My dog goes crazy during thunderstorms. What can I do to make him calm down?

Answer 1

My dog and previous dogs have this same problem, I think it's due to the sensitive hearing of the animals hence the constant ruraling of thunder in the distance in the backround. Here is a clip from Pat Miller dog trainer and writer for whole journal discusses this topic of canine anxiety- it should help..

"The complex of fear-related behaviors includes fears, anxieties, and phobias. While they are closely related emotional responses, they differ significantly in several ways, including the presence or absence of a physical trigger, the intensity of the dog’s response, and the ease with which the emotional response and related dog behaviors can be modified. In general, these three conditions can be among the most difficult of behavioral problems to treat.

Fear is defined as a feeling of apprehension associated with the presence or proximity of an object, individual, or social situation. It’s a valuable, adaptive emotion, necessary for survival and appropriate in many situations. It’s good to be afraid of grizzly bears, tornados, and semi-trucks skidding out of control on icy highways. Your dog is wise to fear the flashing heels of a galloping horse, strong waves crashing on an ocean beach, the spinning wheels of a passing car. People and animals who feel no fear are destined to live short lives.

Anxiety is the distress or uneasiness of mind caused by apprehensive anticipation of future danger or misfortune, real or imagined. Anxious dogs appear tense, braced for a threat they can’t adequately predict, sometimes one that doesn’t actually even exist. Anxiety can be a chronic condition, one that significantly impairs a dog’s (and owner’s) quality of life, and one that can be more challenging to modify than the fear of a real and present danger.

Phobias are persistent, extreme, inappropriate fear or anxiety responses, far out of proportion to the level or nature of threat presented. They are stubbornly resistant to modification through habituation or desensitization – repeated low-level exposure to the stimulus that causes the extreme response. While inappropriate in degree, a phobic response is not totally irrational – it is usually directed toward something that could be harmful. Common human phobias are related to snakes, spiders, high places, flying – all things that have the potential to be life-threatening. In reality, the majority of snakes and spiders are relatively harmless, it’s rare for humans to accidentally nosedive off a skyscraper, and only a tiny percentage of airplanes ever crash. Common canine phobias include extreme reactions to thunderstorms and other sounds, fear of humans, and inappropriate response to novel stimuli (anything new and different)."

--gets bit off topic but not bad info for the overall subject matter.

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/

Answer 2

Ask your vet for a prescription of Acepromazine, which is a sedative. You would need to give the prescribed dose (depending on the size of the dog), about 1 to 2 hours before an event (such as a thunderstorm or an anxiety filled car ride, trip to the vet or to the groomers) so that the sedative can begin to work. It works quicker BEFORE the anxiety starts. So with a thunderstorm, if you hear that there's a chance of one in your area, you'd have to give it. It can't hurt him, he'll be sedated (but not totally out of it, just the edge taken off) for about 6 - 8 hours, depending on the amount you give. Always start with the smallest dose first, and work up from there. Your veterinarian can give you more information on this and possibly other options that you can use. Dogs being afraid of t-storms is pretty common and I"m sure he'll have options for you if you don't want to go the mediation route.

Answer 3

Your natural response is to try and soothe the dog but that actually makes him more afraid of the noise. He thinks the noise is a bad thing when you try to comfort him. A better way is to associate the storm noise with play time. When the storm first hits, find your dog's favorite toy and play with him. React to the thunder noise as if it's a fun part of the game. Have fun with the dog and be happy during the storm. He'll eventually learn that loud noises aren't so bad because it means playtime with mom.

Of course, you can always get puppy valium from your vet, but it works best if you give it to him a few hours ahead of the storm, which may not be practical.

Answer 4

I am a dog groomer in australia and the best thing for dogs who are scared of loud noises like fireworks and thunder use rescue remedy you buy in any health shop for humans depending on your dog size small dogs 2 drops on they tongue or 5 drops in there water bowl if you know a storm is coming this product is 100% natural made by flower extracts it's used to calm people with panic attacks. Camomile tea in there water bowl works as well but not as good. hope this helps.you can get a book called (new choices in natural healing for cats and dogs by Amy D Shojai)

Answer 5

First of all, and I know this is hard because I have 2 dogs that completely FREAK during storms - but you cannot hold and cuddle them and tell them its okay because by giving affection when they are acting that way, you are rewarding them for their actions. At the first sign of anxious behavior, you need to redirect their mind with something else. You want to correct the behavior, not perpetuate it. Give them a gentle command to correct the behavior and when they act more calmly, reward them. But ONLY when they are acting in a manner that is acceptable. I have been doing this consistently and my dogs are getting better. We're not all the way there yet, but it takes time. Do you watch Cesar Milan? The Dog Whisperer? The man is a genius at understanding dogs and knowing how to correct unwanted behavior. Read his books, check his website. And good luck with your dog.

Answer 6

i'm uncertain what puppy Calm is. you may pass to your interior of reach wellness nutrients save and get Rescue treatment or Calming Essence. those are created from flower essences. you may the two positioned a drop or 2 on your dogs tongue, upload some drops to their water on days you be attentive to a hurricane is coming or get an amber bottle with a dropper. i like the final suggestion of all 3. positioned spring water into the bottle and upload 3 drops of the essence to the water. you may supply them a dropper complete or 2 while a hurricane is coming. I had a dogs I had to supply 3 to, yet he might pass lie down quietly after that.

Answer 7

Well you could acquire a recording of thunder and play it for you dog at low volume to start with and gradually increase volume day to day until your dog thinks nothing of the sound. It is far better than drugging your animal and just as effective if done consistently over time.

Answer 8

The loud, abrupt noise that thunder or fireworks make is something strange to a dog and they don't understand it. They don't know why and how it is made or why it is there. All they know is that it is a foreign, deafening sound and definitely not part of their normal life. Check out this page on my website about dogs and their fear of thunder and other loud noises.

http://www.standardpoodlesusa.com/thunder.html

Answer 9

I have two that are afraid of thunder. I used to cuddle them and tell them that it was aright. They got worse. They'd sit at my feet and drool and shake.
I started to ignore them during storms or just talk to them normally. I have seen great improvement in my two. They still don't like the storms , but are far less afraid.

Answer 10

Play his favorite game with him. He'll learn to associate fun, quality time with you during storms instead of being scared.

My 80# golden and I curl up on the futon.