So my 8 year old dog, who has never had issue before, is suddenly terrified of thunder and hard rain. Which it has done endlessly for the last 3 weeks. Every time it even begins to storm she poops and pees in her crate, in her food bowl, or on the floor… wherever she is. I’ve cleaned it up 4 or 5 times in the last week alone…
I can’t take it anymore. OK, I she is my baby and I love her. But I have held her, I have comforted her, I have done everything I can think of - and as soon as I look away she poops and pees again - no matter if she just went outside or not!
And don’t even get me started on her not stepping outside if it’s raining suddenly!
Help? She is going to destroy my house… and I can’t be with her 24/7 every time there is a slight chance it might rain kind of hard!
:eek:
Anybody shoot guns around her lately?
In any case, I would ask a vet for some Valium. For both your sakes.
Edit - only 5 days until the 4th of July. Every doggies favorite holiday.
I don’t know why your dog suddenly started being afraid after eight years.
I know this sounds cruel, but the last thing you should be doing is comforting her. Comforting is a reward for most dogs. You’re teaching her that she gets a reward for acting freaky.
I agree. I have had 3 dogs and the first never exhibited signs of storm phobia but the 2nd did at around 10 years old. I made the mistake of attempting to comfort the dog during these episodes of trembling but it only served to reinforce the anxiety and did nothing to alleviate it. My current dog is now 8 and this summer is showing the same signs as my previous dog. As the storm approaches or is in full swing with the nearby cracks of lightning, she comes trembling to my side but instead of petting her or making comforting gestures, I make her sit and stay and I tend to ignore her. I also eliminate any reaction I show to the storm because the dog will pick up on my actions. As an example, if lightning hits nearby, I resist the urge to jump up and start running in circles shouting, “Jesus H Tap Dancing Christ - we’re all gonna DIE!”, because the dog would notice and probably think, “Hey. I tried to warn you and I’ll keep up the good work!”
Whether or not this approach will ease her reaction is unknown.
You can Google this phobia and find many suggested approaches but since the reaction can have different causes and possible cures, you may go through several steps before finding one that may help. I haven’t found one yet but I’ll keep looking and experimenting. My experience with sedatives was unproductive even when I could anticipate a storm’s arrival and give the sedative in time for it to kick in because remember, a dog can sense/hear the storm long before we can. On those rare occasions when I got the pill into her in time, I ended up with a drugged dog that was still trembling and anxious.
I agree with the above: make sure your dog can’t construe your behaviour as any kind of reinforcement of her fear.
The Thundershirt might be worth a try.
How is (was) the eyesight of these older dogs who get a sudden case of astraphobia? Cataracts?
My wife and I were discussing this very item this weekend. Our dog is getting older and suddenly fearful. Anybody tried one?
My last two dogs both developed this fearfulness as they aged. I agree with those above: Treats and comforting do not help and they may even make the problem worse. We tried the seditives the vet recommended. All we got was a less active, disturbed dog, with more drool.
Thunder shirts (tight fitting dog shirt) work on some dogs – it’s the same principle as an autism squeeze box or whatever they’re called.
Desensitizing conditioning works on a lot of dogs. There’s some learning involved – you have to understand the principles, and you have to work at it to get results, it’s no magic pill, but it is probably the most permanent solution.
I would also get your dog checked out by her vet to see if there are physical changes that bear.
Also there are dog diapers, sounds like they would help the situation.
As cruel as it may sound, I encourage our JRT to go outside, even if only for a few minutes, when a thunderstorm is bearing down on us. If he learns that he will survive it, no matter how loud it gets, or how wet he gets, then half the battle is won. If he learns that he can hide under the bed to avoid it that will only reinforce his fear.
So far storms don’t seem to bother him much, but he’s only a year and a half old. Going outside during a downpour doesn’t scare him (I sometimes take him for a long walk and since we live in the mountains the weather can change and we sometimes get caught in a thunderstorm for 10-15 minutes at a time). I don’t make a big deal about it and he doesn’t seem too worried about it. He loves going outside more than he fears the weather.
I don’t think drugs are the answer, unless you have tried everything else first. A discussion with a professional dog trainer may be in order.
One of my dogs feared thunder, gun shots, and firecrackers from about 2 years until her death. A few times I drugged her for her own safety. She could really hold a grudge, that one.
Second became fearful as she aged. I’d give her Bach’s Rescue Remedy and it worked great. After all, she was an Irish Terrier and Bach’s is pure alcohol.
My current dog, even tho deaf, picks up on firecrackers. He’ll be snoozing through the 4th. Problem is, the 4th is about a week long on my road.
I like the idea of the Thundershirt; just haven’t gotten around to checking it out at the pet store.
I agree with an eyesight check. My totally Zen setter turned into a snappy, growly dog.
Turned out he’d gone almost blind. He followed his lifetime partner so closely that it was only after she died that it became evident.
My rescued English Setter came to me terrified of thunder and fireworks. I tried ignoring her behavior, and I tried giving her a yummy treat everytime it thundered. That actually did help a little bit. Then I bought a Thundershirt off eBay.
They might not work for every dog, but for Sugar it is a lifesaver. AS SOON as I put it on her, it’s like she heaves a sigh of relief and she will curl up and go to sleep. No shaking, no panting, no clinging to me, just sleeping. It’s wonderful!
The vision with my previous dog was not an issue. She lived until age 17 and still had her sight. Also, I tried the tight fitting shirt on her but it did nothing to help but that doesn’t mean it fails all dogs.
My current dog’s vision is also fine. She can spot a piece of popcorn at 20 paces and still snaps at small flying insects that may pass close by.
My 9-yo border collie does the same thing. I usually give her a children’s Benadryl to calm her down. If that doesn’t work, I scream at her to leave me alone. I hate to do that, but it works.