Fear of Thunder and Lightning
This 3-part tipsheet includes a good article from the Humane Society of the United States website.
Part 1
While a good "kraack" or "boom" may have been good
while Batman was taking down the Joker, such startling
sounds are no joke for your dog. Firecrackers,
thunder and other loud, out-of-nowhere sounds often
leave dogs frightened and wanting to flee to a safer
place. These types of fears may develop even though
your dog has had no traumatic experiences associated
with the sound. The good news is that many
fear-related problems can be successfully resolved.
If left untreated, however, your dog's fearful
behavior will probably get worse.
The most common behavior problems associated with fear
of loud noises are destruction and escaping. When your
dog becomes frightened, she tries to reduce her fear.
She may try to escape to a place where the sounds of
thunder or firecrackers are less intense. If she feels
less afraid by leaving the yard or going into a
certain room or area of the house, then the escape or
destructive behavior is reinforced because it
successfully lessens her fear. For some dogs, just the
activity or physical exertion associated with one of
these behaviors may be an outlet for their anxiety.
Unfortunately, escape and/or destructive behavior can
be a problem for you and could also result in physical
injury to your dog.
Your dog may also begin to associate a particular
startling noise with other things in her environment,
and she may grow afraid of these other things because
she associates them with the loud noise that frightens
her. For example, dogs who are afraid of thunder may
later become afraid of the wind, dark clouds, and
flashes of light that often precede the sound of
thunder. Dogs who do not like the sound of
firecrackers may become fearful of the children who
have the firecrackers or may become afraid to go in
the backyard, if that's where they usually hear the
noise.
What You Can Do to Help
Create a Safe Place: Try to create a safe place for
your dog to go to when she hears the noises that
frighten her. But remember, this must be a safe
location from her perspective, not yours. Notice where
she goes, or tries to go, when she's frightened, and
if at all possible, give her access to that place. If she's
trying to get under your bed, give her access to your bedroom.
You can also create a "hidey hole" that is dark,
small, and shielded from the frightening sound as much
as possible. Encourage her to go there when you're
home and the thunder or other noise occurs. Consider
using a fan or radio near the spot to help block out
the sound. Feed her in that location and help your dog
associate that spot with other "good things" happening
to her there. She must be able to come and go from
this location freely. Confining her in the "hidey
hole" when she doesn't want to be there will only
cause more problems. The "safe place" approach may
work with some dogs, but not all. Some dogs are
motivated to move and be active when frightened and
"hiding out" won't help them feel less fearful.
Distract Your Dog: This method works best when your
dog is just beginning to get anxious. Encourage her to
engage in any activity that captures her attention and
distracts her from behaving fearfully. Start when she
first alerts you to the noise and is not yet showing a
lot of fearful behavior, but is only watchful.
Immediately try to interest her in doing something
that she really enjoys. Get out the tennis ball and
play fetch (in an escape-proof area), or practice some
commands that she knows. Reward her with praise and
treats for paying attention to the game or the
commands.
As the storm or other noise builds, you may not be
able to keep her attention on the activity, but it
might delay the start of the fearful behavior for
longer and longer each time you do it. If you can't
keep her attention and she begins acting fearfully,
stop the process. If you continue, you may
inadvertently reinforce her fearful behavior.
Behavior Modification: Behavior modification
techniques are often successful in reducing fears and
phobias. The appropriate techniques are called
"counter-conditioning" and "desensitization." These
techniques condition or teach your dog to respond in
non-fearful ways to sounds and other stimuli that have
previously frightened her.
----
Fear of Thunder
Many dogs are disturbed by thunderstorms; some have
full-blown thunderstorm phobia. "Affected dogs
relentlessly seek the attention of their owner or some
safe place and puff and pant as they pace to and fro,
sometimes losing control of their bladder or bowels in
their anxiety.... In extreme cases, dogs have been
known to tear through screens and hurl themselves out
of windows," writes Dr. Nicholas Dodman in "The Dog
Who Loved Too Much." Dogs who display no fear of
storms as puppies may develop this fear later in life,
and often, thunder-phobics exhibit other anxieties as
well.
