A Dog's Fear of Storms

It's summer and the heat and humidity deliver powerful thunderstorms, with all the sights and sounds that comes with it.

Many dogs have a fear of storms. I've boarded dogs whose fear is so bad, they had to be medicated. Many of them know a storm is coming before it even is on the horizon as the air pressure changes. These dogs don't even want to go outside when they sense a storm's approach.

One of the worst things we can do for our fearful dogs is to "coddle" them. In other words, petting them soothingly and speaking softly is actually a bad idea that makes a dog's fears worse rather than better. Some dogs even become physically ill and/or destroys furniture, etc.

They do not understand your words and reasoning. In their brains, they react with fear and the response is reinforcement that seem like praise for their fearful behavior. Fear doesn't need to be completely ignored, however. It just needs to be handled with confidence in the face of the storm. The dog is looking to YOU to lead. Since every dog is different, talking to your vet or a dog behaviorist is the best place to start discussion of your dog's specific behaviors and symptoms.

Sometimes going to the "safe room" that will protect the dog from the sound of thunder and the sight of lightning flashes is a good strategy. There are now special "jackets" made for dogs that lightly squeeze the dog, as if they were being held, to reduce anxiety during storms.

How do you handle yourself when a storm of life comes along? If you're like me, you'd rather run and hide under the bed, like the dog in the photo. Or, perhaps anxiety and frustration tempt you to "destroy" and "rip up" things that are nearby. For me, this is tempting to be upset with people close to me. What works best, though, is to run to my "safe room" and trust that God will "hold me" in His grip to ride out the pounding thunder, the unpredictable flashes of light, and the downpour. That is the safest place I can be.