Jackie Abikhair Webboard User Reg: 11-19-2012
Posts: 64
Loc: Australia
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Bob, I've heard that as dogs get older they can become more sensitive to sounds, and are more prone to separation anxiety. My old GSD was a mental case when a storm rolled round. If we weren't home, she'd literally eat through a door or gate and run to a neighbours house. As she got older (and deaf) she would stand with her head facing a wall, and shake and pant.
Of the three I now have, two of them (ages two and six) are not bothered in the least by thunderstorms. The younger one is completely unbothered by ANY loud noises, the older one will react by barking at other noises like gunfire, but she's not acting fearful.
My third one (age five) is moderately nervous during thunderstorms and will react by going into a corner and scratching at the carpet, trying to dig himself a hidey-hole, I guess.
My two previous dogs each developed fear of thunderstorms as they got older (which is the case with my current fearful one). They were all fine the first couple years of their lives; then the fear just started showing gradually as they got older. I, too, have heard that's pretty common.
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005
Posts: 31571
Loc: North-Central coast of California
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This may sound like coddling or reinforcing a fear, but I have to pass along what two different friends do with their dogs who developed this fear in their mature years (one of these dogs was completely fearless until he turned about 6-7):
These two dogs are OK in the bathtub, lined with padding. We read this on a webboard. The bathrooms are inside rooms (no windows) with the added "walls" of the tub.
Also, I have learned from a club member whose dog has a somewhat lesser fear of storm noise about retiring to a room with no sliding glass doors and few windows with the dog for the duration and doing upbeat marker work (including trick-training) there.
Two of these folks were seeing their dogs in total panic, trying to dig through floors, pacing, drooling, etc., and both wanted to relieve the dogs. They are all well aware of not feeding into a fear, but all three considered this fear in their dogs to be mindless, almost atavistic, and in need of relief. All three wanted to avoid medicating, and so far have avoided it.
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Re: How does your dog do during a thunder storm?
[Re: Michael Soldwisch ]
#380017 - 06/29/2013 01:12 AM 
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