how to help a dog scared of thunder
In our experience with dogs, they are frequently afraid of thunder. How does a a dog scared of thunder behave ? Our dog Max starts to behave as if he’s seen Godzilla stomping towards our house to get him. Max’s eyes start to “bug out” of his head. He starts panting as if he had just run 5 blocks and he looks to find furniture under which he can “dive and disappear”.
It’s hard to blame dogs for having a “fight or flight” fear response to thunder. They do not have the benefit of understanding what causes thunder, that it rarely does any real harm and that it generally only lasts about 30 minutes or less.
Ways to help a dog afraid of thunder
- Be There for Them - One of the best ways you can try to help your dog during thunderstorms is to just be home with them during a storm. We are lucky now to be able to see weather forecasts on our phones. Try to avoid doing errands or leaving your dog home alone if thunderstorms are in the forecast. Imagine leaving your 4 year old child at home alone during a thunderstorm. Your dog has a similar reaction and is comforted by being able to see and be near you during storms.
- Turn on Other Sounds - if you turn on the TV or some music you may be able to cover some of the sound of the storm. If the house is entirely quiet, the thunder will appear to be very loud and scary.
- Cuddle with Them - hopefully it's obvious that sitting close to or holding your dog will provide the "comfort of touch" that helps to provide calm to animals just as it does to humans. Rub their ears, rub their belly...whatever they normally like.
- Be a "Dog Whisperer" - Channel your inner dog whisperer and soothe your dog by talking slowly and softly while focusing on your own breathing. Your dog will "pick up" on your emotional state. If you are frantic, trying to juggle 5 things, breathing fast or heavy, this will cause your dog to feel more stressed. Instead, practice your yoga breathing or meditation and see how your dog mirrors your state.
- Try a Dog Thunder Jacket - see our information below as well as see Reviews from Amazon or go directly to the Thunder Shirt site
help a dog scared of thunder
dog thunder shirt
The idea behind the Thunder shirt is to be able to provide a calming wrap to a dog like we provide calming swaddling blankets to babies. The company claims it is over 80% effective and is Vet recommended. It’s very easy to put on your dog. Just lay it on your dog’s back and wrap the neck straps around and attach them snuggly with the velcro. Then do the same for the larger torso flaps. The velcro should allow you to provide a snug, but comfortable not too tight, fit that envelopes your dog.
The Thunder Shirt has also been called a Thunder Jacket and it ranges from $25 to $45. It has a 4 out of 5 star Review rating with over 11,000 reviews on Amazon. The product is backed by Science, having been analyzed by behavior scientists and found to calm anxious and stressed dogs.
The Thunder Shirt company also offers calming oils, chews and pheromones.
dogs scared of fireworks
Much like thunder and lightning, fireworks create a stressful atmosphere for dogs. Fortunately, fireworks generally only happen around the 4th of July so you are able to plan for helping your dog. The techniques listed above for thunder will also help when dogs are afraid of fireworks. We have been able to settle our dog Max during fireworks and hope you will find these options work for your dog 🙂