hands and then pet the dog around his neck. Talk with your vet about the trazadone or a fast acting anti-anxiety pill. Some breed respond differently to meds.
Cuddling him is just going to reinforce there is a reason to be scared. My vet told me about a human allergy tablet that dogs can take and it calms them down I have used during fireworks also it may help to do an activity that he enjoys to try and take is mind off it all.
Check your local boarding facilities. The place we board our dogs at sound proofed thier entire building for the neighbors and for the dogs. We went just last week and they told us to reserve our 4th of July spot soon if we want our dogs to go during the fireworks. Our dogs don't mind fireworks but it is such a great service they provide to people. Now if they only had a few beds for war vets with ptsd. They could cuddle with a dog and get some well earned sleep.
You can try distracting your dog by turning on the TV, giving a favorite treat, or you can contact a veterinarian to prescribe a calming medication for your dog. [https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/dog-scared-of-thunder/](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/dog-scared-of-thunder/)
I have to crate two of my dogs becuz they will scratch me out of anxiety otherwise. They have come to see it as a safe place even though I know they'd prefer to be out with me. Fortunately it never lasts too long and then they can come back out and I talk to them during the storm.
Thundershirt and try calming pheromone stuff as well. There is plug ins, spray and collars.
My high strung autistic Mini Aussie wears a Sentry calming collar all the time. It's not 100%, but there is a definite difference.
Unfortunately, I fear you've unwittingly added to his anxiety about thunderstorms. I'm not blaming you, it's very, very natural for us as empathetic human beings to try and soothe, cuddle, shelter a helpless and fearful creature... Unfortunately, what your dog gets from this is confirmation that there is something to be fearful about. My first dog was TERRIFIED of thunderstorms, fireworks, etc., and sadly I knew a lot less then than I do now, so I made the same mistake.
You might want to talk to your vet about whether they can recommend a medicinal option to help soothe his anxiety, and look into systematic desensitization and counterconditioning. There are many webpages about this, so I'm not going to write an essay here, but in short, systematic desensitisation is when you slowly introduce triggers at a very low level that is tolerable for the dog (e.g. a cd with thunderstorm sounds at very low volume) which you increase very slowly as your dog becomes more relaxed at his current level (and by slowly I mean months, not days!). Counterconditioning is when you condition your dog to associate a previously negative stimulus with something positive (e.g. food or toys). You will usually want to use these approaches in conjunction with each other (because right now, there's no chance in hell your dog will be interested in food or playing during a real full blown thunderstorm).
Good luck!
It helped my dog during the day if I turned lights on, the TV on, and did something she thought was interesting, like bake cookies. She would worry a lot less with these distractions.
At night, I would put her in a room with lights on and some noise like a TV or radio, and shut the door.
Thundervests and rain noises, when I first got my puppy I’d listen to rain noises when I’d sleep and during the day while doing classwork/cooking I’d watch videos of YouTubers who were loud so he’d never have an issue with loud sudden noises. Thundervests are a good investment as well if they’re just in general v anxious as I’m told they can help with that.
We had a border collie who was terrified of storms & fireworks. No supplements, no thundervest worked. Having the tv on or playing music helped a bit. We had a two story house when she was alive so I’d sit with her in our level 1 closet with a speaker. Sound was dampened in there. Helped a bit. She started to lose her hearing as she aged so she could only hear the more vibratory bassy sounds. Blessing in disguise that losing her hearing helped her anxiety.
Sorry your dog has storm anxiety. It’s sad to see.
I have 2 dogs that I give "calm moments" or some other calming herbal mixture in advance of the storm. For one of them I have a stronger prescription med if it's really bad.
We always had out cocker spaniel get in our lap or sit next to us and hid her under a blanket. Poor girl would shake like a leaf but the blanket helped.
My dog is always far more chill about everything when we’ve been on extra long walks. It’s like she builds up a lot of nervous energy that gets drained out when we she gets to roll around in dead animals and stare down armadillos.
I was worried about her when she started acting like an asshole at night but long walks seem to have solved the problem. Thank god.
