My dog (a nine-year-old border collie) is so afraid of rain, wind, and thunder storms that he will literally destroy the house in an attempt to "escape." We can NOT control him at this time. We recently moved to a new house, where his behavior has become worse. He has torn holes in walls and destroyed the washer-dryer hookups (leading to some flooding) during recent thunderstorms. Is there anything that can be done? We can't leave the dog alone for fear it may storm while we're gone, and my dad is threatening to have him put down!
2006-07-21 08:04:55 · 12 answers · asked by King of Town 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Benadryl works wonders for dogs that are afraid of thunderstorms, fireworks, etc. Talk to a vet and see just how much you should give your dog.
2006-07-21 09:09:58 · answer #1 · answered by trueblond195 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, l do not agree with tranquilizers... l own horses and have owned dogs before. One almost as neurotic as yours. She was a working dog breed like yours, and she would destroy the house. she even ate my grandfathers bomber jacket from wwll. So l know how you feel. There are a few more options that you could look into.
One would be working with a trainer and ''de-sensitizing'' your dog, for some reason loud noises bother him and scare him. This will take some time with the trainer, and may cost alot of money, but there are still more options.
Homeopathic remedies seem to work l used to give my horse yucca to give him more energry along with a few other natural things... Garlic supposedly calms the nerves, and l know there are special formulas for dogs. So, maybe try your local healthfood store and ask one of the pharmacists there to help you... you may need to diagnose what is actually scaring your dog. Was he abused at one point?? chased after with things that made loud noises?? this could be why he is afraid of loud noises- he associates it with a punishment.
Finally, the kennel/cage always works. it may help him feel more secure, but you have to watch him that he doesnt go crazy in there and hurt himself. l feel that you should never do to your animal what you wouldnt want done to you.
2006-07-21 08:25:19 · answer #2 · answered by knotty21687 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get him a crate for when you leave the house. This is a bajillion times better than having the house ripped up or putting him to sleep. I'd think an airline crate would be better than a wire crate, just in case he freaks out to the point that he'd hurt himself. Airline crate is not as easy to destroy or get hurt up in, I shouldn't think.
There are a lot of things you can do to desensitize your dog, but it does sound like a pretty severe case of thunderstorm phobia. That wouldn't be an immediate solution, although it would be good for him if you worked on it. Just google border collie and thunderstorm phobia and I suspect you'd get a ton of ideas.
2006-07-21 09:05:34 · answer #3 · answered by FairlyErica 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I also had a dog that was this way and the vet prescibed some tranquilizers for her. Also a simple thing is during a storm and if you are at home take her into a small normally quiet room and sit on the florr and hold her and stroke her coat as you try to soothe a small child.
2006-07-21 08:48:21 · answer #4 · answered by nanadebbie_nit 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
CALL CESAR on the Animal Planet. LOL Just kidding sounds like your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, They needs some training, If you can not afford then put dog in one area of house with Plenty of Water/Food make sure they can stay cool in Hot weather. The dog needs to be confined to one area of home. When you get off from work each day TAKE DOG FOR A WALK, Your dog has lots of ENERGY that needs to burn up.
2006-07-21 08:16:13 · answer #5 · answered by sweettoni37 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try asking your vet. There are certain drugs they can prescribe to calm down dogs who have thunder/noise phobias. Also, try a DAP diffuser. Oh, and get a large crate for him. Don't leave him outside, he will jump a fence or dig out.
If you can't handle the dog's fears anylonger, don't put him down. Contact your local Border Collie rescue. I'm sure you can find them on-line if you do a search.
2006-07-21 08:15:36 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Talk to your vet. Medications as well as behavior modification helps a lot in these dogs. There is a cost in time and money but it's most likey cheaper then a sercurity deposit.
2016-03-27 02:15:59 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have heard that crate training works. Gives the dog a place that he knows is his own safe space. He knows his boundries there and will learn that his crate will keep him safe. For more info, do some research at pet stores or on-line... good luck
2006-07-21 08:13:13 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to talk to a dog trainer about this. It's difficult to handle on your own, your dog needs to be "desensitized" to the loud noises that frighten it. It takes time and patience but it can be done and it's the best thing for your dog since it can seriously injure itself in it's panic. There is hope, please consider this before you put him down.
2006-07-21 08:13:02 · answer #9 · answered by dreamweaver_316 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get a kennel for him, or a cage with an area of about 10 feet. Or, you could try putting him outside in the yard and build a run for him.
2006-07-21 08:08:19 · answer #10 · answered by silver_saire 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