my friend's dog is scared of thunder, what will relief that just a little bit???

Question

i was looking for something besides pain, shots or medication, a special trick or something that she could teach him!

Answer 1

this worked for my grandfathers dog.get a cd of thunder noises.put the dog in a area where it feels secure and pet it and reward it every time it settles down.IT REALLY WORKS

Answer 2

A safetly spot like a kennel with the door left opened (or removed) and some towels with his scent on it for comfort. Also, no babying while he's being afraid of the thunder, or reaction to it. I know this sounds mean, but every time you act like the thunder is a big deal it becomes one to him. When our pup was younger and sensitive to such things we had two kennels, one in the bedroom and one in the main room. This would be wherever people in the house spend the most time; TV room, living room, or kitchen, etc. and when she got anxious we led her to the crate (I'll included link(s) below for help-although listed for pups, they work on adult dogs too) and simply left her there till the storm past, and didn't make any big deal of it. If the dog is new to a crate, the most important thing to know is that you don't PUT the dog in the crate, you LET to the dog enter the crate....this can take time if it's new to him. A favorite treat in the back with an open door, and you away form the crate is a good start. Let him go in by himself, and come out without fanfare the first few times. Then see if he will trust you standing near the crate with the same technique (this time praising him when he enters) , then gradually work up to calling the dog into the crate with a command, letting him SEE you putting the treat in the back. If he seems a little skittich, like darting our right away when he grabs the treat, keep calm until he understands you will not trap him in there. Hope that this little start helps.

Answer 3

Maeby's right. We've had two dogs at different times that were scared of thunder. They were ok if you were there, but not if home alone. We used to leave the basement door open with a comfy spot available, and that's where they would go. No more scratched up doors!

Answer 4

Does the dog have a kennel or a place where he feels secure? If so, chain him there when you notice a storm coming.

Otherwise, act like the thunder is no big deal. Don't fuss over him, and don't act like the thunder is anything to be concerned about. He will take his cue from you and settle down.

Good luck!

Answer 5

I have a greyhound who's afraid of thunder and I use Bach's Flower Essences, Rescue Remedy. It's all natural, doesn't have any of the side affects vet prescribed tranquilizers do, and is enough to calm him. It takes about 20 minutes to take effect. He gets 4 drops, you'd have to adjust the amount according to the size of your dog.

It's available at some drug stores, health stores and from holistic vets.

Answer 6

you can get recordings of thunder traffic etc just play it quietly in the backround and slowly up the volume the dog will get used to it. i dont agree with crating them up or chaining them up as this way they will never learn

Answer 7

I just waited it out. For my extreme cases I crated them during thunder storms to keep them from hurting themselves.

Answer 8

There is this special type of doggy 'coat'. I' don't rememeber exactly what it is called, but it relieves anxiety, because it wraps around him and does something special.

Answer 9

ask your vet to put your dog on Acepromozine. My dog is deathly afraid of thunderstorms and that is what he takes. it works great.