For the longest time that I've had my dog (he's a Shitzu), everytime it storms he has horrible panic attacks..

Question

and recently every time night we've had a storm. He runs around the house panting and shaking, straching at doors, crawling underbeds, peeing on the floor-but the back door where he would go to the bathroom-.
Usually he is really well mannered and doesn't crawl under things and use the house as a tiolet...

Why does he freak out everytime the weather changes?
And is there anything I can do to calm him? It makes me really sad when he starts to cry, everytime there is thunder.

Answer 1

okay i saw this on ceasar milans show . get a tape recording of a thunderstorm and turn it up as loud as you can for 5 days straight . the dog will be so used to it by then that it will be over being scared of the thunderstorms . it really works my chihuahua had the same problem and I used this method and it truly works . good luck.

Answer 2

There's quite a bit you can do. The most important thing you can do is not reinforce his fears by petting him, cuddling him and telling him it's OK. When you do that, you're basically telling him that his reaction is appropriate and justified. It is actually better for you to be upbeat and act normal and go about your normal activities. This tells him that the storms are not worrying you, so he shouldn't be worried either. So controlling your own reaction is actually very important.

This is the first step, but may not be enough to calm him if he is seriously scared. If he is crate trained, he may feel safer in his crate. If not, he may feel safer in an enclosed room and some dogs like to hide in closets. There are medications that your vet can prescribe that can reduce anxiety when you notice a storm coming on. Since he has such a hard time, that might be an option. Good luck.

Answer 3

Storm phobia is a very common problem. As others have suggested, try using Rescue Remedy and, if that doesn't help, a tranquilizer (many vets have prescribed acepromazine, but it actually heightens a dog's sensitivity to noise; Xanax or Valium is a better choice).

If hugging and cuddling with your dog helps, do it. You will not be reinforcing his fear. When dogs are this panicked, they are not in a state where they can learn anything. He just needs to know that he is safe. For times that you can't hold him, use an Anxiety Wrap. It applies pressure to appropriate places on the dog's body to calm him.

Answer 4

Althought it's a real problem, I had to smile at your posting. Over the years I've had a few dogs with storm phobias. Our first American Eskimo, Spike, we referred to as our arm pit dog because when he even suspected a storm was coming he would sit in your lap or crawl into bed and put his head under our arm pit to hide. Right now we have two token mixed breeds, Daisy and Franklin. Franklin is a Smooth Collie mix and he is terrified of storms. It's comical to see him in the kennel with our Eskies trying to bury himself under them when a storm is coming. Lightning and thunder just do him in!
I have a radio in the kennel and play it on a classical music station when storms are coming. If the storm is going to be really severe I bring Franklin in the house and put him in a crate with towels over the side vents and the door so it's dark. We also use some calming medication from the vet. At five years old, he's not going to outgrow it so we just manage it as best we can for his sake. Minor storms he has to tough it out in the kennel. The Eskies curl up in a pile around him which I find to be very interesting. It's almost as if they are protecting him.

Answer 5

I've had 2 dogs now who are afraid of thunder. It seems to be more prevalent in herding dogs and sight hounds but can affect any dog. It's though to be related to atmospheric pressures, it is NOT a fear the dog can help.

I used vet prescribed tranquilizers, but they leave the dog really, really dopey for too long a time. So what I use now is Bach's Flower Essences, Rescue Remedy. They're all natural, no bad side effects, they take about 20 minutes to start working. My dog's a 70 lb. greyhound and he gets 4 drops, so your little shihtzu would likely only need 1 drop (on the tongue). You can get it at some drug stores, health stores or from holistic vets.

The other thing that's helped my dogs a little is being able to squeeze themselves behind something like a chair - they seem to feel a little safer if they feel closed in. My greyhound's at the point now, where he feels more comfortable if he can cuddle with me - it's just enough to keep him from shaking himself to pieces. Should be worth a try for your dog - it'll help tremendously.

Answer 6

Something has gone amiss here. You will probably never find out just what! If you , and your son, want to keep the dog you must transfer all responsibility for it's care to your son. You really must take a back seat and let the son do it all. Feeding (by hand if necessary) Grooming. Exercising. Training. Picking up poo. The lot. The dog must become dependent on him for everything. Good luck

Answer 7

This is something a friend of mine had to deal with also. She tried herbal remedies as she isnt keen on vet prescribed sedatives. It's not an uncommon problem so there should be more pertinent information on the net.
One thing some people try is using static reducing laundry sheets on their pets coats pre-storm..as it is posited that the animal is being plagued by static electricity build up in the air.

Answer 8

I have a golden retriever and he does the same thing. It could be due to dog's heightened senses. I think it happens with many dogs and to calm him down just allow him to go wherever he feels he needs to and comfort him when he comes to you until the storm passes.

Answer 9

it must be a shih-tzu problem. Cause my dog is half shih-tzu and half poodle and she would freak out during storms. She would crawl behind the toilet and stay there. What we did: we would pull her out from under the toilet and just hold her while the storm was going on. And made those "shhhh" noises. I guess it helped cause now she just goes to sleep during storms.

Answer 10

I had a malamute with the same problem. Tell your vet about it. My vet gave me some happy pills for her. Whenever there was a storm, or on the 4th of July I gave one to her, and she calmed right down.