my dog is VERY VERY scared of thunderstorm.. he pants and shakes uncontrolby,,, any suggestions?

Answer 1

My little Daschund that I had was like that he'd come running inside at the first sound of thunder of fireworks and the sound of someone shooting a shotgun. I always let him come inside when we'd get a rough thunderstorm.

Answer 2

NO!!! what chrisamethyst is saying is COMPLETELY wrong! you can't reward your dog with cuddles or sotthing speech when there is a thunderstorm. That just gives the pet more of an incentive to pant or shake. That behavior actually says that thunderstorms are bad, and that it should be afraid of it. Instead just get a tape of storm noises and play it at a low volume, reward him for being relaxed. Gradually increase the volume and reward accordingly. If he shakes, pay no attention. I have a shizoodle and she is TERRIFIED of storms.I am up now at 4 am because she shakes right on my side...

Answer 3

My dog does the same thing. I went to the pet store and bought my dog some chew tablets that relax dogs and relieves stress. They work. Just don't buy the liquid ones cause they have alcohol in them. So during a thunderstorm, stay home with him and give him a few of those tablets (as directed on bottle), and another good thing to do also is to turn on some music to kind of drown out the noise of the thunder. Distracting him with toys and treats also helps on top of the rest of the things I suggested. Hope it helps! Best wishes.

Answer 4

First of all, you should act calm and unconcerned like nothing unusual is happening. If you make a fuss (oh poor baby), it validates to the dog that something is indeed wrong. The more nonchalant and upbeat you are, the better. Also there is an herbal formula called Rescue Remedy that does work and give some relief. Let him hide in a closet or dark room if that is comforting. If all that fails, see the vet, they can prescribe sedatives as a very last resort.

Answer 5

My Aussie had this problem; it got worse throughout his life, and holding him didn't help. I have heard that rescue remedy can be very helpful (also for fireworks on the 1st of Jan and the 4th of July), but another suggestion is to bang on a pot with a spoon every time you feed your dog. Start out softly, with barely any noise at all, and after a week (or after he doesn't notice any more) ratchet the noise level up. Make it louder bit by bit until he thinks 'food!' when he hears loud bangs rather than 'monsters!'

Answer 6

You should for sure not baby your dog during a thunder storm. I know it seems mean, but this just reinforces the behavior. Remember, you are his/her pack leader and he looks to you to see what is happening.
Some things you can do are, ignore him until the storm goes away or he calms down.
On a nice day, start playing special effects cd's while your their, first quietly then louder until he gets used to it.
Sometimes, benedryl will make them sleepy enough to relax. (check with your vet first)
But really, if your dog is totally freaking out, he could hurt himself, ruin your house or make himself very sick. So if it is this bad, take him to a vet for some meds. It's very common, so don't feel bad!

Answer 7

Comforting a frightened dog only reinforces the fear. Ignore him. Give him a quiet room to hide in. Rescue Remedy is very good, as are some other herbal and homeopatic remedies (we use them in our boarding kennel--they are very safe and effective). For severe cases where the dog may jump through a window or otherwise injure itself, the vet can prescribe sedatives.

Answer 8

The worst thing you can do for a thunder-phobic dog is to try to hold it, pet it, or redirect it. Frightened dogs are operating in their "brain stem"; they're going on nothing but instinct and adrenalin. Trying to reason with the dog is impossible; and mollycoddling it only reinforces its fear. (The dog thinks you're telling it that it's okay to be frightened, or that there really is something to be worried about).

At our shelter we give the dogs Rescue Remedy or other floral essence draughts made specifically for thunder-phobic dogs. (They act like a mild tranquilizer.) We let the dogs go hide in whatever dark room they feel safest, and IGNORE them until the storm is over and they feel like coming out.

Answer 9

Do NOT have his vocal chords cut. That is cruel & inhuman punishment.
DO take your dog to the vet, get Rescue Remedy (a great solution) and have the vet prescribe a sedative.
Try Rescue Remedy first.. If that doesnt work, use the sedative. We have psycho dogs in our family that rip down doors, jump out windows and break out of crates when it rains. Heck, it doesnt have to rain, just lightning and thunder will do it.

Answer 10

We just had a thunderstorm here. One of my dogs are very scared and she goes in my sons room. I really do not know what to do about dogs that are scared.