# How does your dog react in thunderstorms? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 27, 2018, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302 "2018-03-27T22:33:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/1 "2018-03-27T22:33:27Z")
I’ve had 2 dogs over the past 20 years and they’ve both cowered in terror whenever they hear thunder. I’ve got a thunder vest for my current doggo and it seems to help but she still gets a little freaked out by thunder and even approaching rain. How does your dog react to inclement spring time weather? Poll coming. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/2 "2018-03-27T22:39:23Z")
Maybe not The End Of The World, but she does get nervous and hides. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/3 "2018-03-27T23:19:06Z")
My last dog freaked the F out. Roaming from hiding place to place- behind the couch, under my legs, shaking and drooling. It was painful for both of us. My current dog doesn’t give a shit about thunder, fireworks, whatever. Now dogs on the TV, on the other hand, well he’s got to tell them what’s what! ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/4 "2018-03-27T23:21:31Z")
My 2 dive under the bed at the first clap of thunder. The 2 cats think this is hilarious, they go in and peer under the bed at them. And laughing, I swear. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/5 "2018-03-27T23:21:37Z")
We have 2 Yorkies and neither one cares. We have a shi-tzu in the family that thinks his little world is coming to an end. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/6 "2018-03-27T23:21:47Z")
One dog cowered and whined in fear. Another dog seemed to be angry at the noise, and if not fenced in, would chase the noise. Still another would not even notice a storm, no matter how noisy. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2018, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/7 "2018-03-27T23:40:14Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > We have 2 Yorkies and neither one cares. We have a shi-tzu in the family that thinks his little world is coming to an end. We have a Shih tzu and a cocker spaniel, niether of them care. The funny thing is though, if one of them did, my money would be on the cocker. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/8 "2018-03-28T00:08:30Z")
There are very few storms here. Neither dog has visibly reacted. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/9 "2018-03-28T00:16:36Z")
Neither of my dogs is really concerned with them. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/10 "2018-03-28T00:18:29Z")
Thunderstorms are rare here - but when they do happen, Lucy runs toward the noise and barks at it to tell it to shut up and stay away. While she has not yet caught the thunder, she has successfully scared it away and kept it from getting her family. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/11 "2018-03-28T00:20:38Z")
My dog from when I was little had psychological problems. I’m serious-- my grandfather rescued him from some boys who were sticking firecrackers up his ass when he was a little puppy and he had stress problems forever. He was a mutt with a lot of German Shepard in him and he grew pretty large. The week of 4th of July was complete terror for him. He’d try to hide behind big, heavy things and try to dig his way to safety. Behind the stove was his favorite place to try to get away from it all. We lived in a ground floor apartment in The Bronx. One day there was a gigantic thunder and lightning storm. When I came home from school our next door neighbor was standing outside our apartment doors. He demanded I go into his apartment. I didn’t know the dude and I refused at first but he was adamant. He acted almost as if he wanted to fight me. He opened his door and practically pushed me inside-- while he stood way back. I walk in and what do I see? My dog cringing and yelping. That fucker _dug a hole from our kitchen into the next door apartment_, chased dude out with his crazy scared barking and would not let him back in. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/12 "2018-03-28T00:21:13Z")
I think its catchy, The Beagle didn’t used to be scared. We got the Yorkie whose basically scared of everything, now Beagle is afraid. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/13 "2018-03-28T00:29:42Z")
Elder dog is mostly sanguine, doesn’t like it but doesn’t make a fuss. Young dog pretty nervous about the noise and plasters herself to my feet and legs. Reactions go up by five-six notches when it’s fireworks rather than thunder and lightning. They really don’t like the loud bangs. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/14 "2018-03-28T00:36:36Z")
Newfoundland rarely even wakes up. It’s not a matter of concern for him. The Swissie tries to get into a lap or hide in the bath tub. The world is broken and he does not like it at all. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/15 "2018-03-28T01:52:51Z")
Interesting. I thought all dogs hated it. My dog immediately looks for something to cover his head. A table, a cart, a store. And then he hides under it. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/16 "2018-03-28T02:56:35Z")
Mostly doesn’t notice. Occasionally, if there’s lots and lots of close strikes, he will herd us all into the basement. We all have to go, or he won’t, but he can be very insistent on occasion. We got caught in a thunderstorm outside in the park once. We hid under a big tree in order to hopefully not get hit by tennis-ball-sized hailstones, and he may have been a little upset then because I was getting a little upset. I was trying to get him to stand between my legs with his head down, right against the tree trunk, so I could stretch my hoodie over both of us. (I know it’s bad to be under a tree when there’s lightning, and there was lightning, but there was also hail so…) ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/17 "2018-03-28T03:08:28Z")
Back when she was young, Vaya would freak out at the first thunderclap. Then - as with most things - once she realized nothing ACTUALLY scary or hurtful followed it, the sound was relegated into the ho-hum category: something to perk her ears at the first time it happens, then promptly ignored. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/18 "2018-03-28T03:15:42Z")
My dog seems oblivious to thunder and lightning. He also ignores fireworks and the occasional booms when the nearby national guard post is firing artillery My dog hates rain and snow falling on him, but doesn’t make the connection between thunder and rainfall. ---
**Author:** ![Dickerman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@Dickerman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dickerman)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/19 "2018-03-28T03:32:38Z")
Mine barks angrily at it as though it’s something she needs to warns us about and protect us from. Same with fireworks. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302/20 "2018-03-28T03:46:31Z")
**The Killer Elite** don’t seem to mind. They get very riled up at coyote jamborees, however, which seem to happen with depressing regularity. On a side note: They howl when I play “Maggot Brain”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-your-dog-react-in-thunderstorms/811302.md?page=2)