Dealing with thunderstorms

[ABEBD]

Hello,
Here in Arizona we are staring what is called the 'monsoon' season. These are rain storms that pop up suddenly, tremendous rain, lighting and thunder. Below is some sound advice. I did not write it and will give credit to AKC.
Good Advice to know;

Dealing with Thunderstorm Phobias
Summer is here and in addition to sunshine and summer fun comes thunderstorms.

For many dogs, thunderstorm phobias are a big problem. Changes in the barometric pressure, the loud crack of thunder, the sounds of wind and hard rain, and flashes of lightening can all cause fearful reactions. Panting, pacing, drooling, quivering, and trying to hide are some of the signs your dog has developed a fear of storms. In some cases, dogs who have no issues with storms develop a fear later in life.


There are some things you can do if your dog is thunderstorm phobic.

1. Maintain a cool and level head yourself. Use a cheerful voice, don’t act afraid, and don’t baby the dog.
2. Even though you may not like your dog drooling on you and shedding large amounts of hair from stress, don’t show any signs of being upset with your dog.
3. Reduce the sound of the storm by turning on the television or radio and moving to a room that is quiet.
4. Try an activity that can distract your dog such as ball play or another favorite indoor activity.

For many dogs who are afraid of storms, offering a safe “den like” place is a great solution. Cover the dog’s crate with a sheet, or give your dog access to a room with no windows such as a bathroom.

Good Day~

 

[KMARINO]

Very good information, here in Florida it is our stormy season as well, Vegas could care less about a storm or thunder, but put off a firecracker and he won't poop for a week!!

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

Good tips here..we don't get many thunderstorms..but boy do I remember them from growing up in Montana!

 

[JeannieCO]

We've been getting hit by the monsoon season really good for a solid week now. My yard literally cannot take anymore rain. I guess it has to do with the high pressure that's in TX that's making the south and east coast so hot and that's pushing the monsoon jet stream this way. It's been pretty consistent every evening about 5ish. Last night we got hit hard with rain and lightening. I lived in Albuquerque for 11 years before moving to Denver and we always had the monsoons, love it mostly. I don't have any problems luckily with my boys thanks goodness. That's really good advice though.

 

[Mack-N-MatildasMommy]

[MENTION=2092]JAKEISGREAT[/MENTION] Really?? Want some of ours??

[MENTION=1869]ABEBD[/MENTION] How can Matilda be oblivious to firecrackers but be totally freaked out over thunder??? I mean if she had a tail it would be tucked in between her legs.

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

[MENTION=2092]JAKEISGREAT[/MENTION] Really?? Want some of ours??

[MENTION=1869]ABEBD[/MENTION] How can Matilda be oblivious to firecrackers but be totally freaked out over thunder??? I mean if she had a tail it would be tucked in between her legs.

UMMM....NO! eek:

 

[kazzy220]

Only one of our dogs gets freaked out by thunderstorms ... and thats one of the mini schnauzers. None of our family are scared of them, so I'm sure that helps keep the animals calm too.

 

[ABEBD]

Hello,
While this is not a thunderstorm related post, it is related to behavior. The two recent earthquakes showed how much more in tune to nature the animals are than us humans. Zoo's reported that animals started acting different as much as 20 minues before the quakes happened.

Did you animal, if you live in Colorado or East coast, show any signs before the quake?
If so, what did they do?

Please add back,

 

[LariP]

HRH is very noise sensitive. She hates any sudden or loud sound, thunder storms and wind terrify her. The reason her bed is under Bruce's desk is because that's where she chose as her safe spot during the first storm here. It became her hidey hole so we figured we might as well make it comfortable.

 

[apogee]

Hello,
While this is not a thunderstorm related post, it is related to behavior. The two recent earthquakes showed how much more in tune to nature the animals are than us humans. Zoo's reported that animals started acting different as much as 20 minues before the quakes happened.

Did you animal, if you live in Colorado or East coast, show any signs before the quake?
If so, what did they do?

Please add back,

I live in Colorado Springs and some people here in town did report feeling the quake. I, however, didn't feel anything and didn't notice anything unusual about the behavior of my dogs. Didn't even know there was a quake until I heard the news the next day.

 

[MrUNC07]

Here in Michigan we get a variety of weather, but so far my bullie has no problems with the weather. In fact, he has no problem with any loud noises - unless it gets really loud. He watched fireworks from the backyard and didn't want to go back inside and he watches thunderstorms out of the doorwall lol

 

[cali baker]

Tate and Finn experienced their first thunder and lightning storm this past weekend. They both were glued to the window and barked like there was no tomorrow. It was rather interesting to watch their reaction. They didn't seem scared...more like curious as to what the heck that loud noise was. For us So Cal folks, it's definitely a rare event so it was kinda exciting.