A lot of dogs become very anxious during thunderstorms. This can increase if you’re also nervous, so the first step is to try to remain calm, yourself. Speak in calm tones, and basically let your dog know that he is not alone.
If you’d like to help your dog to overcome his fear of thunderstorms, there are some things that you can do to achieve this:
- Attempt to calm your dog down when he starts to become anxious:
- Once again, speaking in calm tones, with a soothing voice.
- Gently petting your dog can help to calm his nerves as well.
- Do you have a room where your dog cannot see or hear the thunderstorm? Take him there.
- Keep him away from the windows.
- Closing the blinds can be a big help.
- Do you have any peaceful music you can play? There are entire albums designed specifically to help calm nervous dogs. To help drown the sound of the thunderstorm:
- Play music.
- Use the television.
- Do you have an interactive toy that can dispense food? These can distract your dog from the storm. Also try:
- A new toy.
- Playing a game.
- Have you ever heard of ThunderShirts? Neither did we until we were putting this list together. It’s an anxiety wrap, similar to when you swaddle a baby. This one is a vest that uses gentle pressure to help calm your dog’s nerves.
- When all else fails, there may be a medication that your veterinarian can prescribe if your dog’s anxiety becomes severe.
Do you have any other suggestions to add? What has worked for your dog? What has worked for your other pets such as cats, guinea pigs, etc.?
List inspired by LovePets