I think I know why Snoopy in the Peanuts comic strip always started his stories out, "It was a dark and stormy night." He or one of his litter mates were probably afraid of storms so it was the scariest setting he could think of for his literary efforts.
I used to enjoy the deep rumblings, exciting flashes and, if I didn't have to venture outside, the sound of the peaceful falling rain. And then there were dogs in my life.
As if it wasn't hard enough convincing them they need to perform all necessary bodily functions outside as usual, there's the frequent foster or four-legged visitor that acts as if every thunder storm is punishment from God for every bad thought and evil deed and like Adam in the Garden of Eden they run and hide as if the next lightning bolt has their name on it.
Popular thought is to ignore them and not reward their fearful behavior. This works for some.
Several Eskies have responded well to calmly holding them throughout the storm and ignoring the storm instead of ignoring the Eskie. Of course if you have chores to do or are sitting in your favorite chair checking email on your laptop it can get pretty interesting if your four-legged friend is over 30 pounds!
Some have preferred to go into their crates with all their favorite things and hide there under the storm passes. This is fine as long as they are not panting and working themselves up even more.
I'd love to hear what has worked for others. Meanwhile here's hoping the skies are blue!
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2 comments:
Nothing has worked for me!
Star goes into an absolute panic an hour or two before a storm even arrives -- do they have some kind of radar that picks up on the approaching storm?
I feel sorry for Star, he looks so panicked and he literally shakes all over -- I just stop whatever I am doing so I can hold him.
Some theories about how dogs know a storm is coming include:
Static charge in the air -- some dogs actually seek out electrically grounded items (shower, bathtub, car). In fact Savannah is a nervous wreck during storms and one time Jeremy and I took her for a car ride during a bad storm and she loved it! Now if I open the kitchen door during a storm she goes and waits at the door to the garage.
Our attitude changes - we tense up when we hear the weather forecast because we know our buddy is going to be stressed.
Dogs can hear noises much further in the distance.
Air smells different and dogs have keen sense of smell.
Air pressure changes and dogs have very sensitive ears -- in fact their ears may even hurt.
Someone suggested play games every time it rains. Or run them through their repertoire of tricks and give them treats. Do what they love to do -- but I would stop short of getting a squirrel for Star to chase inside the house!
Set up a dark, quiet safe-place for them like their crate or a room. Have both TV and radio on (but not too loud) to act as noise cancelling to the thunder.
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