Dr. Dodman writes that phobia treatment usually
involves careful reintroduction to the fear-inducing
stimulus, also know as desensitization. (For example,
using tape recordings of storm sounds.) However, many
times dogs have a relapse.
The respected Tufts University vet proposes another
theory: that frightened dogs are being affected by a
build-up of static charge, explaining why some dogs
retreat to bathrooms -- to discharge the build-up.
TheyUre seeking out conductive surfaces such as sinks,
pressing on the pipes in the bathroom. A sink is
typically supplied by metal pipes and therefore acts
as an electrical grounding device. Says Dr. Dodman:
If the cause of thunderstorm phobia is that dogs are
receiving small static shocks during storms, it would
explain why programs focused on desensitizing dogs to
the sound of thunder meet with little success. He
suggests that measures to prevent status electrical
charge build-up may have preventive value and might
benefit as part of a desensitization program.
Anti-anxiety medication such as buspirone can help.
An effective technique that PAW's Nancy Klein uses for
her doggie Auggie, suggested by a certified specialist
in the Bach Flower Essences:
Add Rescue Remedy to the dogs' water on days when the
weather report calls for thunderstorms, and to use
Rock Rose specifically (for terror) when the storms
are occurring. The drops can be placed on the tongue,
or mixed with purified water and misted in the dog's
face.
----
The following tips were condensed from an article by
golden retriever owner Gwen Thee:
Crate Training
Calm Reassurance
By ignoring the storm and carrying on with a normal
routine, you convey that the storm is no big deal.
Another way to reassure the dog without reinforcing
the fear reaction is to massage or brush your dog in
long even strokes.
Positive Reinforcement
Noise Desensitization
Severe Reactions
Homeopathic Remedies
Phosphorus HPUS 30C: Drop 3-5 pellets down back of
dog's throat (without touching them yourself) every 15
minutes until you see improvement in the dog's
behavior, then stop. Dosage may be repeated if
necessary.
Aconitum Napellus 30C: Given in the same way
Phosphorus is used.
For milder thunderstorm fears, the Bach Flower (Rescue
Remedy or Nature's Rescue) is recommended. Place 4
drops on the dog's tongue or side of the mouth, or in
the dog's water bowl. Dose may be repeated 4-5 times
an hour.
-----
For more Dog Tips about pet
care, adoption and the work PAW does, visit our
website at:
Partnership for Animal Welfare, Inc.
Part 2
Part 3
Crate-trained dogs may cope better during the storm if
confined to their own safe place. An airline crate,
or a wire crate that is covered, may work better than
an open wire crate.
Some dogs need to be reassured that there is nothing
to fear. If the storm makes you nervous, your dog may
be picking that up. However, be careful not to
inadvertently rewarding the dog for a fear reaction.
If you positively reinforce fear reactions with
soothing sounds or stroking when the dog exhibits
fear, the reactions will continue.
If your dog has a favorite indoor game, or a special
treat, try to absorb him in that during the storm.
Practice this during storms, and hopefully the dog
will eventually associate the storm with good things.
Exposing your dog to different loud noises, and always
making sure something good happens, can help to reduce
the dogUs sensitivity to loud noises. You can play
tapes of storms, starting at a low volume and working
up to very high volume, and stroke, play with, and
teach the dog to ignore the sound. (K-9 Consultants
produced a tape with sound effects and instructions
available at some pet supply outlets or by calling
800-952-6517.)
These may require behavior modification (see a canine
behavior specialist) and/or drug therapy involving
such drugs as Tranxene and buspirone, or beta-blockers
such as Propanolol and Inderol (administered only by a
veterinarian).
www.paw-rescue.org
P.O. Box 1074, Greenbelt, MD 20768