My female Felicia (5 years old, 3 litters of pups behind her) is very afraid of thunderstorms and fireworks.  Now she has developed a new fear:  the TV.  This is because we have only satellite TV - where I live they don't want to spend the money to lay the cable - so my TV reception is subject to the weather.  Whenever there is a thunderstorm, the TV goes haywire.  The last week or so it has been making snap, crackle and pop sounds and the picture goes all pixelly, I guess due to the unusual weather we are having, and Felicia equates these sounds with the dangers which she feels thunder or fireworks present.  She is completely freaked out while the TV is on, panting and shaking, and only relaxes when I turn it off.  I don't know how to help her, and it is not getting better.  I have tried ignoring her, I have tried scolding her, I have tried comforting her (I know this is "wrong").  Anyone have any suggestions?  She is desperately afraid.  Just when she has regained a little confidence, the TV pops or crackles again, and she is miserable.  I am not planning to stop watching TV, so what to do?  This problem started only about a week ago.

When I'm scared of something if someone comforts/reassures me (like asking questions on here) I feel better: if I'm scolded, ignored or berated i feel worse - about myself and whatever worried me.  I think it's the same for our dogs - reassurance really helps whereas ignoring, or worse punishing, a fearful dog (or person) just accentuates the fear.

My JRT X has been barking at lots since both losing my older girl and getting a new pup.
I've been reassuring him & treating him (verbally and with food/games etc) .  I actually managed to watch a dog programme today that I'd not been able to for a while.  It takes a lot of time and patience and there's no quick fix. 
Could you have some things prerecorded to watch when there's storms until he's able to settle?

There are some CDs of "scary-for-dogs" sounds available to buy online.  I bought [url=]www.amazon.co.uk/Clix-Noises-and-Sounds-CD[/url] for my youngster, but there are other similar things available.  You start by playing it very softly when the dog (and owner ) are relaxed, and gradually over days increase the volume.  I used to play it when I was doing something really boring like the ironing, so that he could see it wasn't anything to be afraid of.

>When I'm scared of something if someone comforts/reassures me (like asking questions on here) I feel better: if I'm scolded, ignored or berated i feel worse - about myself and whatever worried me.  I think it's the same for our dogs

Unfortunately, any dog behaviorist will tell us that when you comfort a dog who is afraid, the message the dog receives is that you are praising him for his fear and confirming that it is justified.  Fearfulness in a dog should be ignored, and the dog should be left to deal with its fear alone, without the intervention of OUR ideas and methods of so-called comfort.  I too would love to take the frightened doggy in my arms (and I even do sometimes, despite knowing better), because this is what we PEOPLE need.  I don't "punish" the dog for being frightened, but I do say "Just stop it!".  Nothing works except turning off the TV.  It is not the TV itself which is the problem (she's been living with a TV for 5 years!), it's the new sounds it has been making lately, which remind her of thunder storms or fireworks.  The TV crackles and pops and the picture goes all pixels for a moment.  There is obviously some atmospheric disturbance involved. We've had weird weather for over a week now.

> Unfortunately, any dog behaviorist will tell us that when you comfort a dog who is afraid, the message the dog receives is that you are praising him for his fear and confirming that it is justified.  Fearfulness in a dog should be ignored, and the dog should be left to deal with its fear alone,

Thoughts have changed on that Nimue and it is fine to comfort a fearful dog. My oldie is scared of thunder and fireworks and his fear became so bad that my vet prescribed diazepam to help him as he was a danger to himself. I too had always been told not to comfort a fearful dog but since reading an article such as the one I have put a link to I realised that my dog not only needed comforting but deserved it too. He is still absolutely terrified but on the last two occasions when there has been a thunder storm and I have sat beside him on the floor just calmly stroking and grooming him he has managed without the sedatives.  I use a thunder shirt for him too which does help a little but it is the comforting that has made the biggest difference.

http://thebark.com/content/reducing-fear-your-dog

I was very glad to read this as there is no way I would ignore fear and not comfort! Did this mean dog behaviourists think fearful dogs in packs got outcast and ignored rather than comforted by the pack? Surely that's not how a pack animal works? In my experience as a parent I would say that if advice feels counterintuitive it's usually wrong.

