# When a dog is afraid of thunder, why don't they get reassured by their owners who aren't? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 13, 2019, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189 "2019-09-13T20:55:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/1 "2019-09-13T20:55:21Z")
Not a dog owner here, and puzzled by dogs. Dogs are pack animals, and look to us as their leader. When you have a dog that’s scared, say by thunder, and the human doesn’t give a shit about the thunder, why doesn’t the dog think “alpha dog isn’t afraid, I shouldn’t be afraid.” It seems odd that the dog is afraid of something when the stronger members of their pack aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/2 "2019-09-13T21:03:38Z")
I think that you may be assigning a deeper level of cognition to dogs than reality warrants. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/3 "2019-09-13T21:06:46Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > I think that you may be assigning a deeper level of cognition to dogs than reality warrants. Maybe, but I didn’t think it was that complex of a thought process. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/4 "2019-09-13T21:06:55Z")
There is a genetic component to fear of thunder in dogs. For example it is so common in the (highly inbred) Bearded Collie that they discuss it on the breed website. It is a blinding terror that overrides any reassurance anyone can offer. Weird huh? None of my dogs have it, they snore right through. My sister’s old dog, a large collie x shepherd, once jumped through a kitchen window (it was closed) in the grip of thunder terror. Anyway dogs don’t think the way you imagine. Children don’t (“there is nothing under your bed, go to sleep”). Adults don’t (“Just jump out of the plane after me, there’s nothing to it.”) Why should dogs? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/5 "2019-09-13T21:09:41Z")
[The alpha dog theory is a myth.](https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/behavior/debunking-the-alpha-dog-theory/) > [@](#): > > We Aren’t Dogs, and Our Dogs Know It > > Finally, the very presumption that our dogs would even consider we humans to be members of their canine pack is simply ludicrous. They know how impossibly inept we are, for the most part, at reading and understanding the subtleties of canine body language. We are equally inept, if not even more so, at trying to mimic those subtleties. Any attempts on our part to somehow insert ourselves into their social structure and communicate meaningfully with them in this manner are simply doomed to failure. It’s about time we gave up trying to be dogs in a dog pack and accepted that we are humans co-existing with another species – and that we’re most successful doing so when we co-exist peacefully. ---
**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:** [September 13, 2019, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/6 "2019-09-13T21:10:25Z")
Both my dogs were scared by thunder. One of them was indeed comforted when we held her. The other one would just run and hide behind the toilet. (RIP both of them stupid stupid critters) ---
**Author:** ![Caldazar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Caldazar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caldazar)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/7 "2019-09-13T21:13:53Z")
Not an animal behaviorist, just a dog owner and lover. First, dominance hierarchies among animals are not necessarily as clear-cut as that, to say nothing of the complexities of the kind of inter-species social relationship being considered here. A dog may look to its owner for guidance on behavior under certain circumstances, but such guidance-seeking behavior is highly contextual. In the case of a dog that is afraid of thunder, the dog feels scared and is not looking for guidance on how to feel or how to act; it knows it is afraid and knows what it wants is for the thunder to go away. It just doesn’t know how to make the thunder go away, and understands that its owner doesn’t either (because the thunder roars again; the owner didn’t make the thunder go away). Hence the escalating fear and anxiety that can follow in such dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/8 "2019-09-13T21:41:45Z")
When a human being panics, and you don’t; the panicking person doesn’t calm down; the panicking person assumes you don’t understand the situation. It’s the same with dogs. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/9 "2019-09-13T21:57:19Z")
One of our dogs was terrified of fireworks (hell, even loud smoke alarms), and hardly ever get thunder storms here, but we got her a thundershirt for the next Fourth, and she was fine. The next Fourth, we forgot the thundershirt, but she slept through all the noise with no problem. She was fine after that for most loud noises. She was confused about some noises, as well. Shortly after we got them, we were watching something on Animal Planet, and there was a kitten meowing loudly. She started to paw books out of the bookshelves on either side of the TV looking for that cat! ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2019, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/10 "2019-09-13T22:07:32Z")
> [@Patch](#): > > Not a dog owner here, and puzzled by dogs. That’s pretty funny, considering your name is a common name for a dog. 🙂 One thing that we do with our new dogs is to pet them and give them lots of treats the first time they’re in a thunderstorm or hear fireworks. My hope is that it helps prevent them from making the connection that a loud noise is a bad thing. ---