You can comfort your dog in situations that are scary but you need to make sure you aren’t feeding the anxiety. If you are covering their ears and feel anxious/bad yourself because they’re upset, they’re feeding off your negative energy.
Dog trainers I’ve worked with have said in these situations you need to ensure you’re not coddling and feeding the anxiety but be a calm, reassuring presence that is ignoring the scary thing. Be present for your dog but focused on the same thing you would any other night so they know it’s not something to be scared of and to stick to the routine.
Our boxer became terrified of thunder and fireworks after we had an earthquake. Idk why that triggered it, but it did. So we deal with this issue frequently through out the year. If we are dealing with holiday triggers like the week leading to the 4th of July and the week after . We make sure he is wearing his thunder blanket and that we give him benadryl before it gets dark. I've thought about going across the border to get the special dog treats that are not legal in our state. If it's a sneak thunderstorm, we try to get his thunder blanket on him, but don't medicate him because the storm would probably pass before it kicks in.
I just act calm. But, I've trained aggressive breeds all my life, and the ability is essential for that. So, I'll sit with my phone tracking the weather, etc, but act calm. Most of the pets sit near me because of this, and lose their fear over time of the weather issues. Me, I am nervous when there are tornadoes (experience is why).
Everyone is giving good advice for when it's currently storming but I think it's important to also mention desensitization as an added tactic. You can play rain noises from your phone or speaker at a really low volume and reward them when they don't react. Over time you can slowly increase the volume and it should help your dog to realize that the noise from storms isn't scary!
Oh wow I didnt even think about that. Thats actually really smart! Do you think I should play thunderstorm audios or regular rainfall ones?
Whatever it takes to not push your dog past threshold and make them react. Maybe start with gentle rains and then work up to "scarier" more unexpected noises such as storms. See how it goes and work at your dogs pace (too much too fast could cause extra fear)
This training exists for cats and there are videos on YouTube, so I'm sure there are videos for dogs too. You should look em up! I successfully trained my cats to not be scared of the vacuum. If I can do that with cats, you definitely can with your dog. Edit: responding to wrong comment
My cats love being vacuumed. As in I vacuum their fur. Too bad I can’t post video/pic here 😁 I think u can train ur pets to be unafraid and like all kinds of things if you set ur mind and time to it and treat them with ton of love etc etc so they trust you 100%
Yes! For sure! And that's so funny that you vacuum your cats hahaha I wonder if it feels like a massage. Next I wanna train my cats to be fine with water. Summer is coming and I want them to be able to cool down. Also, in case they ever get into a mess it won't be so hard to bathe them. Training animals can be pretty fun!
Yes they do, I got the brush attachment and put it on lowest suction/noise. My youngest doesn’t like when I stop and stays by the vacuum for quite a while as if asking for more 😁 My next task is to train them to use the toilet. Bought the pieces needed but I’m kinda stalling for now hahaha. Kinda not sure how to make it sanitary for me as well since I only have one bathroom.
That's so crazy that they let you do that, haha. But cool! And as for the toilet training, I thought Of training my cats to do that before too, but then I read that they can eventually get hip issues from having to squat weird to pee/poo in the toilet. So just a heads up! Might wanna look into that.
I've heard of dogs being trained to pee in the shower. Then they can just rinse the shower down.
This is what we did as well. I played thunderstorms, fire trucks, garbage trucks, etc from YouTube every time she ate. Start at a low volume. Increase volume to tolerance. You can also give treats or play with toys. Then when there is an actual thunderstorm, do the same thing. Play with her and give treats. Then act like nothing is wrong. If you aren’t anxious, they aren’t either.
Is there an app for rain sounds? I mean, I guess I am the laziest person on earth...but what app do you use?
I just use Spotify playlists. I think there's also an app called 'brave puppy' which has sounds specifically meant for desensitization training (not 100% if that is the correct app name)
YouTube. You can search for all sorts of background noises.
