PoppyDog Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 So Poppy (CKCS x) is 2 years old and has never particularly liked storms. She's never liked going out in the rain and the thunder seems to bother her but I've noticed that during the past few months her fear seems to have gotten worse. Right now she is on the couch, lying next to me ... and I mean RIGHT next to me shivering. She pops her head up and looks around each time it thunders. She has also tried to burry her head under my arms in an effort the hide her head away. Her heart is beating fast and at times she pants. So how do I "fix" (for lack of a better word) this? What can I do to make her less fearful of storms? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 Apparently THUNDERSHIRTS can help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 There isnt much u can do, my last 2 dogs were terrified of storms, Mason wasnt too scared as a younger dog but now at nearly 3 ge is very scared. Gibbs isnt scared atm but maybe when he gets older he will be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoppyDog Posted December 11, 2011 Author Share Posted December 11, 2011 Thanks - Will look at those! Is it okay to cuddle and reassure etc or is that just cementing the fear? Someone once told me that showing a dog affections and reassurance when they are afriad only lets them know that there must in fact be something to be scared of? Is this true? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I'm mean.. ;) I dose mine up with rescue remedy, and let them go to their beds to wait it out. Life just carries on as normal around them . ( dogs & humans rarely sit together on furniture anyway ) ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeamSnag Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 Mine also get locked away an i put music on in their room lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumabaar Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 Here are some links to threads on this topic. Yes it is possible to assist them and you can not reinforce an emotion so spending time with your dog is not going to reinforce them being scared of storms. http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/228793-do-thundershirts-work/page__view__findpost__p__5560674 http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/227842-if-your-dog-flys-under-the-coffee-table-and-lays-there-shaking-in-fear-because-of-thunder/page__view__findpost__p__5531180 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animal House Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 Thundershirt is one option (you can try wrapping a tshirt or something similar firmly around her chest/under front legs to give you an idea if it will comfort her) I've also heard good things about CALM, a supplement you give with their food daily....made by PetArk, and K9 Pro sell it online. Quite reasonable cost, around $10 a month for a medium dog given daily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PoppyDog Posted December 11, 2011 Author Share Posted December 11, 2011 (edited) What's rescue remedy? WHere can I get it and how much do I need to give... Poppy is 12 kg. I don't want to go straight to medication but I have never seen her so stressed! She started crying towards the end of the storm and is now curled in a ball RIGHT next to me. She isn't shaking of panting so that's good. I wonder why she is suddenly so afraid of storms. Oh and I tried wrapping a shirt around her like suggested. She hated it and this is when the crying started. She's never been a fan of coats either so perhaps the thundershirt isn't going to be for her. Edited December 11, 2011 by PoppyDog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 DR.Bach's Rescue remedy is available from pharmacies/health food stores..and is not a 'medication' as such,-it is a flower essence - something like a homeopathic potion . A little dog like Poppy would only need a drop , either on her gums, or on some bare skin ..every 20 mins or so, when things are bad. It's also very useful for stressed owners ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowenhart Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 My dogs are normally don't notice storms but I had another dog staying and I saw she was stressed out by them. I decided on the next storm to put on a "storm party". A bit of music, me being silly laughing and being an idiot and treats for tricks with all the other dogs. It was storming regularly, so we had lots of "storm parties" in the kitchen. She never fully joined in like the rest but seemed a lot happier in herself with the distractions. She was nowhere near as stressed when the storms started up and the other dogs were "yesss storm parteeee" She has since gone back to her owners. I don't like to coo over them in these instances. That seems to just make things worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascalmyshadow Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 One of my dogs is terrible with storms, we have just started to use Xanax with excellent results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bianca.a Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 Molly has never been phased by storms but last night and todays thunderstorms were so bad, she was quite freaked. I gave her rescue remedy and she goes and sleeps under the bed (which is no mean feat for her to fit under!). She slept it off and is fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TangerineDream Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 (edited) I've always taught my dogs not to be scared of storms (being a stormchaser means that you have to have dogs that deal with them....) - this is the method that I have used with all my dogs with so much success that they used to rush to the fridge if the air pressure dropped... buy a slab / roll of dog's most totally favourite food (Tegan's was cheese, Cadence's was salami, Tango didn't care because he'd been exposed to storms for the fisrt 21 days of his life so he thought they were normal)...the minute you hear a vague rumble and dog starts to get nervous, head to fridge, get out favourite food with dog standing by, make a big deal of cutting into lots of peices (feel free to overfeed) and everytime there is a rumble, slip a bit of the favourite food to the dog.....no reassurance, no