16 May 2014

Friday Question: Dogs & Thunder

This week it's tornado watches and lots and lots of thunder.  Right before a nasty storm hits, our bigger dog Wiggy gets a terrible case of the shakes.

She never minded storms until one year the loudest crack of lightening we've ever heard hit over our bedroom ceiling, and jolted us awake.  Since then, she struggles during each storm.  We can get her calm for a bit but it's never long before another crackle of the sky, gets her shaking again.

Does your dog get scared like this and if so, have you found anything that helps to calm them?

31 comments:

  1. I think every dog we ever had was afraid of the thunder, some worse than others though. There was never really anything we seemed to be able to do to calm them though (I know that's not very helpful).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Chris. It's so hard to see her
      be such a mess. And that lighting
      that hit over our bedroom was the loudest
      thing I ever did hear. It did her in.

      Delete
  2. Yeah, every dog we had was scared of thunderstorms. Not much you can do except ride it out.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Some dogs get very freaked out by thunder. I work at a vet and we used to prescribe anti anxiety meds for those dogs. There are also 'Thunder shirts' which supposedly can also help.

    My first dog was afraid of thunder. I felt so bad for him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I saw those thunder shirts online. The
      problem with Wiggy is she already has
      breathing problems and she pants
      like mad. I dunno though, I might be
      able to fashion something for her, as
      she loves being under the covers.

      She's a big snuggle pup.

      Thanks.

      Delete
  4. my dog can handle thunder, but for many years she would freak out during July 4th. She whine and cry until she was with someone in their room. If my mom was there, she'd always go to her.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Our little dog has no issues and the
      big dog never did before we had
      lighting his over the bedroom.

      That, changed the game, big time.

      Delete
  5. No matter how large or small, every dog we've ever owned (or more correctly, who owned us) was terrified of thunderstorms. What helped the most is cuddling them like a baby and crooning.

    ReplyDelete
  6. None of our dogs were afraid of storms but our kids spent nights in our bed for comfort

    ReplyDelete
  7. The dogs we had when I was growing up didn't seem to react badly- there was invariably someone in the house, so as long as they had company around, they were fine with it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This was lighting that hit over our bedroom
      ceiling. I don't know if you've ever heard
      how loud that truly is. But it was enough
      to scare Wiggy for life.

      Delete
  8. My dog hates thunder too, he deaf as a post, but still runs up and down the front room barking and shaking at the same time!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They can feel it. Wiggy knows ahead
      of time before it hits. Sorry yours shakes,
      it's just terrible.

      Delete
  9. Our dogs aren't bothered by it. Growing up I had a couple dogs that were scared to death of storms. Since the one dog tried to hide and couldn't because he was too big to hide under any furniture we had, my dad placed a towel over his head and he would calm down and go to sleep. It didn't work with the other dog, but it worked for Toby every time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, I've heard about the towel over
      the head before. And Wiggy loves
      being under covers.

      Delete
  10. Schultz isn't afraid of storms, and hopefully he never will be. He sleeps in a crate. I don't know if your dog as a crate, but that's usually a safe spot for them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Make that, "has a crate." My fingers are moving too fast, today!

      Delete
    2. The girls have a kennel but they
      don't sleep in it overnight. But,
      I could put the kennel in the master
      bath and cover it with blankets.

      A little cave for Wiggy, she might
      like during a storm.

      Thanks.

      Delete
  11. the worst is at New Year's Eve when people throw firecrackers all around... poor dogs go crazy.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hate those, myself. My
      ears hurt from the noise.

      Delete
  12. Our little Caesar has always been afraid of loud noises. It could be thunder, fireworks, car doors, etc. Nothing we've tried has worked. Just like with children, we found putting him in the bed with us or sitting with him close does work a little.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are like little kids,
      sometimes. That's for sure.

      Thanks.

      Delete
  13. My bird hated storms, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Does your bird shake? Sorry
      to hear the storms are a bother.

      Feel bad for our pets.

      Delete
  14. Yeah my big dog is terrified of thunder storms, but my little dog could care less. But you know that since we have the same dogs.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Bronson and Pepper both tend to get a bit on edge during thunder storms. They'll even bark or do a low growl whenever a bit of thunder cracks. Generally we'll sit with them on our bed and throw the covers over them. It seems to help for the most part.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Anita. Our last dog was little
      like Bronson and Pepper. She liked
      the covers over her head too. Only all
      the time. She LOVED covers.

      Delete