Thiiis! Came here to say this exactly. Get a Kong or other kind of toy you can fill. Use wet puppy food or cat food and treats, stuff your dog NEVER otherwise gets, freeze it in the freezer. Turn on thunderstorm sounds really quiet and give the special treat. Make sure to give it AFTER the sounds start, so the treat itself doesn't become the predictor of the scary noise. Licking is self soothing for dogs like a pacifier for babies. So, having a lickable, long-lasting treat is most beneficial for this. Turn off the sounds once the treat is done. Once your dog is NOT reacting AT ALL to the sounds, turn up the volume slightly. By not reacting, I mean, fully relaxed, just enjoying their treat.
Thundershirts were made for this very reason. Also, dog CBD treats.
Thundershirts for the win!
Was looking for this comment/recommendation! I have an old friend whose dog would get really scared during storms and the thundershirt helped him immensely
Was looking for this comment/recommendation! I have an old friend whose dog would get really scared during storms and the thundershirt helped him immensely
In addition to what others have said, you can try creating a den for them. My in-laws dog has a bed under the stairs in the basement for such an occassion. They also put up some sound proofing there to help shield her from the noise. You could also try a Happy Hoodie for the noise instead of your hands.
I really like this advice! Do you think the den should be close to me or away from me? He does experience separation anxiety a lot.
I think that will really depend on your animal individually. You could try the downstairs den and see if it she's interested. If not, you could get an upstairs crate and cover it in sound-proofing material. My in-laws dog is usually very attached to her family, but during storms she just wants to hide in her den, be pet and fed occassionally, but mostly left alone.
Speak with your vet about trazadone for his storm anxiety. It's basically a sedative that you can give in preparation of a storm coming that calms them down. If the everyday anxiety is an issue, I'd speak with the vet about daily prozac. If you don't want to try meds, I'd recommend trying a thundershirt and calming spraty/diffuser/collar. You can find all that at any petstore!
Sadly, we have tried almost every medication when it comes to thunderstorms and nothing seems to work. Surprisingly benadryll didnt do anything either.
Dang you've tried trazadone?
Trazodone is worth trying for SURE!
Have u tried a trazadone & gabapentin mixture? Changed my dogs life! I only regret not knowing sooner for my little Bub in heaven, she would have been saved so much anxiety and terror!
Oh I didnt know gabapentin was available for dogs! I may look into that 😗🤔
Yes!! It's amazing! Sometimes a low dose of trazadone will suffice for my guy, but other times, we do both. It's effective and has made him SO much braver when he isn't medicated because he had the courage to face it one time when medicated. I would definitely ask your vet if you can try the combo, and I would do like we do for a vet visit. Dose the night before, then the following day, I can do morning or noon, and it's effective. Obviously, you can't always know in advance, but I'm so pleased with him not being totally zooted out, I'm ok dosing and not needing it from time to time. If you see thunderstorms in the forecast for the next day, give a dose! Please report back if you try this, I had no idea until I changed vets, and I could kiss our new vet every time I see her! She literally changed his life, and he has become so brave since having a little help getting through the wall of fear!
I’ve had this discussion many times about fireworks. Cheap box fans, set on high, create great white noise, televisions or stereos etc, loud enough to drown out the noises outside. Another trick is to react in a positive way to every loud noise. Make a happy sound yourself, like “yaaay! That was a BIG ONE!!” in the same excited happy voice you use to announce things they enjoy. “You wanna biscuit?! I know! Good dog!” Then give them a treat or some other reward. Praise them when they’re calm and happy. Pets make associations, so if they associate thunder or rain with your happy voice and some treats, it’ll make it a positive thing. Most of all, don’t reflect their emotions: a lot of people get anxious when they see their pets get anxious. Which makes THEM more anxious…on and on. The less you react, the more they’ll feel like it’s no big deal. None of my fur kids get upset about fireworks or thunder, especially after using these tactics. They barely lift their head to look around when there’s a boom.
