Is Your Dog Afraid of Storms? by Roshana Ariel
This past week, we've had a number of storms throughout the night. Usually, I sleep through them, unless they're very noisy. But when I awake in the morning, I see my little Sammy, my Lhassa-Poo, has come upstairs to sleep next to my bed. My little puppy is afraid of storms.
Actually, he's really improved. He used to high-tail it upstairs and jump in my bed, startling me. He'd scamper across the bed, attempting to get under the pillows, shaking and trembling, sometimes pooping in my bed.
Gotta love that.
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I'd never had a dog that was so terrified of storms. My older dog, a cocker mutt, doesn't mind rain or thunder or lightning or snow or any kind of weather. But if there's a particularly loud boom, the kind that makes you jump, even Roby will slither into the room where I am. He doesn't freak out, but he wants to at least be in the same room, just in case.
But I think Sammy can feel the storm coming long before I even notice it. Maybe he can feel the shift in air pressure. Or perhaps his ears are just better than mine, and he's hearing the thunder a long way off.
What do you do when your dog is afraid of storms? Do you hold her and cuddle her? Do you let her get into bed with you?
That's what I used to do. I'd let Sammy jump in bed, and I'd hold him and tell him not to worry and try to calm him, but it really didn't matter what I did. He was inconsolable. |
one day I learned that that's the worst thing you can do, because you're reinforcing the idea that trembling and being afraid of a storm is good. What we should do is reward behavior that is calm in the presence of storms or other loud noises.
So go ahead and let him tremble, let him find a safe place, maybe under a table or in his crate, and be reassuring; but don't pick him up, don't cuddle, don't protect. Just act like everything is OK, and go about your business.
Here's another tip: get a recording of a storm and play it softly while you're playing with your dog so that she'll get used to the sound. Give treats every time there's a thunder clap if your dog continues to play or shows signs of coping rather than trembling or running.
The bed is off limits to Sammy now. Time after time, I would gently put him back on the floor and pet him and tell him it's OK, and then leave him alone to cope on the floor. He doesn't even try to jump on the bed anymore. He usually doesn't even wake me up. I just find him sleeping next to my bed the next morning.
I have to admit, he has woken me a couple of times trying to get INSIDE my night stand. The weirdo thinks there's room for him right behind my books. Of course, there's not, but a couple of times I awoke to him shuffling through the books and papers trying to get in there where it appeared safe.
But that happened a couple of years ago. He's gotten a lot better since then. He still gets scared, but he's dealing with it much better now.
About the Author
Roshana Ariel is a longtime writer and copy editor. She has created a website for her dogs (and dog lovers) called Love Those Doggies: www.love-those-doggies.com. She also enjoys traveling, and has a website on China travel: www.adventuresinchinatravel.com
Thank you for using 4Dog Info for information on storm fear.
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