Thunderstorm Phobias in Dogs

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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 attach. Do you have any suggests to help us work with our dog through the stormy weather?

Hi-

This is common problem in dogs and with the storm season upon us, it's something that many other dog owners will 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 provoking exposures 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 whatever was 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 can begin to "cue" the dog of the impending thunder - before the storm even hits. T

Think of it this way, 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 may can difficult, since atmoshperic changes can not be controlled.

Before you get discouraged, there is hope for your storm phobic dog! The following links provide great information on the use of Melatonin (a non-pharmaceutical hormone supplement) to treat storm phobias. We hope that you find it helpful.

http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/melatonin.htm

Additionally, depending on the severity of your dog's sensitivity, your veterinarian may prescribe anti-anxiety medications to use during behavioral modification procedures that may lead to successful results.

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