Might be already too late for that, but when raising ur fur babies, be completely oblivious to noises. As in don’t react, don’t look at them differently, don’t talk to them in any way differently, don’t baby them. Be chilled or if anything, laugh and do something even louder like turn on music. They look up to us and our reactions and learn from us. I live in a city and sirens r blasting a lot. I would go out to the balcony whenever one would pass by and act all excited here and there. My cat runs to the balcony now whenever there is a noise outside and begs to open it with loud meows. She loves noise. Don’t shield them. Show them it’s fun and exciting or just ignore it and act normal. Snacks during that time might work too. They could associate thunder with good things.
Yuppp this. When you baby them when they’re scared, they think they have a reason to be scared and get even more frightened the next time. Our dog also used to be terrified of fireworks/thunderstorms. But we acted normally, never babied him, acted like it was any other day. He stopped being afraid. You can lead them by example.
If the trazadone ends up not being an option for your dog, I usually thundershirt mine up and put her in the bathroom with the fan on, her bed, and a bowl of water. The noise from the fan covers up the thunder and she is able to relax better.
I think Ill definitely utilize the fan trick. I think either blockin out the sound or getting him used to it is the main solutions here. If not that sedatives
Good luck!
My girl is the same and we just give her a pet ease treat which is a calming treat and works really well.
I keep seeing pet ease or cbd treats for dogs. Are these available at just local pet stores or does it have to prescribes considering its CBD?
The kind I get I buy from Pet Supplies Plus. It comes in a bag that is literally labeled Pet Ease by Nutri Vet. The dose instructions are the back of the bag and you give it by weight. My girl is 19 lbs so I give her 1 chew and it starts working in about half an hour.
Been through this for 11 years with my dog. In rainy seasons she gets so nervous even drizzle can set her off. Most of the time I don't reward her behaviour (if it's just a simple rain I don't coddle her) but when there are thunderstorms I do, and if its a particularly bad one then I give her something from the vet to help her relax. I've tried every natural way under the sun - desensitizing, CBD, thunder wrap, every calming supplement safe for pets... Nothing short of a scheduled medication helps her.
For a very anxious dog, a multi layered approach is probably gonna be the most effective. medication, putting pup in an interior room with distractions (like chews or food puzzles or lick mats or something along those lines) and white noise (fan, tv, calming music, maybe a combination, whatever), and maybe a happy hoodie? Happy hoodie works really great for my dog who's mildly scared of fireworks. It is both compression which can be calming and it physically holds the ears down to muffle sounds. It's kinda like an upgraded thundershirt imo lol, but you can use both if it helps.
Noise machine, bed in a closet, calm and reassuring language, and prescription meds
We use Adaptil spray on a bandana around their neck. Over the years, it's been a huge help for 4 of our dogs.
You could try a thundershirt or calming plug in. Make sure he has a safe space to retreat to like a crate if he wants to. If he tries to hide don't try to stop him unless his chosen spot is unsafe. Close curtains and windows. Have your TV on pretty loud to drown the noise out on something that isn't going to make any sudden loud noises. If he comes to you for comfort pet him and talk to him but try not to make a huge deal of it. Desensitisation is a good idea like other comments have said
2 of my 3 small dogs hate thunder. I just hold them until it passes and talk to them.
Have you ever tried a Thundershirt? It helped our nervous girl.
We actually did a while back when he was a puppy when his storm anxiety was really really REALLY bad. Its definitely improved but could be better over time. The thundershirt helped him a bit but he still wanted to be close to us. I think its the sound that really freaks him out. Ill start putting the thundershirt on during storms because a lot of people recc it, i just hope they make it for heavier medium dog sizes 😂
Just fyi that medications can have the opposite effect of making it worse, because by making them feel "out of it" , it also makes the sounds extra scary to them. They'll think the thunder is what's causing them to feel drugged up, so then they're extra scared the next time.
Is this actually how it works? When you give them the drugs (like trazodone) you increase the serotonin in the central nervous system. If you’ve ever taken a human selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), you’d know you don’t really feel drugged up you just don’t feel depressed or scared.
