Well I was asked to try before we put the dog down; maybe some one some where has a cure or advice that really works. Our situation is this

It’s a Malinois bitch 3 years old, this dog has just completed training about six months back, and all of a sudden she developed a fear of the rumbling of a on coming storm, no not lightning or thunder or even a gun shot or the whip startles her, not even when the storm is in full swing she will sleep in the rain, or car kennel, but if the storm is coming then she will break through chain link to get out, or bite the car kennel and scratch like her behind is on fire, trying to get out, and when she does, we find her by the river where she hides in a hollow tree, or under the shrubs - any advice.

And hay - we have been around the block with the "WHAT YOU CAN DO" list well we have been through the mill with it -Id a safe place, distracting the dog, behavior mod’s, medication and animal behavior input etc., is there any other input one can give that can help with this problem, or has any one else experienced similar behavior?

WOW, that's a new one. One of my deputies has a hunting dog that for about a period of 6 months, would chew his way through the chainlink to get out while it was lightning out. All of a sudden lightning storms does not bother him any more.

Nobody knows why he started or quit.

Good luck
Mark Addison

I have an 8 year old female BC mix who is extremely afraid of fireworks and thunderstorms. I, too, have been through the entire gamut of approaches for dealing with it, from desensitization to medication, and have finally settled on dosing her with Valium and Acepromazine and allowing her to find a "safe" place to fall asleep (usually on the floor between the sofa and the ottoman, under my or my husband's legs or wedged tightly between the entertainment center and the wall behind it). I tried Ace by itself, but it was ineffective. It only made her slightly groggy and did nothing to address her fear, and keeping her crated seems to enhance her panic. The combination of Valium and Ace is much better. She's able to relax and fall asleep when I use that combo, and allowing her to find her own safe space (within reason; I don't let her outside as I'm concerned she may scale the fence and run off and get hit by a car) seems to soothe her as well. I've also been reading that Xanax can be very effective for this kind of thing, though it is habit forming so you would only want to use it for specific occasions. Other than that, I don't have much helpful advice for you.

Yeah it's strange that she's only afraid when the storm is just coming in. Maybe it's because she can't see it coming or isn't sure what it is until it's right on top of her? Because you say she's fine once she knows it's only a storm, even when it's in full swing. Maybe it's the uncertainty that frightens her. I could be wrong.

She could be reacting to the change in barometric pressure and/or the static electricity produced before a storm. I would check to make sure that there is not a problem with the inner ear which could be causing increased sensitivity due to the change in pressure. Also, when you know a storm is coming, try keeping her on a hard surfaced conducting floor like tile or a bath tub to avoid the static. Wetting the dog or spritzing it will also cut down on the static electricity. Just a guess, but if she has been corrected with an e-collar she could associate the static electricity with an impending correction.

I was thinking the same thing that Julie said about the barometric pressure change.....

I think that barometric pressure changes combined with the low frequency sound waves are some of the reasons why I have not had success at desensitizing my pooch. It's just not something one can replicate. Same with fireworks. I've used a both a thunder CD and a fireworks CD in my home stereo with the bass cranked up, and she can tolerate it quite well at a very loud volume. I've played the CD in a portable stereo outside the house as well, and she does not react to that. But when the real deal happens, she is a quivering mass; there is just something about the real thing that I have not figured out how to replicate at home. I'd probably have to get some gigantic speakers capable of very low frequency sound. Another potential factor is that I did not start trying to desensitize her until the problem became so severe that I *had to* do something; up until that point, it was just something we lived with, but eventually her reaction became so strong that it's really unbearable for both her and everyone else around her. I should have started working with her much earlier in her life, before it had gotten so bad. I really feel sorry for her. Live and learn; I had never had a dog like her before, but now I know. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> At least she has her valium; it has been a godsend....and thank GOODNESS my other two dogs don't react to thunder or fireworks. I cannot imagine having three quivering masses of canine jelly every July 4th.

I don't buy into the static electricity thing though.

 Quote:

Originally posted by Lisa Swanston:

I don't buy into the static electricity thing though.

I am not a weather expert or anything but there is static produced before a storm. That is what makes your raidio crackle before the storm even starts. The "theory" is that the dog's coat can pick up and discharge the static electricity causing discomfort (i.e. shocks are produced when contacting metal etc.) This is just what I have read. Rubbing a fabric softener on the coat also helps to eliminate the static.

The dog can smell the storm (the ozone) coming and who knows maybe he got a huge shock in his metal crate and he thinks when he smells the ozone, the shocks are coming. It may be way off, but since he is about to put the dog down, it is worth considering especially since the dog only reacts before the storm and this is when the static is produced.

The barometic pressure is also an issue. Maybe the dog has a tiny hole in his tympanic membrane from the gun shots and is experiencing pain when the pressure changes...

I don't doubt that static electricity builds up before a storm. I just don't buy that this has anything to do with my dog's reaction to thunder.

You cannot train bravery, it is inate. Perhaps putting the dog down is the best course.