Any ideas on what to do about a dog with storm phobia?
Thursday, May 28th, 2009 at
7:23 am
eandmtravis asked:
I have a seven year old beagle, Simon. He is terrified of thunderstorms and I cannot calm him down. He pants, paces, drools, shakes, and whines. We keep him in the front part of the house when it storms, and he constantly scratches on the door and cries, it keeps us up all night. I’ve seen online some sort of cape or jacket for dogs to calm them down, and have also seen different medications do either of these work? HELP!!!!
I have a seven year old beagle, Simon. He is terrified of thunderstorms and I cannot calm him down. He pants, paces, drools, shakes, and whines. We keep him in the front part of the house when it storms, and he constantly scratches on the door and cries, it keeps us up all night. I’ve seen online some sort of cape or jacket for dogs to calm them down, and have also seen different medications do either of these work? HELP!!!!
Tagged with: Paces • Storm Phobia • Storms
Filed under: Phobias
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They do have a product called Comfort Zone that you can plug into your wall like a Glade plug in. It releases a calming enzyme (i think) into the air to help prevent your dog from having anxiety or stress. I haven’t personally tried it because I don’t have a need for it but I have heard good things. It is best not to try and comfort him with soft voices and extra attention because you are just enforcing the behavior and giving your dog a reason to be anxious. Try taking his mind away from the storm. Play with his favorite toys. Have him do tricks to get treats.
The best thing to do is try to hold him down under blankets beds any where it warm and safe to a dog.
give it a tranquilizer in a storm
Keep him inside with all the windows and doors shut and if possible the curtains drawn and make sure that the house is fairly active so that your dog isn’t totally focused on the storm. See your vet about medications.
You need to be gentle with a dog that is afraid of something. I have a German Shepherd who is petrified of thunder and fireworks, she scratches at the door and tries to jump through our windows. The only thing I would recommend is letting them be inside with the family and putting on a calm composure, it will most likely work. Pet them and say loving words to them, just make them feel safe. Maybe the reason they act that way is because they want to make sure their humans are safe.
you can get sedatives to give to your pooch during bad storms to make them fall asleep…very harmless. Talk to the vet!
check out the anxiety wrap on the Internet
the most reported “lost” situation to shelters and pounds and so on is after a storm or fire works very very common just keep inside
you should call your vet, they have a medication named ace that calms them down, we always prescibed that to our patients with Astraphobia or Astrapophobia- Fear of thunder and lightning.(Ceraunophobia, Keraunophobia)! so i recommend calling your vet and stating your problem and he should prescribe your dog some ‘ace’. good luck and hope all goes well
I am pretty sure there is no cure but if you go towww.weather.com and create a page you will be able to find out about it. i dont think it is curable
there is a cd that has different noises everything from storms to trucks and the sound of a mail man or delivery boy. used on a regular basis it is supposed to help desensetise ( i know spelt wrong) the dogs. My weim had a real bad fear of storms and for years it was always a lil tranq. I found the cd and worked the program and it work. Took hard work and perserverance but it worked. Good luck
I actually cured my lab of this, by accident really.
I took her for a walk, in all the storm’s fury to an exposed location with a rundown old house. I then calmly sat down on the rickety porch, lit a cigarette and read my book.
In the interim, I had leashed the dog to the railing, within reach, but with no where to hide, and ignored her.
We stayed until she had settled down and relaxed to the point of laying down for 15 minutes straight.
I wonder at times if the first time they freak out if it is OUR reaction to their fear that reinforces that this is a fight or flight situation.
Perhaps if instead we simply ignored it, and displayed our contempt for something so silly as a storm that this would translate enough to make the dog LESS fearful. I suspect that most folk start to worry and fret that the dog will be upset, and this translates to the dog, basically teaching that storms are things to be frightened of.
Now there are several prescription meds available, and some have reported success with Bach’s Rescue Remedy, but before drugging the dog (and attaching another scary thing to the storm scenario) perhaps showing them that storms do not concern you in the least is the better option.
Good luck
READ the book “Marley and ME’ if you dont trust me but . the people in that book have a labrodor who destoryed their house becuase he was so scared. aks your vet, they might have some calming pills.
and theres not alot you cna do about it. but think of it in this way, if you were a dog and you were really small and theres a lot of loud noise and its stormy and all your owners do is stick you in a room to fend for you self and your absolutly terrified and they dotn do anything. how would you feel. if there is sno solution comfort you dog, i mean your the one who has to take care of this dog, if it was a child you wouldnt leave it alone in a room whinning all night you would go and comfort him/her.
do the same for your dog.
Helping Your Dog Overcome the Fear of Thunder and Other Startling Noises
It’s not uncommon for dogs to be frightened of thunder, firecrackers or other loud sounds. These types of fears may develop even though your dog has had no traumatic experiences associated with the sound. Many fear-related problems can be successfully resolved. However, if left untreated, your dog’s fearful behavior will probably get worse.