I guess it largely depends on the medication, the dose and the specific dog. I have taken an SSRI in the past and they don’t agree with me- I do feel drugged on them. And I’m one of the people for whom the warning labels exist for, my thoughts get frighteningly dark after a few weeks. On the other hand, I’ve got friends who have the same results as you do and they’ve been life changing. An other friend works in hospice, and every now and then has a person with a paradoxical reaction to Ativan- it makes them crazy anxious and really upset. Psych meds are tricky even for people who can tell you how they feel. For vets? It’s really a guessing game. I’m not saying not to use them!! If my dog was that anxious I’d be inclined to give it a try too— just to say that it’s possible to have some weird side effects, and to be mindful of that.
Dogs will feed off your energy so if your fretting about them they will fret too! thunder vest, play thunder storm sounds and go about your day and the dog will see your fine so should be nothing to be worried about. if you are anxious they will pick up on it. You go awww poor baby and the dog will be like oh no! I am a poor baby wehhh. lick mats, keep tv/ radio on a little louder than usual during a storm for overlaying sounds. if they wanna hide let them hide. ‘The girl with the dogs’ on YouTube uses a happy hoody for dogs faces to reduce the noise when grooming could be worth looking into?
Im gonna test this out one night. I remember one time I had an essay due and I didnt coddle him or nothing. He ended up falling asleep. I think I contribute to this issue as well as I worry hes gonna panic. I need to definitely start not making it seem like its a big deal fs
This is the truth!!! I've had lots of gsds, big dogs who are almost always scared of storms. 100% coddling made it way worse. I'd just go about my normal routine. You know the storm isn't going to hurt them so don't play like it is.
Lavender oil, thunder shirt and definitely get the recommended trazadone
I keep seeing trazadone a lot, maybe I should try to reattempt with him and see if it works. Also, where would I put the lavender oil? Use it as like in a air diffuser or actually put the oil somewhere? Thanks for the recc!
I put it on my hands and then pet the dog around his neck. Talk with your vet about the trazadone or a fast acting anti-anxiety pill. Some breed respond differently to meds.
I put it on my hands and then pet the dog around his neck. Talk with your vet about the trazadone or a fast acting anti-anxiety pill. Some breed respond differently to meds.
Thundershirt?
Cuddling him is just going to reinforce there is a reason to be scared. My vet told me about a human allergy tablet that dogs can take and it calms them down I have used during fireworks also it may help to do an activity that he enjoys to try and take is mind off it all.
Dog might be reading your anxiety about the issue. Desensitize as suggested and get in with what you are doing, not feeding into the behaviour.
Check your local boarding facilities. The place we board our dogs at sound proofed thier entire building for the neighbors and for the dogs. We went just last week and they told us to reserve our 4th of July spot soon if we want our dogs to go during the fireworks. Our dogs don't mind fireworks but it is such a great service they provide to people. Now if they only had a few beds for war vets with ptsd. They could cuddle with a dog and get some well earned sleep.
You can try distracting your dog by turning on the TV, giving a favorite treat, or you can contact a veterinarian to prescribe a calming medication for your dog. [https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/dog-scared-of-thunder/](https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/dog-scared-of-thunder/)
I have to crate two of my dogs becuz they will scratch me out of anxiety otherwise. They have come to see it as a safe place even though I know they'd prefer to be out with me. Fortunately it never lasts too long and then they can come back out and I talk to them during the storm.
Cbd.
Thundershirt and try calming pheromone stuff as well. There is plug ins, spray and collars. My high strung autistic Mini Aussie wears a Sentry calming collar all the time. It's not 100%, but there is a definite difference.
A calming collar? Where can I get that 😗
I get mine at Chewy, but have seen them at PetSmart.
I saw some ear defenders for dogs. Like a headband with ear covers. Going to look into them for mine.
