Tips on Thunderstorm Phobias
August 13th, 2009 Posted in UncategorizedMy dog drools, pants and shivers like crazy during thunderstorms and fireworks. Sometimes I can’t get any sleep. Why is he like that and what can I do about it?
Your dog is terrified of the loud noises during storms and fireworks. The flashes of light, electricity in the air, and low air pressure associated with thunderstorms add to his fear. It’s a common problem with dogs. Some dogs, for example German Shepherds, beagles and hounds, appear to be genetically predisposed to certain fears; others are timid due to lack of socialization to strange stimuli as puppies.
Sometimes we give our dogs extra attention when they are acting afraid, and inadvertently reward the behaviour. Other times we’re annoyed and the dog associates our anger with thunderstorms.
There are a few things you can do. One involves a form of training called counter-conditioning and desensitization, the other medication available from your veterinarian.
To counter-condition your dog against loud noises, you need to obtain a recording of a thunderstorm. Many relaxation CDs have music with thunder in the background, or you can purchase one used to train dogs. Play the recording at normal volume to see if your dog reacts to that. If the dog seems fearful, you can use it for training. If it does not, you’ll need to find another recording.
Start by training your dog to down-stay. Provide a special matt, and anoint it with your perfume or aftershave. That way he’ll associate the matt with your smell. Reward him for lying calmly on the matt, using food, petting and praise.
Next, play the CD at a very low volume. Have him down-stay on the matt during this time. Again, reward him for staying on the matt, and for being calm.
One day at a time, slowly increase the volume of the CD. If your dog shows any signs of fear, turn the CD down. Eventually you should be able to play the CD at the same volume as a real storm and have your dog be calm.
Next time there’s a real storm, ask your dog to go to the matt and down-stay. Hopefully he’ll associate the matt with rewards and be calm while he’s lying there.
Now, some dogs know the difference between a recording of a storm and the real thing. They might be calm when you play the CD but still afraid of storms. In that case, counter-conditioning won’t work.
You can also use “white noise”, such as a fan or calming music, to drown out the sounds your dog is afraid of. Make sure you project a calm attitude during a storm, so your dog picks up on this and feels safer because of it.
Some dogs are calmer in dark areas during a storm. Some like to hide in a corner, or even in the bathtub. Set up the matt where your dog feels safest. If he’s likely to get frantic and hurt himself, counter-condition him to be calm in his crate using the storm CD, then confine him in there during storms once he’s content it’s a positive place to be.
Another useful tool is a product called D.A.P. (Dog Appeasing Pheromone). A pheromone is a hormone that animals can smell. DAP is similar to the pheromone produced by lactating dogs that puppies find calming. DAP is available as a plug-in or an aerosol spray. You can spray it on your dog’s matt to provide a relaxing environment.
Finally, you can ask your veterinarian to prescribe medication. I like to start with diazepam (Valium). It has minimal side effects, and we don’t have to worry about addiction issues in pets.
If Valium doesn’t work, I’ll prescribe acepromazine instead. It’s stronger, and more sedating. I don’t like to use it in geriatric dogs and cats that might have kidney or heart disease, but in young and healthy pets, acepromazine is pretty safe.
