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Mother Nature sure has dealt the country some severe weather so far this year. This spring's thunderstorms, hailstorms and tornado-producing weather has had many dogs (and their families) dealing with a fear of thunder and other loud noises.
Unfortunately, a magic drug or cure for thunderstorm phobia does not exist. Fortunately, there are some behavior modification techniques you can try at home to help your pet deal with its fear. Some dogs that exhibit severe fear of thunderstorms will need medication as well as the behavior modification techniques in order to overcome or live more comfortably with their phobia.
The single most important thing you can do to help your pet is not to comfort the pet during the thunderstorm. While this may sound cruel, doing so actually rewards your pet for being afraid. "If I whine and shake, mommy will sit with me and pet me." In addition, pet owners who respond by raising their voice, showing their own fear or anxiety, or punishing the animal will only heighten the pet's fear.
So what should you do? Use a happy, jolly, playful voice. This may help give your dog confidence. Ideally, you should try to get your dog to play with you during storms, distracting and deflecting his attention away from the storm and onto you and the joy of playing a favorite game. Start the play time BEFORE the storm arrives to ensure better results. Placing the dog in a "den" environment can also help the dog to feel safe. This den could be a crate covered with a blanket or appropriate sized cardboard box which allows the dog to hide from the noise. Place the crate/box in a basement or room without windows to lessen the negative impact of the storm. Your dog may also benefit from background noise such as a TV, radio or soothing music playing during the storm.
Desensitizing your dog to the sound of thunder can also be of benefit. You can purchase CDs with nature sounds of thunderstorms (www.thundercd.com) or make your own audio recording of thunder noises and play it barely audible while you are playing a favorite game with your pet. When your pet has been accustomed to that, turn the volume up slightly while continuing to play with your pet. Continue until your pet is able to play happily while the recording is at full volume. Note, this may take several days to weeks, and it is a good idea to play the recording sporadically when thunderstorms are not in the forecast to maintain your dog's acclimation to thunderstorm sounds.
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