Ned Flanders Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 A few years ago, our dog was forever spooked by neighborhood fireworks. Since then, he's become deathly afraid of thunderstorms in addition to fireworks. We've tried everything, the thunder shirt, drugs, hugs, treats, etc. and nothing has worked. Any help or advice is appreciated. TIA. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 Do the make ear plugs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 Move to the west coast....no thunder here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoTom Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 (edited) Try a little classical conditioning: give him a small treat every time there's a thunderclap. He may begin to associate the thunder with the treat. (Edit: Sorry - I didn't see that you already tried treats.) Edited June 20, 2020 by WhoTom 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo_Gal Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 I used to have a dog who was very unhappy with the sound of fireworks, and very loud thunder. I never found a solution. I used to just sit beside him and pet him during a violent storm and during the days leading up to Independence Day when the neighborhood youths would set off backyard explosives (July 4th was always lots of "fun"). That calmed him, but he never got over the anxiety. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nextmanup Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 34 minutes ago, Ned Flanders said: A few years ago, our dog was forever spooked by neighborhood fireworks. Since then, he's become deathly afraid of thunderstorms in addition to fireworks. We've tried everything, the thunder shirt, drugs, hugs, treats, etc. and nothing has worked. Any help or advice is appreciated. TIA. Play a looping soundtrack of a thunderstorm from Youtube. When the dog freaks out, give him a dog biscuit or treat he likes, and hug him. Condition his brain to equate the sound of thunder with good things, not bad things. I know you've said you've tried aspects of this, but I'm not sure what else you would do. Show him nothing bad happens when it thunders. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoTom Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 3 minutes ago, Buffalo_Gal said: I used to have a dog who was very unhappy with the sound of fireworks, and very loud thunder. I never found a solution. I used to just sit beside him and pet him during a violent storm and during the days leading up to Independence Day when the neighborhood youths would set off backyard explosives (July 4th was always lots of "fun"). That calmed him, but he never got over the anxiety. We have friends who can't travel around the July 4th weekend because their dogs go ballistic from the sounds. When they travel, the don't put the dogs in a kennel - they have a neighbor who comes over, feeds them, and lets them out a few times a day. One time, they were gone for just an afternoon, and when they got home, the dogs had clawed the crap out of the front door. Turned out, someone nearby had been setting off fireworks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RochesterRob Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 39 minutes ago, Ned Flanders said: A few years ago, our dog was forever spooked by neighborhood fireworks. Since then, he's become deathly afraid of thunderstorms in addition to fireworks. We've tried everything, the thunder shirt, drugs, hugs, treats, etc. and nothing has worked. Any help or advice is appreciated. TIA. Our dog many years ago was best pacified by going down in the basement when a thunderstorm came. It also helped that my mother was around to let her in the house so she could make the next move. Before all that she broke a back door window with the thunderstorm being 15 minutes before being obvious to humans. In the days before the internet and 24/7 local news/weather access. Anyhow, we learned when she suddenly came to the door scratching to let her right in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warcodered Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 16 minutes ago, Buffalo_Gal said: I used to have a dog who was very unhappy with the sound of fireworks, and very loud thunder. I never found a solution. I used to just sit beside him and pet him during a violent storm and during the days leading up to Independence Day when the neighborhood youths would set off backyard explosives (July 4th was always lots of "fun"). That calmed him, but he never got over the anxiety. Pretty much the same here anytime there's thunder my dog wants to be in my room with me but he doesn't freak out that bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 28 minutes ago, KD in CA said: Move to the west coast....no thunder here. Call me skeptical. It never rains in Southern California, it just pours and swallow you up whole, the ? that is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Hammersticks Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 Don’t they make those weighted “anxiety vests” for dogs? That might help. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 (edited) We have a cat that gets anxious with impending rain ? and storms. He's better than @Mike in Horseheads with rain forecasting. 2 minutes ago, Johnny Hammersticks said: Don’t they make those weighted “anxiety vests” for dogs? That might help. They tried. I say Bose noise-cancelling muffs. Edited June 20, 2020 by ExiledInIllinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 58 minutes ago, Ned Flanders said: A few years ago, our dog was forever spooked by neighborhood fireworks. Since then, he's become deathly afraid of thunderstorms in addition to fireworks. We've tried everything, the thunder shirt, drugs, hugs, treats, etc. and nothing has worked. Any help or advice is appreciated. TIA. You've pretty much tried everything. Only thing I haven't seen on there is building dog a den (crate covered by rugs) and consulting a professional trainer. What does your dog do to show the fear? If it's not too disgusting or destructive, may just have to take your best mitigating actions and live with it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Hammersticks Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 Psychotropic medication. Just get some doggy Zoloft! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewaycynic2013 Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 Read him a Covid thread, or something out of PPP. Next thunderstorm, Rover will merely raise an eyebrow, and light a Camel straight. ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hapless Bills Fan Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 15 minutes ago, Johnny Hammersticks said: Psychotropic medication. Just get some doggy Zoloft! Ah, since you've weighed in - he did mention they'd tried medication But @Ned Flanders have you tried CBD? https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/cbd-oil-for-anxiety-can-it-calm-your-anxious-dog/ Our neighbor swears by these CBD biscuits she buys for her anxious dog and gives when t-storms forecast. I don't know why this just occurred to me when I saw your post. ? The other thing I didn't see mentioned is if your dog has a "dog friend" that is not anxious, try to get them together - dogs may be able to communicate calm to each other in a way we can't. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Hammersticks Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 9 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said: Ah, since you've weighed in - he did mention they'd tried medication But @Ned Flanders have you tried CBD? https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/cbd-oil-for-anxiety-can-it-calm-your-anxious-dog/ Our neighbor swears by these CBD biscuits she buys for her anxious dog and gives when t-storms forecast. I don't know why this just occurred to me when I saw your post. ? The other thing I didn't see mentioned is if your dog has a "dog friend" that is not anxious, try to get them together - dogs may be able to communicate calm to each other in a way we can't. Yes, JH is a bit of a pot head ? Last spring we “rescued” an older dog who was horribly abused/neglected. Was brought up here from a kill shelter in SC. She wouldn’t even make eye contact with me for the first few weeks after we brought her home (was abused by adult male). She has horrible anxiety. Anyway, I make a THC oil that works really well for her. I put about 1/4 teaspoon in half a can of tuna fish. It’s amazing how much it helps her. She’s not just “stoned.” She appears more comfortable, is more social, and loves to eat tortilla chips ? I give it to her if we’re having friends over or if there’s going to be thunder/fireworks. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, ExiledInIllinois said: Call me skeptical. It never rains in Southern California, it just pours and swallow you up whole, the ? that is! For real....I think I've heard thunder once in four years living here. I kinda miss thunder storms, but I guess thunder and fog don't mix. 59 minutes ago, Johnny Hammersticks said: Don’t they make those weighted “anxiety vests” for dogs? That might help. Or some CBD chewables. Edited June 20, 2020 by KD in CA 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gugny Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 1 hour ago, Buffalo_Gal said: I used to have a dog who was very unhappy with the sound of fireworks, and very loud thunder. I never found a solution. I used to just sit beside him and pet him during a violent storm and during the days leading up to Independence Day when the neighborhood youths would set off backyard explosives (July 4th was always lots of "fun"). That calmed him, but he never got over the anxiety. Every summer, it seems like people are shooting off fireworks more and more. It's gotten to the point that, if it's not raining, I hear someone shooting them off. I always think of the dogs who are scared of them. Sad, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Brown Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 Drug it. A dose of trazodone knocks my dog out for four to ten hours. I've tried everything else over the years and that still seems the only thing to works. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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