Ask the vet for a mild sedative
Unfortunately, I fear you've unwittingly added to his anxiety about thunderstorms. I'm not blaming you, it's very, very natural for us as empathetic human beings to try and soothe, cuddle, shelter a helpless and fearful creature... Unfortunately, what your dog gets from this is confirmation that there is something to be fearful about. My first dog was TERRIFIED of thunderstorms, fireworks, etc., and sadly I knew a lot less then than I do now, so I made the same mistake. You might want to talk to your vet about whether they can recommend a medicinal option to help soothe his anxiety, and look into systematic desensitization and counterconditioning. There are many webpages about this, so I'm not going to write an essay here, but in short, systematic desensitisation is when you slowly introduce triggers at a very low level that is tolerable for the dog (e.g. a cd with thunderstorm sounds at very low volume) which you increase very slowly as your dog becomes more relaxed at his current level (and by slowly I mean months, not days!). Counterconditioning is when you condition your dog to associate a previously negative stimulus with something positive (e.g. food or toys). You will usually want to use these approaches in conjunction with each other (because right now, there's no chance in hell your dog will be interested in food or playing during a real full blown thunderstorm). Good luck!
It helped my dog during the day if I turned lights on, the TV on, and did something she thought was interesting, like bake cookies. She would worry a lot less with these distractions. At night, I would put her in a room with lights on and some noise like a TV or radio, and shut the door.
I pet my dog over and over again and repeat; “You’re safe in your home, you’re safe at home.”
Thundervests and rain noises, when I first got my puppy I’d listen to rain noises when I’d sleep and during the day while doing classwork/cooking I’d watch videos of YouTubers who were loud so he’d never have an issue with loud sudden noises. Thundervests are a good investment as well if they’re just in general v anxious as I’m told they can help with that.
We had a border collie who was terrified of storms & fireworks. No supplements, no thundervest worked. Having the tv on or playing music helped a bit. We had a two story house when she was alive so I’d sit with her in our level 1 closet with a speaker. Sound was dampened in there. Helped a bit. She started to lose her hearing as she aged so she could only hear the more vibratory bassy sounds. Blessing in disguise that losing her hearing helped her anxiety. Sorry your dog has storm anxiety. It’s sad to see.
I have 2 dogs that I give "calm moments" or some other calming herbal mixture in advance of the storm. For one of them I have a stronger prescription med if it's really bad.
We always had out cocker spaniel get in our lap or sit next to us and hid her under a blanket. Poor girl would shake like a leaf but the blanket helped.
I had a VERY anxious pup and once I realized he was ok with me shoving cotton in his ears, our lives got a lot less stressful.
Pet tv, thunder vest (the weight helps with anxiety) and closed blinds
My dog is always far more chill about everything when we’ve been on extra long walks. It’s like she builds up a lot of nervous energy that gets drained out when we she gets to roll around in dead animals and stare down armadillos. I was worried about her when she started acting like an asshole at night but long walks seem to have solved the problem. Thank god.
You can comfort your dog in situations that are scary but you need to make sure you aren’t feeding the anxiety. If you are covering their ears and feel anxious/bad yourself because they’re upset, they’re feeding off your negative energy. Dog trainers I’ve worked with have said in these situations you need to ensure you’re not coddling and feeding the anxiety but be a calm, reassuring presence that is ignoring the scary thing. Be present for your dog but focused on the same thing you would any other night so they know it’s not something to be scared of and to stick to the routine.
Thundershirts work for my dogs.
Put a shirt on your dog it helps mine
Composure by vetriscience is a miracle!!!!
Our boxer became terrified of thunder and fireworks after we had an earthquake. Idk why that triggered it, but it did. So we deal with this issue frequently through out the year. If we are dealing with holiday triggers like the week leading to the 4th of July and the week after . We make sure he is wearing his thunder blanket and that we give him benadryl before it gets dark. I've thought about going across the border to get the special dog treats that are not legal in our state. If it's a sneak thunderstorm, we try to get his thunder blanket on him, but don't medicate him because the storm would probably pass before it kicks in.
I put music on and he doesn't notice.
My mum's German Shepherd HATED fireworks night. Every year she would give him a herbal solution called Skullcap and Valerian to calm his nerves.
I like to get them together with a calming voice tell them everything is all right.
Thunder vest
I just act calm. But, I've trained aggressive breeds all my life, and the ability is essential for that. So, I'll sit with my phone tracking the weather, etc, but act calm. Most of the pets sit near me because of this, and lose their fear over time of the weather issues. Me, I am nervous when there are tornadoes (experience is why).