patting, just the giving of treats.....then, if you can and your dog is focussed enough on the favourite food, you can go and sit outside on the verandah or in the garage with dog and favourite food, and without saying a word, just keep feeding bits of favourite food on a regular basis all through the storm...and when the storm is over, go and play your dogs favourite game for a few minutes.........then end on a high note...congratulate dog with enthusiasm....and wait till next time - repeat process...... has worked for my dogs and the dog over the back fence who used to escape everytime there was a storm... Lots of luck!!! (and patience) Edited December 11, 2011 by TangerineDream Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lavendergirl Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 I've always taught my dogs not to be scared of storms (being a stormchaser means that you have to have dogs that deal with them....) - this is the method that I have used with all my dogs with so much success that they used to rush to the fridge if the air pressure dropped... buy a slab / roll of dog's most totally favourite food (Tegan's was cheese, Cadence's was salami, Tango didn't care because he'd been exposed to storms for the fisrt 21 days of his life so he thought they were normal)...the minute you hear a vague rumble and dog starts to get nervous, head to fridge, get out favourite food with dog standing by, make a big deal of cutting into lots of peices (feel free to overfeed) and everytime there is a rumble, slip a bit of the favourite food to the dog.....no reassurance, no patting, just the giving of treats.....then, if you can and your dog is focussed enough on the favourite food, you can go and sit outside on the verandah or in the garage with dog and favourite food, and without saying a word, just keep feeding bits of favourite food on a regular basis all through the storm...and when the storm is over, go and play your dogs favourite game for a few minutes.........then end on a high note...congratulate dog with enthusiasm....and wait till next time - repeat process...... has worked for my dogs and the dog over the back fence who used to escape everytime there was a storm... Lots of luck!!! (and patience) How do they cope if you are not there when a storm hits and unable to give treats? To the OP - some behaviourists don't believe that showing affection when a dog is frightened is bad and in fact is comforting to the dog. I think you should just go with your instinct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin-Genie Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 (edited) Do thundershirts work on dogs who want to go out and bark at the sound of thunder and don't try and hide? My elkhound does that. He doesn't want to be comforted. And no treats can distract him when he is in this mode. I normally keep him inside, use "thunderpetics' drops and play classical music. But I was wondering if there was anyhting else. He is much better now and doesn't get bothered by minor thunderstorms. But we have had some pretty bad ones recently. Also, the actual storm or the lightening doesn't bother him. It's just the sound of thunder that sets him off. Though he is not bothered by other loud noises such as aeroplanes, helicopters, drills, lawnmowers etc. Edited December 11, 2011 by Odin-Genie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 What I don't get with a Thundershirt, what do you do when you're not home and a storm rolls in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted December 11, 2011 Share Posted December 11, 2011 (edited) The second my dog knows a storm is coming he is too stressed to take treats My boy is now 7 and he is getting worse as he gets older, getting to the point where we may consider medicating. I'd say just try to find what works for your dog. His favourite place to go is under the computer desk, so when a storm is coming we set up his "hovel" so that it's nice and cosy and turn on the fan which drowns out some of the noise. We put the radio on if it's day time as well. Then on goes his Thundershirt, he's led to his spot, comforted for a few minutes until his eyes stop glazing over and he relaxes slightly, then we leave him there and continue with our business. If the storms are huge and nasty we need to comfort him the whole time. Much harder when we're not home Edit: Mine is only frightened by the thunder too. If I play a tape of thunder he doesn't care. When we're not home obviously the Thundershirt doesn't go on, as far as we know he hides in his kennel with our other dog. Edited December 11, 2011 by wuffles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lavendergirl Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 What I don't get with a Thundershirt, what do you do when you're not home and a storm rolls in? I guess people rely on weather forecasts - always so reliable don't you know :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Animal House Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 (edited) Here is a link to the supplement that people have had great results with. LINK TO CALM Is your pet one of these... Vet hater? Rug wrecker? Furniture tackler? Neurotic cleaner? Obsessive possessive stalker? Bed wetter? Bad traveller? Vacuum cleaner freaker? Antisocial biter? Doggy obedience nutter? Or just plain SCARED?? Speak to PetArk's helpful team about this product and helpful tips to assist you AND your stressed pet! Make a difference to your dog or cat's day by reducing their level of stress naturally. PetArk Calm assists in the maintenance of normal muscle and nerve function and contains a range of nutrients that have a role in assisting the transmission of nerve impulses. This product contains: Natural Liver Flavouring; Magnesium Phosphate; L-Tryptophan; Passion Flower; Hops; Chamomile; Vitamin B6; Vitamin B3; Vitamin B1; Vitamin B2; Vitamin B12 Dosage: PetArk Calm can be fed every day to reduce stress levels. Powder should be mixed with food once a day or as directed. Cat 1/4 spoon. Small Dog (under 10kg) 1/4 spoon; Medium Dog (10-25kg) Large Dog (over 25kg) 1 spoon; 1/2 spoon; Did you know that PetArk Calm can be used just when needed? You can give it to your FREAKED OUT pet before travelling in the car, or on New Years Eve! Edited December 12, 2011 by Bite Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now