|

Have a question for WOOF?
E-mail
us! |
meet
the instructors | meet the staff | news | links
| testimonials | our graduate brags |
community
Thunderstorm
Fear
Dear WOOF:
We
are proud owners of a 2 1/2 year old male pitbull who is scared to death of
thunder and lightning. When it storms he tries to get to the highest level of
the house and pants, shakes until the storm is over. I am afraid that he will
one day hyperventilate or have a heart attack. Do you have any suggests to help
us work with our dog through the stormy weather?
Hi-
This is
a common problem in dogs and with the storm season is upon us, so it's something that
many dog owners will likely also be thinking about.
The standard approach
for modifying such behavioral responses are known as desensitization and
counter-conditioning. Taken together, this involves controlled, non-fear
inducing exposures (done using a CD of storm noises, so you can control the
volume) that are paired with good things *like yummy food treats, play or
anything your dog LOVES*. The goal is to eventually establish (at "full
intensity" levels) a new and positive emotional response to the sounds that were
previously frightening to the dog.
Unfortunately, storm phobic responses
can be difficult to modify. Reason being that in order to successfully teach the
dog a new and pleasant emotional association with the storm, we must identify
and desensitize/counter-condition all of the triggers that cause the fear. Even
if the dog is initially only afraid of loud crashes of thunder, eventually other
factors usually begin to "cue" the dog of the impending thunder - before the
storm even hits.
For example, when a
storm is approaching, there are atmospheric factors like changes in barometric
pressure and humidity that dogs may sense long before we do. Those events
then become a cue to the dog that the thunder is coming, and can in
themselves trigger the onset of fear. If your dog is sensitive to these events,
progress can be difficult, since atmoshperic changes can not be controlled,
therefore making the process more challenging. Sometimes, a flash of lightening
becomes more anxiety producing than the thunder to follow, since it usually
precedes the crashing sound!
Before you get discouraged, there is hope
for your storm phobic dog! One product that can help is called the Thunder
Shirt http://www.thundershirt.com/. Here's
another link to some great information on treating storm phobias that you should
also find helpful -
Another option depending on the severity of the fear, is medication. For dogs exhibiting
behavior(s) associated with more than a mild or moderate fear of storms, your
veterinarian may prescribe anti-anxiety medications that can help the dog to
relax more during the process.
If we can help further in any way, please don't hesitate to contact us. We'd like to know how
you and your dog are doing so please keep us posted.
Good Luck! Lisa
(Laney) Patrona, Dip. DTBC, CPDT-KA, CBC
Sign up to receive Woofology's Tip of Week via
email:
woofologist@yahoo.com
|