Has your dog ever started acting nervously before bad weather? If so you’re not alone. A lot of dogs get scared during storms, and their heightened senses give them plenty of warning when one is about to hit. In this post we’ll take a look at how dogs sense storms, why they get nervous, and tips for help keeping your dog calm.
Why Do Dogs Get Scared During Storms?
One of the main reasons dogs get scared during storms is all the loud, unpredictable noises that come along with it. Thunder produces sudden, booming sounds and low-frequency rumbles that dogs can hear from much farther away than humans. Their hearing is far more acute, so the noise feels overwhelming and startling.
And not only are those noises scary and unpredictable — our dogs don’t understand that those sudden changes in the weather are normal and expected.
Changes in barometric pressure is another reason why dogs get nervous during bad weather, and why they’re able to detect storms hours in advance. That change in pressure can create an uneasy feeling for your dog, since the environment shifting precedes a scary storm.
Another way our dogs can detect storms is through static electricity. Thunderstorms charge the air, causing static to accumulate which can feel like tingling or small shocks. This change can make dogs nervous, especially if they’re already uneasy about all the noise and commotion that comes along with storms.
On top of all those the heavy rain, darkening skies, lightning flashes, and unique smell add to our dogs anxiety during bad weather. And when all of those triggers build up it can make the fear quite intense.
In some dogs the fear becomes so intense it turns into a genuine phobia, in which medication may be recommended to help with. If your dog shows severe signs of anxiety such as pacing, trembling and panting you can consult your veterinarian to decide what medications and/or behavior modifications are right for your dog.
How To Keep Your Dog Calm During a Storm
In general if you can create a quiet, calm space for your dog they’ll likely start to settle down when a storm hits. If your dog has been crate trained they probably think of that as a safe space, and may feel most comfortable there.
Try to keep them distracted, and drown out all that extra noise outside if possible. Sometimes something as simple as music or the TV playing in the background can help. Other dogs take well to being wrapped in something tight that creates an extra feeling of safety, such as a thunder shirt or safety vest.
And most importantly — stay calm yourself. Our dogs pick up on all our cues as well, so if you’re pacing about or acting nervous that’s going to create more anxiety for your pup.
If your dog is severely scared of storms, to the point of pacing and trembling, consult your veterinarian for help. Some anti-anxiety medications work wonders for dogs with storm or fireworks phobias.
Don’t think of using medication as any kind of failure on your part either, no matter how hard we try to expose our dogs to all the things sometimes fears develop. If your dog is to the point of being so scared they’re unable to function normally there’s nothing wrong with using medication so they’re not having the equivalent of hour long panic attacks.
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