Help, Please Storm Phobic Dog

[bianca.a]

Does anybody have any suggestions please. I am sitting here trying to type with my 2 year old German Shepherd on my lap.

We have storms here and she is shaking like a leaf and panting hard. She has had 3MG of Xanax (as per vet) and I have a T-shirt on her (tight). I don't know what else to do.

She never used to be bothered but we had a big storm on Wednesday and she freaked out then.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated please.

[sheena]

When nothing else works with my girl, I put her in her crate covered on three sides & put it where she can still see me. Sometimes she settles so well, she goes to sleep. :)

[fiona mills]

Agree with sheena, a covered crate and a thundershirt might make her feel more secure. As hard as it is you should try to ignore her behaviour not cuddle her.

[bianca.a]

Thank you both, I appreciate it :) I didn't even think of putting her in her crate. I will put her in there now.

[Jumabaar]

Agree with sheena, a covered crate and a thundershirt might make her feel more secure. As hard as it is you should try to ignore her behaviour not cuddle her.

From a previous thread

It is NOT the worst thing you can do! What you are seeing is an emotional response. It is not operative, therefore, it does not fall under the rules of the quadrants. You cannot reinforce it. I repeat, you cannot reinforce it. There is so much confusion around this and it drives me crazy because dogs suffer because people are too afraid to do anything lest they reinforce something that cannot be reinforced with rewards. Positive reinforcement creates a positive emotional state. Fear is a negative emotional state. They are antagonistic. One will win out. "Rewarding" fearful behaviour can only help change a fearful animal's emotional state to a positive one. The confusion I think lies in coddling. Lots of nervous energy around a dog that is already fearful does not make them feel better. Making baby sounds and cooing over them and so on may well make them worse, but not because it is rewarding. It just prepares them to feel frightened and arouses them so they become more reactive. Calm comforting will not make it worse. It probably won't make it better either, but I know dogs that it did help, my own being one of them. Some of us spent years stoically ignoring our fearful dogs because we thought it was best for them, only to try comforting as a last resort when they were old and we figured it couldn't get any worse. If your dog can't settle on their own, there is nothing at all wrong with comforting them if it calms them.

I believe in this- I dont give my dogs attention when they are reacting in a way I dont want but I do tell them ist normal and that if they want to come up for a cuddle its fine, just like its fine to come up and have a cuddle at any other time. I dont make scary incidents a 'special' time for them but I dont with hold attention.

ETA- just checking that the vet did a full exam and tried to rule out any physical reasons for the sudden reactivity?

Edited February 24, 2012 by Jumabaar

[german_shep_fan]

I don't have any suggestions Bianca but i hope you are able to find something to help poor miss Molly :)

[bianca.a]

She cried in her crate (hasn't done that since she was a pup) so she is back on the couch, but not on me!

Thanks Jumabaar.

I will take her to the vet on Monday, somebody else mentioned it could be the start of a thyroid issue? I only called into the vet this afternoon and it was a locum there.

[bianca.a]

I don't have any suggestions Bianca but i hope you are able to find something to help poor miss Molly :)

Thank you :)

[WoofnHoof]

I'm having this problem with our SV, she hates storms and always tries to escape, I crate her inside most days while I'm out and most of the time she is fine but I came home the other day after a big storm had gone through and she had gone beserk on the crate and bent the sides of it (it's quite a large strong crate and she's only a little dog but very very strong) and it looks like she had chipped a tooth on it there was blood around the front of the crate and she was very swollen around the nose from trying to force her way out

When I'm at home she is usually ok although she will try and escape and that's a big problem as she will ping off down the road. If I can catch it in time I give her a tranquiliser from the vet (I think it's ACE) but it's getting to be such a big problem at this time of year with so many storms around they blow through very quickly.

[Blackdogs]

Is she too nervous to eat?

If not, get the tastiest thing you can find and start feeding it. Incorporate some obedience if you can.

If she's ball motivated, try that, etc.

[indigirl]

I have a storm phobic golden. When there's a storm I put her thunder shirt on her, give her some rescue remedy and lock her in a crate then basically ignore her.Initially it took her a while to settle and I usually had to throw a blanket over the crate as well. After several years of doing this however, she rarely needs the thunder shirt and I only give rescue remedy if it's a really bad storm. All I need to do is lock her in a crate and she settles immediately.

Edited February 24, 2012 by indigirl

[wuffles]

We comfort our boy, it doesn't make him worse, he's scared and that's never going to change.

If he has a safe place close to us he will be ok.

[Kirty]

Drugs can sometimes make them more stressed too (depending on the type) because they feel confused or wobbly.

[Ons]

Drugs can sometimes make them more stressed too (depending on the type) because they feel confused or wobbly.

try first with drugs to see how your dog reacts

I had to do something with my golden, he hates storms too and reacts as bianca.a's dog does but he also became very agressive towards the other dogs. I got some drugs from the vet, having tried them i know how many to give them, they take the edge off him, and whilst he is still is a bit stressed he is not agressive, more he follows me around but not as frantically as he did

It's funny how dogs react in storms - my mum's cavalier is petrified of them and whilst she is a very clingy follow everywhere dog in storms she is the exact opposite, rushes outside, barks and barks and won't come when called where as Onsy my boy is a more independant fellow normally but in storms becomes Mr Cling-on and tries to climb on my lap at 42 kgs it's a bit difficult!

