Loud claps of thunder, flashes of light, strong
winds, heavy rain and changes in barometric
pressure all combine to make storms scary.
Some dogs will develop a fear for storms as they
get older, in others it is just something they are
born with and some are fearful of storms due
to a previous bad experience. A dog's fearful
behaviour can start out mild and often intensify
with age and more storm experiences. Signs that
your dog may have a storm phobia include;
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Panting or puffing
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Whining or crying
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Pacing, restless or hyperactive
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Hiding
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Being clingy or seeking attention
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Inappropriate urination or defecation
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Escaping / trying to escape from yard or house
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Injured nails, paws or nose from breaking,
chewing or scratching at doors and walls in an
attempt to hide or escape.
It can be incredibly distressing to see a dog with
a severe storm phobia and not know how to help.
However, there are a few things you can do to
help ease your dog's anxiety during a storm and
keep them safe.
If your dog is an outside dog it is important to
ensure that your fencing is secure and safe, so
if your dog does get scared or frantic they can
not escape. Provide them with an area, shelter
or kennel, where they can retreat to and protect
themselves from the wind, rain and hail.
If you are home during a storm, and if possible,
bring your dog inside or into a garage. Talk to
them and try to comfort them but do not coddle
them as it can often make the situation worse the
next time. Offer distractions from the storm by
playing with them or offering them a treat.
Never punish your dog for their behaviour during
a storm as this will only add to the fear around
storms often making things worse next time.
Instead, make the experience a positive one.
Providing them with company, fun play and/or
treats can create positive associations with storms.
This counter conditioning will mean that instead
of seeing a storm as something to be scared of,
they will relate it to something happy and positive.
This technique works well if implemented during
less severe storms and during early signs of
storm phobia.
Training your dog to relax and having a space to
go to that is a safe happy place can be helpful.
This training needs to be undertaken when storms
or stress aren't present and will take time to be
effective. It involves training your dog to settle
and be calm in their own bed or crate. Have your
dog sit and lie down then stay on their bed or in
their crate and reward them with praise and treats
when they oblige. With repeated training the dog
will associate the space as a happy and relaxing
place. Learning to be calm and settled in their own
safe space can enable them to stay relaxed during
stressful situations, like storms.
There are some products available to reduce
anxiety and nervousness which in turn help
manage storm phobia. A product that has proven
to work well to reduce anxiety during storms is
the Thundershirt. This is a specially designed vest
that applies constant, gentle pressure to help
calm the dog when they are anxious or fearful.
There are also supplements available for anxiety
and nervousness including Zylkene Capsules or
PAW Complete Calm Multivitamin Chews. These
supplements can reduce a dog's overall anxiety
and nervousness which then allows them to be
less sensitive or stressed during a storm.
If your pet becomes very distressed during storms
and these tips aren't helping you should speak to
your veterinarian. They can prescribe sedatives or
calming medications to help your dog or direct
you to a behavioural expert.
For more information and help managing storm
phobia tune into the myPET Podcast - Dogs Afraid
of Thunderstorms or Fireworks episode.
