When suddenly your dog is afraid of storms

Debi

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#1
ok, I don't mean just 'afraid'...but in a sheer panic. Addie is 3 yrs. old and just now decided she is totally afraid of thunder...and lightening..OMG. She has always slept outside. She have never been around anyone to pick up their stress...so why suddenly would she be so scared??? I thought perhaps she was shocked or something by her metal chain...but now she isn't ever chained because of the new dog pen. Problem is...Hammie, at 5 mos., is picking up her stress. I've given her benedryl IF I know the storm is coming..but not here yet. Well, you can't do that every time you 'think' a storm is coming. I've tried bringing her in....I can't comfort her at all. She is so scared and will go crazy trying to hide..anywhere. They are usually always with me..but the times they have to be out is so sad to hear her howl (as only huskies do) and freak out. I know this may not be a 'training' subject...but I didn't know where to post for suggestions. THANKS...I really appreciate your opinions. :) (oops...see some grammar typos..yikes!) I had heard of putting a tee shirt on the dog........well she said 'NO WAY!'
 
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#2
I've never been able to convince a dog to give up being afraid of thunder. I just realized that anytime I was going to be gone and there was a chance of a storm coming up I needed to leave whichever dog was afraid in the house. I have no idea why they become afraid of storms, any more than I have any idea why I suddenly developed a horror of heights.

My Bear was terrified of storms. It was the ONLY thing that dog was afraid of and it broke my heart to see him cower every time there was a thunderstorm. There was nothing I could do except pet him and let him hide wherever he felt most secure.

You're right about not giving her Benadryl every time there's a storm coming. Benadryl is really for allergic reactions, not a sedative or calmative, although it does tend to put most of us to sleep. It may make your dog sleepy, but he'll still be afraid, you just won't notice. Save the Benadryl for bee stings.
Addie might feel more secure inside the house with Hammie when it storms. Sometimes there just isn't a rational answer for things that bother or frighten your dogs and you just have to do whatever you can to help them cope.
 
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#3
I managed to cure one of my past dogs, Blackie by doing the following:

Go to a record store and look for a CD with thunderstorms on it, the loudest ones you can get. I used to have one that was amazingly loud and had an almost direct hit on it. It died so I tossed it, so I can't tell you the name of it.

Put the cd in your stereo, and find the worst storm action on it. Either repeat that track, or, if you can, set the player to repeat the section over and over again.

Play it really low for a few hours, hopefully the dog won't be bothered, if it is, turn it down until it relaxes. A happy pill, like a transvet or something might be needed if your dog is really bad. Turn it up just a little bit and let it go on like that if the dog is ok.

The next day, start it where it left off the day before, and work it up, if the dog shows any stress, back it down. After a week or so, it was blasting my head off, and my dog was pretty much cured, sleeping through it without drugs.

I tried this with fireworks, and it didn't work. Both dogs were a mess from the middle of June to the end of July.

It's so nice to have dogs that aren't scared of lightning and fireworks, like I do now. Summer is a breeze now..not torture..Now if the Mourning Doves would stop flying into my window about once a week, it would be even better. I jump, and the dogs do too!

BTW, I sleep days..
 

tl_ashmore

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#4
I guess I got lucky with my girls. The only time they get scared is when it's a REALLY BAD storm. But then, all they do is get wherever I am, (on the couch or in the bed) and get under the covers.
 

MEG126

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#5
my collie was really afraid of storms... she would bark continuously and run around the house- we never figured out what to do about it. but then again she barked at everything... UPS trucks, mailman, school bus, bees, air molecules... you name it.

the tape thing sounds like a good possibility...
 

MEG126

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#6
yellow jackets

i was at my friend's house today and her mom and sister were outside in the hot tub and the three dogs were outside with them. and teddy HATES water. you go to give him a bath and he runs away and hides. so they were outside and we heard her mom hollaring for my friend to come and teddy had jumped into the hot tub! we were laughing so hard because he was SOAKED and running all around. so then he goes and digs in the mulch and we go back inside. then he comes to the door and he's going crazy. we're still thinking he's just upset because he's soaked and then about 30 seconds later her mom and sister come running in the house sayin there was something outside that was stinging them and it really hurt. her mom got stung three times and her sister got stung once.

they brought the dogs in and and then it clicked that was why teddy jumped in the water- he'd gotten stung! and then, he went and rubbed his head all around in the dirt and mulch and disrupted the nest and they came swarming out and stung him some more. so we gave him benedroyl wrapped in some cheese... is that all you can do for them? thank gosh i was on chazhound this morning and read what you said, Renee, about saving the benedroyl for stings. anything else we should know?? i know bees have stingers, do yellow jackets? teddy finally started to calm down after about 15 minutes. i'm sure he got stung multiple times and we think cricket (she's a corgi) and tanner (he's a golden) each got stung too.
 

Debi

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#7
As quickly as Addie started freaking out in storms........she has stopped. I think part of it is due to the fact that we've had storms so frequently this year......I swear at least one or two almost weekly. I'm just guessing she has become more accustomed to them. Serena, I know what you mean about not coddling her.....I never did because I didn't want her to think she had a reason to be so afraid, and yep, it was hard. I also think having her free in the pen instead of chained has helped. Maybe she doesn't feel so trapped. Hammie could care less about a storm, so that may have helped her too. He runs around (as I cringe from the window watching him get extra muddy) playing unless the lightning is ultra bad...then he'll have the sense to go in the dog house. I also try not to run and get them before the storm because I know there are gonna be times when I won't be home, so I wanted Addie to try and deal with it. I'm grateful she has calmed down.....otherwise this year it would have REALLY been a major problem. She had a check-up recently and is in great health. This may have nothing to do with it....but for awhile after the incident with the porcupine she seemed to be fearful of everything. Maybe that memory is fading, too. :)
 
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#8
Yep, Meg, yellow jackets have stingers and they're more aggressive than bees.

I've seen the Rescue Remedy, Serena, and it did look like an excellent product. Unfortunately, it's not readily available in many places.
 
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#9
I've seen it in one health store in Knoxville - on the west end of town, where no one in their right mind fights the traffic to get to if they don't absolutely have to - but it had been on the shelf for quite a long time. I'm afraid I'm not much for ordering things; no real reason, I just want to eyeball whatever I'm paying for, although I do have to confess a weakness for estate teas that must be ordered here. But those I know are fresh and don't have to deal with the possibility of wrangling about returns and credits for merchandise that's not as advertised.

I've got a friend here in town who has an herbal shop and she's considering carrying that line of products some time in the future, so hopefully . . .
 
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#10
Best way to purchase online is to go to your local bank and pick up a funded debit card (not your bank account debit card). Put 100 bucks on it and use it for your online purchases. Bank of America gave me one when I opened my new account with $50 already on it! I just replinish it when it runs out. Works at all dog stores online who takes credit cards as it acts as one.
This will give you control of the exposure limits and keep your real cards out of the shopping carts.

Chazhound
 
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#12
Works for me Renee :)

My girl sheltie Joie is scared of thunder and has a special place she goes under my desk to hide. She is fearless until she hear thunder. Now I know some things to try. I was sure doing the wrong things. Thanks Serena
 

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