Helping your dog cope with thunderstorms

It’s been a time for weather extremes recently in our little country from a heatwave and now, frequently forecasted thunderstorms for the next few weeks. Thunder-phobia in dogs is a very frequent condition. Understandably, dogs can fear the loud noises of pelting rain and claps of thunder, not to mention the scary lightning in the sky. Also sadly, with thunderstorms, come lots of calls and reports of missing and lost pets unfortunately. Animals get panicked and spook and go running on walks or when fences fall down in storms or are so fearful they will bolt out an open front door or window if they get the chance. Storms can cause huge amounts of fear and stress to dogs so it’s important we take all the measures we can to help keep them safe and sound.

First things first, ensure they are not left outside alone. PAWS will always recommend that your dog sleeps inside where they are kept safe and comfortable but particularly during weather extremes. A dog house is not enough to keep your dog comfortable and feeling safe during a storm and it can also runs the risk of them bolting over a fence if they do get scared when in the garden alone, so please, bring your pets indoors.

Try to exercise your dog earlier much more than you usually would in the day at times when thunder and lightning is not forecasted as it is good that they will be more likely to sleep when they’re indoors with you later, but remember, some dogs with thunder phobia can get a pre empted fear from dark skies, lightning or changes they can sense in the air with bio-metric pressure.

As much as we want to soothe our animals, the best course of action is to act as normal as possible, relax as you normally would, play loud music or turn the TV volume up to help drown out the thunder noises for your dog and act as calmly and normal as possible. There is calming music for dogs videos on YouTube you can play too. Too much petting and talking to your dog will enable their fear to cause them to think something is wrong and they should be scared.

A thundershirt or anxiety wrap can be beneficial for your dog to help them feel secure. A blanket over their crate or moving their bed under a coffee table or corner might help too as it creates a safe den for them to rest in and see the storm through.

Make sure your dog is wearing their collar and ID tag and they are microchipped and registered. Ask your vet to double check your information is all upto date and correct. Do not leave them unattended in the garden and be extra aware that they have the potential to bolt out open doors and windows or over fences. A stressed or anxious dog can climb walls or jump heights they normally wouldn’t to get away in a thunderstorm. Be sure to check perimeter fences the morning after too to make sure nothing as blown down during high winds and rain. PAWS always experiences a huge number of strays surrendered in and missing dog reports the morning after a thunder storm.

Try and take their mind off the storm by giving them a kong or stuffed puzzle toy for them to chew away at and keep them busy. You can also play tug or fetch in the house to help keep their mind off the storm.