**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:** [September 13, 2019, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/11 "2019-09-13T22:33:36Z")
My dummy (diagnosed developmentally disabled) Yorkie is scared of thunder, guns, fireworks, doors slamming, my sneezes. The smartist dog I ever had, a Rat Terrier was scared of thunder, guns, fireworks, doors slamming, my sneezes. Neither could ever be comforted. Ya just cannot explain some things. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2019, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/12 "2019-09-14T00:18:36Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > When a human being panics, and you don’t; the panicking person doesn’t calm down; the panicking person assumes you don’t understand the situation. It’s the same with dogs. But that is indisputably wrong. Panic is demonstrably something that spreads from person to person. That’s a really, really well understood thing. Of course one person might panic while others do not, but the propensity for panic to spread to person to person is incredibly well established, and certainly a panicking person is easier to calm down if those around them are keeping a level head. Dogs vary a lot in terms of their reactions to thunder. Some are just so profoundly terrified by it that they can’t think of anything else, some are mildly frightened and find reassurance in their owners being calm, and some - like our dog - appear to be totally unperturbed by thunder, ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2019, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/13 "2019-09-14T01:18:51Z")
For comparison, people with arachnophobia aren’t any less afraid of spiders just because they see people who don’t fear spiders. Their arachnophobia is deeply embedded in them. Don’t think dogs would be different. A human’s lack of fear shouldn’t affect a dog’s ingrown fear. ---
**Author:** ![kevlaw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kevlaw/32/2281_2.png) [@kevlaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevlaw)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2019, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/14 "2019-09-14T10:24:59Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > it is so common in the (highly inbred) Bearded Collie that they discuss it on the breed website. I knew that Collies were intelligent, but this is amazing! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2019, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/15 "2019-09-14T14:07:53Z")
Dogs are very intelligent, but not human. Once a fear reaction starts it’s very difficult to calm a dog down, the rational part of his brain isn’t going to override his instincts and emotions. Dogs can be calmed in thunderstorms, the Thunder-Shirt seems to help. In theory it reminds the dog of being a puppy and being comforted by his mother. Others think that the tight fit keeps the dog from hyperventilating. Either way it has some helpful effect on some dogs. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2019, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/16 "2019-09-14T14:08:53Z")
> [@kevlaw](#): > > I knew that Collies were intelligent, but this is amazing! It is. But for some reasons dogs still aren’t allowed to join the Dope. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2019, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/17 "2019-09-14T14:39:36Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > It is. But for some reasons dogs still aren’t allowed to join the Dope. They can’t type. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2019, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/18 "2019-09-14T14:41:13Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Both my dogs were scared by thunder. One of them was indeed comforted when we held her. The other one would just run and hide behind the toilet. > > (RIP both of them stupid stupid critters) Hey, we are told to get in the bathtub here in Tornado Alley. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2019, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/19 "2019-09-14T14:53:52Z")
Our Bernease Mountain Dog is absolutely terrified of thunder, to the point of paralysis. However thunder barely even registers to our Great Dane. Same with gun fire. The Bernease goes into full panic mode, yet our Dane will go to the backyard range with me and watch me shoot. (Yes he wears hearing protection. They make hearing pro for doggos.) The point being is while in my experience some dogs are afraid of the Thunder Gods, some are completely at ease naturally. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2019, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189/20 "2019-09-14T15:20:29Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Dogs are very intelligent, but not human. Once a fear reaction starts it’s very difficult to calm a dog down, the rational part of his brain isn’t going to override his instincts and emotions. That’s a good point. Humans are the same way. The fear center of the brain can take over control and block rational thought. I would guess that in dogs it would be even harder for them to calm themselves down since they have less conscious awareness and control. A human may comprehend that they can talk themselves down, but a dog probably doesn’t have that ability. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-a-dog-is-afraid-of-thunder-why-dont-they-get-reassured-by-their-owners-who-arent/840189.md?page=2)