The most common behavior problems associated with fear of loud noises are destruction and escaping. When your dog becomes frightened, she tries to reduce her fear. She may try to escape to a place where the sounds of thunder or firecrackers are less intense. If, by leaving the yard or going into a certain room or area of the house, she feels less afraid, then the escape or destructive behavior is reinforced because it successfully lessens her fear. For some dogs, just the activity or physical exertion associated with one of these behaviors may be an outlet for their anxiety. Unfortunately, escape and/or destructive behavior can be a problem for you and could also result in physical injury to your dog.
Things that are present in the environment whenever your dog hears the startling noise can, from her viewpoint, become associated with the frightening sound. Over a period of time, she may become afraid of other things in the environment that she associates with the noise that frightens her. For example, dogs that are afraid of thunder may later become afraid of the wind, dark clouds and flashes of light that often precede the sound of thunder. Dogs that are afraid of firecrackers may become afraid of the children who have the firecrackers or may become afraid to go in the backyard, if that’s where they usually hear the noise.
What You Can Do To Help
Create A Safe Place: Try to create a safe place for your dog to go to when she hears the noises that frighten her. But remember, this must be a safe location from her perspective, not yours. Notice where she goes, or tries to go, when she’s frightened, and if at all possible, give her access to that place. If she’s trying to get inside the house, consider installing a dog door. If she’s trying to get under your bed, give her access to your bedroom. You can also create a “hidey-hole” that’s dark, small and shielded from the frightening sound as much as possible (a fan or radio playing will help block out the sound). Encourage her to go there when you’re home and the thunder or other noise occurs. Feed her in that location and associate other “good things” happening to her there. She must be able to come and go from this location freely. Confining her in the “hidey-hole” when she doesn’t want to be there will only cause more problems. The “safe place” approach may work with some dogs, but not all. Some dogs are motivated to move and be active when frightened and “hiding out” won’t help them feel less fearful.
Distract Your Dog: This method works best when your dog is just beginning to get anxious. Encourage her to engage in any activity that captures her attention and distracts her from behaving fearfully. Start when she first alerts you to the noise and is not yet showing a lot of fearful behavior, but is only watchful. Immediately try to interest her in doing something that she really enjoys. Get out the tennis ball and play fetch (in an escape-proof area) or practice some commands that she knows. Give her a lot of praise and treats for paying attention to the game or the commands. As the storm or the noise builds, you may not be able to keep her attention on the activity, but it might delay the start of the fearful behavior for longer and longer each time you do it. If you can’t keep her attention and she begins acting afraid, stop the process. If you continue, you may inadvertently reinforce her fearful behavior.
Behavior Modification: Behavior modification techniques are often successful in reducing fears and phobias. The appropriate techniques are called “counter-conditioning” and “desensitization.” This means to condition or teach your dog to respond in non-fearful ways to sounds and other stimuli that previously frightened her. This must be done very gradually. Begin by exposing her to an intensity level of noise that doesn’t frighten her and pair it with something pleasant, like a treat or a fun game. Gradually increase the volume as you continue to offer her something pleasant. Through this process, she’ll come to associate “good things” with the previously feared sound.
Example:
Make a tape with firecracker noises on it.
Play the tape at such a low volume that your dog doesn’t respond fearfully. While the tape is playing, feed her dinner, give her a treat or play her favorite game.
In your next session, play the tape a little louder while you feed her or play her favorite game.
Continue increasing the volume through many sessions over a period of several weeks or months. If at any time while the tape is playing, she displays fearful behavior, STOP. Begin your next session at a lower volume – one that doesn’t produce anxiety – and proceed more slowly.
If these techniques aren’t used correctly, they won’t be successful and can even make the problem worse.
For some fears, it can be difficult to recreate the fear stimulus. For example, thunder is accompanied by changes in barometric pressure, lightening and rain, and your dog’s fearful response may be to the combination of these things and not just the thunder. You may need professional assistance to create and implement this kind of behavior modification program.
Consult Your Veterinarian: Medication may be available which can make your dog less anxious for short time periods. Your veterinarian is the only person who is licensed and qualified to prescribe medication for your dog. Don’t attempt to give your dog any over-the-counter or prescription medication without consulting your veterinarian. Animals don’t respond to drugs the same way people do, and a medication that may be safe for humans could be fatal to your dog. Drug therapy, alone, won’t reduce fears and phobias permanently, but in extreme cases, behavior modification and medication used together might be the best approach.
What Not To Do
Attempting to reassure your dog when she’s afraid may reinforce her fearful behavior. If you pet, soothe or give treats to her when she’s behaving fearfully, she may interpret this as a reward for her fearful behavior. Instead, try to behave normally, as if you don’t notice her fearfulness.
Putting your dog in a crate to prevent her from being destructive during a thunderstorm is not recommended. She’ll still be afraid when she’s in the crate and is likely to injure herself, perhaps even severely, while attempting to get out of the crate.
Don’t punish your dog for being afraid. Punishment will only make her more fearful.
Don’t try to force your dog to experience or be close to the sound that frightens her. Making her stay close to a group of children who are lighting firecrackers will only make her more afraid, and could cause her to become aggressive in an attempt to escape from the situation.
Obedience classes won’t make your dog less afraid of thunder or other noises, but could help boost her general confidence.