Thunder, Lightening And Your Dog

anxiety, fear, lightening, noise, sound, thunder - By Staff Writer on Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - 14:43

While a good thunder storm can be fun for humans to watch, it can be utterly terrifying for a dog.  The loud sounds and bursts of light seem to come from nowhere and can freak out even the calmest of dogs.  Below are a few things you need to know about your dogs fear before your next storm.

Fear Is Justified
Your dog should not be out runnig around in a thunderstorm.  Lightening is very dangerous and can strike dogs.  The video below is one lucky dog!

Keep your dog inside and safe during any electrical storms.

Not Just Thunder And Lightening
The fear of storms is actually just a generalized fear of loud and/or unexpected sounds and flashing lights.  Any loud sound like construction sounds, back firing cars or fireworks can cause your dog to spook.  When your dog spooks, even if they are the best trained dog around, they can act unpredictable and can get hurt because of their response.  We recommend you watch your weather for storms and if you are going to be around loud sounds and bright flashing lights and you are unsure how your dog will respond you make sure your dog is safe in a secure location.  Fireworks are not dog friendly.  

Fear Level
Your dogs level of fear will really depend on their past experiences their natural anxiety levels and their desensitization to storms.  Each dog will react differently to storms.  If a dog has been raised around loud storms and in a secure environment that encouraged their confidence than they will be much less likely to have a negative reaction to the sound.   If a dog on the other hand has had some bad experiences associated with loud sounds, a storm could throw them into an utter panic. 

Behavioral Responses
Your dogs fear of storms will likely manifest itself into behavioral displays of fear and stress.  The most common behaviors you will likely notice are shaking, panting, crying, hiding, destructive behaviors, and attempts to escape. Some dogs seek the attention of their owners and will constantly behave in attention seeking manners to get their owners attention.  While other dogs will try to run away from the sound and if given the opportunity will dig under fences or bolt from open doors and windows. 

A little fear is common, most dogs will bark at loud thunder and some will shake and be afraid.  Simply comforting a fearful dog should help most situations. If on the other hand you find your dog has an excessive fear of storms and is trying to dig out of a yard, clawing at windows to escape or becoming agitated and aggressive when trying to get away, you need to take a much more proactive approach and work to desensitize your dog and minimize her anxiety level.