Like many pet parents who have dogs with thunderstorm phobias, I often know a storm is brewing long before there are any noticeable signs on the horizon. It first starts with my dog Delilah pacing the floor, then continues with panting, whining, shaking, and jumping on top of me as her anxiety grows stronger. This is hard to ignore with an 80 pound German Shepherd dog.
Thunderstorm phobias range from mild to extreme and seem to worsen as a pet ages. Dealing with thunderstorm phobias can be stressful for both dogs and their owners, but there are options available to help pets cope with this fear.
Why do dogs have phobias of thunderstorms?J ust like us, animals may be frightened by certain things, like thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are loud and may startle your dog making them fearful the next time one approaches. Just as children learn to fear something that is adverse, dogs will also find situations to fear resulting in a similar fearful response.
How does a dog know a thunderstorm is coming?
Dogs
have a very keen sense of hearing which is greater than humans. This
may be one reason why dogs are aware of thunderstorms long before their
owners are.
Having a fur coat, dogs are very aware of static
electricity in the air. When a dog senses a change in static
electricity in the air, when a storm approaches, it can alert them to a
storm coming.
What can be done to minimize a dog’s stress during thunderstorms?
Provide a safe place
If
a storm is approaching bring your dog indoors before the storm starts.
If possible, during a thunderstorm, set your dog up in a room where it
is quiet and dark to make them more comfortable. They will feel more
secure having things around them that make them more at ease, like
their favourite bed and toys.
Try pheromone therapy
Pheromones,
which are the natural feel-good chemicals that bring on certain
behaviours in animals and people, can be paramount when helping dogs
cope with thunderstorm anxiety. Specific pheromones called Dog
Appeasing Pheromones (DAP) can be purchased from your veterinarian in a
spray bottle format for use as needed or as a plug-in diffuser which
lasts for 30 days.
Desensitize your dog to thunderstorms
Retraining
your dog to like thunderstorms can be a long process, but it can be a
rewarding exercise. Playing a CD of thunderstorms, on a very low volume
to start, and pairing the sound of thunderstorms with something your
dog enjoys, like a favourite toy, treats, or praise can help them to
learn that something positive will come out of a thunderstorm
occurrence. This process takes a long time and involves many sessions
of positively rewarding your dog for normal behaviour while hearing the
storm sounds in the background. Over many training sessions you can
increase the volume of the CD until your dog recognizes that
thunderstorms mean something enjoyable is going to occur instead of
something unfavourable.
Anti-anxiety and sedative medications
For
severe cases anti-anxiety or sedative medications may need to be
prescribed by your veterinarian. These medications are specifically
designed for pets to help decrease stress and anxiety and allow them to
relax. When used with behavioural retraining these medications can
have great success in overcoming thunderstorm phobias.
