Last night at 1am we had our first thunderstorm since Barneys arrival.  He was in his crate in the kitchen and started to wimper as soon as the storm started, I left him for a couple of minutes before getting up to see him, poor wee boy was shaking, staring up at the ceiling.  I let him out and let him sleep in our room last night after trying to reassure him that everything was OK.  I have read the forecast and see that more storms are on there way, next time it happens should I reassure Barney it will be OK with cuddles or should I be ignoring it?  I don't want to make him more afraid of the storm.  Thanks.

Jax :)

If you ignore the storm he is more likely too as well. If you cuddle him he will think there is something to be afraid of ...

Thanks Jeangenie, I thought I had to ignore it, but if it happens in the night again should I leave him to wimper in his cage - it's heartbreaking to listen to it. :(

Jax - the big softie.

I heard that very same storm Jax! :-D

I don't think Millie's heard a storm before - I remember we had a windy storm before around 3am when I was just in bed and OH was still up, she started whimpering but we think it was because the banging (ie fences) woke her up and she wanted to come and find us just because she was awake.  So we brought her up to bed for her first time, and of course that's a whole other story!

The first we heard of that storm last night was Millie growling - I opened my eyes to see what was the matter and saw the lightening so guessed she was growling at thunder that we hadn't heard yet.  I was going to pick her up and put her on our bed ready, but then realised that by comforting her I would be reinforcing her fear so I left her and fortunately when the thunderclaps came, she just barked and growled through it all.  Thank god it was only a short one!

My sister's Westie is terrified of fireworks.  If he hears a single firework right in the distance, he will turn round and head for home, no negotiations open.  I can only assume that when he was young either my sister or his previous owners (she got him at 5 months) made a big deal of fussing over him when he heard fireworks and so be careful not to have the same thing with Barney and thunderstorms.  Obviously downstairs on his own shaking isn't preferable (some people might say you have to ignore him completely but my heart would break if I saw Millie like that and I wouldn't be able to resist doing SOMETHING!!, so I think taking him upstairs with you was probably a good idea, but without any fuss or attention, and then just get into bed and ignore him.  By being in the same room he can see that you're not bothered by or reacting to the storm and its no big deal, he's near you so he's safe.

Just my thoughts, but realistically, "i know nah-thin, I'm from Bar-theh-lohna"...;-)...I'm just making it up as I go along really!

PS Are we really due more storms?  Oh no :-(

I get my pup in a couple of weeks and I know if he was wimpering cos he is scared that I wouldnt beable to just leave him, although I know I should :rolleyes:  my pup will be cuddled up in bed with me as soon as it starts :D :D

On a serious note though, im going to buy one of those desensitisation (definite SP ;) ) CDs to get him used to noises.  Does anyone know where I can get one from ?????

Claire :)

Hi
My pup is 5months old and it was also her first thinder storm, so i took her for a walk. She was totally fine. But did freak a bit when a car alarm went off. I just carried on walking as normal and when she calmed down from the alarm i praised her and gave her a treat.

Debbie

http://www.crosskeysbooks.com/members/rafe1.html

Crosskeys sells his CD/booklets on:

Curing the Gunshy Dog
Curing Firework Phobia
Curing Thunder Phobia


http://www.soundsscary.com/Page%201.htm
http://www.dogdayz.co.uk/

OMG Tohme that is so scary, you must be telepathic, you posted the answer to my question at the same time as I asked it

people have used that term about me before........................... scary that is :D :D :D

I am really hoping that we get a (short) thunderstorm in the next few days so that I can see the pups reaction to it before they start to leave.

They spend much of their time in the conservatory which has a polycarbonate roof and a few weeks ago when we had all those hail storms each time it started, and it was deafening out there, Maverick went in and fed them, as soon as it stopped she left them and this went on all day - by the end of the day they totally ignored all the noise. 

I am now waiting with interest to see what she does if it thunders as she is not bothered about storms - maybe this could be a new de-sensitisation programme - feed and touch as soon as noise starts remove food and touch when it stops :)

What I've done with my dogs and none of them are particularily afraid is that I kind of start playing with them and making super happy talk with my voice. I get out some treats maybe and play a little fetch. They get involved with that and may pause for a second to listen, but they're not too worried about the storm. It's hard to ignore them completely when they're so terrified isn't it. I don't see anything wrong with holding the dog on your lap so it can be close to you. Just don't make a major sympathetic fuss over it. That will make it sure that something is terribly wrong. It already does think something along those lines.

Carrie

Khanu thought the thunderstorm and lightning great last night. We happened to be on our walk (it was only raining lightly when we left!) when it all started. He had great fun splashing through every puddle, looking at the sky to see where the noise was coming from :rolleyes: While I was thinking, should I be close to trees? as far as possible from trees? where the hell did I park the car? I was gettting less and less amused, especially when my trousers got so wet and heavy they fell down! :D At least Khanu had a great time though and didn't seem the least bit bothered by flashes and loud noise. :)

ha ha ha! :-D

Does anyone else always want to remove the collars from their dogs (metal) if caught outside duriing an electrical storm?

oh no, that hadn't occured to me, now I will be paranoid if a storm starts when we're out walking! :-(

Don't forget id tags!, clips on leads, harnesses, headcollars etc etc etc

LOL....Now here's me, digesting all this wonderful feedback, gaining tips and advice....and Tohome's just tipped me over the edge  ;)
.......some of us have wimpy bassets to worry about....I'm off to buy some rubber booties :D
Jo
x

We had a storm last night or so im told cos both myself and Abby slept through it I think we are just lucky as she slept through the fireworks over new year as well, like her mum once asleep nothing can wake her
Mary

Turn the radio on, sit reading quietly in the same room as the dog while pretending nothing out of the normal is happening..I have found this seems to help some dogs who are afraid of thunderstorms or fireworks.
When my present dog was a puppy I used to take her in the garden to play when it was thundering to get her used to it, big mistake :-) . She isn't afraid of thunder but rushes out of her dog door thinking it is time to play if there is a storm and I get wet bringing her in.

Theoretically a good idea, but these storms are happening at around 1am - I can't see Jax wanting to get up out of bed to sit quietly reading in her kitchen at 1am :-D

Hi Jess, >>I can't see Jax wanting to get up<< is that human or dog :-) ? If it's the dog and scared it is already up..if human with scared dog you are awake anyway. Most storms in this country (uk)tend not to last too long and it is much more pleasent to sit with a cup of tea and a book with the radio on (ignore dog if possible)than to stay in bed fretting about dog...or making a fuss of dog and reinforcing the fact there is something wrong.  The dog sees you are doing 'normal things' and as the pack leader you are signaling all is well.

Jax is a person ... i think....unless the dog can type ;) :p

...yes of course silly me Blondbird..and..Jax :-)..that's what happens if you don't refer back to original post..and you are still half asleep! Anway the point still applies as Jax was awake anyway and probably did not get back to sleep until the storm passed.

Lol @ blondebird and reddor, okay I take your point ;-).

Me personally, once I'm in my bed, I'd rather bring the dog up with me than have to go out to the lean-to to find a chair, set it up in the kitchen, find a book and then sit there in my nightdress pretending to read in the cold radiatorless kitchen in my bare feet :-D but then I am a lazy beggar :-D