[bianca.a]

Thank you all so much for responding, I really appreciate it.

Blackdogs, yes she was too stressed to eat, wouldn't even take the peanut butter coated pills. I tried to do some OB with her nd the pup but she was just glued to me.

I tried to go to bed about 12.30 and I think the poor girl had the munchies! I shouldn't laugh but she was desperately trying to break into the cats room to get their food! So at 1am she had a meal and then she stopped trying to bust in. Then she wanted to go out, it was pouring and windy. I took her out and she wouldn't come in (sitting in the plants) so I picked her up and carried her in.

Kirty, that is a good point thank you. She did not act any worse after the pills though but I will ask my vet.

I think I will make a vet appointment for Monday to check her out, and see what I can do.

[mita]

Dogs seem to be individual with what works. I knew of one dog that was less stressed when put in a crate with loads of coverings making it into a cave.....& with a radio playing loudly next to it.

Lily, the tibbie girl next door is a real puzzle. She's terrified of storms & follows her 'mum' around from the first rumble, panting & terribly upset. They even make a 'cave' for her on the sofa, but she still trembles & is absolutely terrified.

BUT when she's dropped over the fence (yes, with a storm coming on), she changes instantly. She just runs around happily sniffing the grass.....then runs up onto our verandah deck where out tibbies have their day beds. She happily bounces around there (yes, with the storm on). No trembling, no worries as the storm rages. She'll even snooze.

We can't understand this. It's as if her attitude is.....'When I'm at home, I'm the resident dog & have to worry about storms. But when I'm next door, it's their dogs' problem. Nothing to do with me!'

Or is she just following the lead of our dogs who are not affected by storms?

Maybe it's only weird little Lily. But I wonder if context counts for any other dogs, too?

Best wishes finding something that works for Molly.

[Guest lavendergirl]

Dogs seem to be individual with what works. I knew of one dog that was less stressed when put in a crate with loads of coverings making it into a cave.....& with a radio playing loudly next to it.

Lily, the tibbie girl next door is a real puzzle. She's terrified of storms & follows her 'mum' around from the first rumble, panting & terribly upset. They even make a 'cave' for her on the sofa, but she still trembles & is absolutely terrified.

BUT when she's dropped over the fence (yes, with a storm coming on), she changes instantly. She just runs around happily sniffing the grass.....then runs up onto our verandah deck where out tibbies have their day beds. She happily bounces around there (yes, with the storm on). No trembling, no worries as the storm rages. She'll even snooze.

We can't understand this. It's as if her attitude is.....'When I'm at home, I'm the resident dog & have to worry about storms. But when I'm next door, it's their dogs' problem. Nothing to do with me!'

Or is she just following the lead of our dogs who are not affected by storms?

Maybe it's only weird little Lily. But I wonder if context counts for any other dogs, too?

Best wishes finding something that works for Molly.

Would it be because she is with other dogs and finds that comforting do you think?

[mita]

Would it be because she is with other dogs and finds that comforting do you think?

Could be. I've found tibbies to be a very 'tribal' breed.

I wonder if anyone else has found that a change of context works? It's so dramatic with Lily, who is an only dog.

She's the same with possums. Goes ballistic at her home at the the sight or sound of a possum. Here next door, she couldn't give a damn.

I wish Lily's 'remedy' could work so easily for other dogs like Molly.

[bianca.a]

That is really interesting Mita! Could it be perhaps that your dogs aren't phased so that influences her?

It would be just my luck that now we have the pup (who didn't raise a sleepy eyelid) that she is the opposite! :laugh:

I did actually contemplate chucking her in the car and going to visit my parents but to be honest I didn't really want to drive in that weather. Perhaps next time, I could take her next door and see how she goes. She plays with the Lhasa Apso (sp) all the time and he does not stress about thunder etc.

Edited February 25, 2012 by bianca.a

[Blackdogs]

Thank you all so much for responding, I really appreciate it.

Blackdogs, yes she was too stressed to eat, wouldn't even take the peanut butter coated pills. I tried to do some OB with her nd the pup but she was just glued to me.

I tried to go to bed about 12.30 and I think the poor girl had the munchies! I shouldn't laugh but she was desperately trying to break into the cats room to get their food! So at 1am she had a meal and then she stopped trying to bust in. Then she wanted to go out, it was pouring and windy. I took her out and she wouldn't come in (sitting in the plants) so I picked her up and carried her in.

Kirty, that is a good point thank you. She did not act any worse after the pills though but I will ask my vet.

I think I will make a vet appointment for Monday to check her out, and see what I can do.

Hah. Valium can increase appetite significantly in some dogs. I know I recently used it with one of mine and he became a food maniac, running around the house desperately searching for crumbs and trying to jump up on the kitchen counter! He's normally a very well behaved dog.