Nimue my old rescue was a failed gundog and was terrified of bangs and fireworks. He too would sit in a corner shivering and shaking and drooling. Our vet gave us sedatives but my mother didn't like seeing him "drugged" so in the end she and I took turns sitting on the floor with him reading or otherwise looking calm/bored. It never got him over the fear but it helped him cope. I would second the scary-noise-cd as a way of getting her more used to it in general.

I am so glad to know this!!!!!  I can now do what comes naturally, and I WILL do this!  Because the other way isn't working.  Thanks very much!

The do not comfort fearful dogs has been around for many years similar to old style negative training methods which hopefully are being dropped.

I have  a 5 year old who has just developed fear of thunder. No idea why and am currently trying to work out a way of dealing with it. Yesterday I was reassuring her verbally and giving a treat when the thunder rumbled so she would  start to see it as a good thing. The odd bit is that she isnt a fearful dog and this only started last week and she wants to run in and out looking at the sky . Its tricky going out for a walk as you  wont know if the weather may change as it seems to be doing atm

I think comforting is fine as long as you don't make too much of a major fuss, just gentle stroking, and a cheerful 'that's ok, nothing to worry about' sort of approach. :-)

My 1st GSD developed a medical condition that caused him to have panic attacks at sudden loud noises, got all the various.........he's just playing up, cuddle him, tell him off etc. A behaviourist/trainer I went to (Suffolk to Derbyshire and back in a day!!!) pointed out that when I was reassuring/comforting him I was making the same 'noises' and hand movements as when praising him. Her suggestion was NOT to tell him off in any way but to be very matter of fact and 'jolly hockey sticks' about anything.
The sort of thing that used to set him off was stuff like in class when a dumbell landed on a wooden floor and I found in that situation what worked best was as soon as he started getting up-tight was to go into heelwork on the spot  with sits, left and right ¼ turns, stay move 1 step away and back type of things all done very quickly. This didn't work outdoors on a walk but then it was either let him get in the car - which was a 'safe place' or remove him from where ever without him getting in too much of a panic - at his worst he had dragged me across a road to get to the car when a Jack Russell suddenly started barking at him

If it helps to reassure you, I am a behaviourist, and I say comfort your dog!

The trick to it is how you do it.  Reassurance in the form of slow strokes or gentle ear tickles with a low, soft, soothing tone is helpful; petting your dog while chanting 'it's ook,.it's ok, it's ok!' is not   it's the whole 'lead by example' thing mixed in with comfort seeking: if you are calm and offer some sanctuary, it will help.

Some dogs respond better to being given things to do - I find this especially with my collie.  If she has a clear task to do, she can cope better and even ignore whatever's frightening her, to a degree.  It also helps with the habitual reactions she has (e.g. chasing the tractors driving past on the golf course at the back - she's not scared of them now but the chase continues as it's a very, very strong habit).

Not sure if you were answering my post, your suggestions are more or less what I did.
Don't know if you ever heard Joyce Grenfell with the 'Nursery' monologue she did - that was a perfect example of the attitude to take
This was with my first GSD so was back in 1991. We went to the vet who treated him and he wasn't cured but it got to a situation when I could pick up when his calcium level was low and up his med for a few days/weeks until he was OK again without needing a blood test.

Generally my young dog isn't afraid of much, Prosecco bottles being opened is her biggy. I've noticed that if there is a loud or unusual noise she will turn to look at me to see what my reaction is. I usually just keep calm and unconcerned for her sake and that seems to be enough, not so with the Prosecco bottles unfortunately, she goes and hides under a table if she spots one being opened, but doesn't bat an eyelid at thunder or a bird scarer going off close by.

Perhaps try champagne next time! Sorry I couldn't resist I know it's not funny

Can't afford it ff