Frightened of thunder - what to do?

My foster staffy is frightened of thunder. We're having a big storm right now and she's hiding under the computer table, shaking and panting.

I just wondered if there's anthing I should do? I have read that it's best to not comfort/cuddle a dog when it's in this state as it reinforces the behaviour. So I'm just sitting with her but not giving her that much attention.

Am I doing it right?

Cheers guys x

I think you are doing the right thing.

What you could also try (but if she is really terrified it may not work) is to distract her - get her favourite toy out or some really tasty treat and do some training.

If you haven't already, putting on the TV or radio may also help to hide some of the noise.

Thanks for that, I'm just about to watch big brother that I taped last night.

Unfortunately there's noway she's coming out from under the table so I can't really distract her. She's not panting now, just trying to curl up as small as possible.

Aw, I want to cuddle her but I know I can't

Awwww, I had this with my old Cassie, she would get herself in a right old state, shaking from head to foot, trying to get underneath just about everything, including the puter desk! She always favoured the bathroom? Don't ask me why, but try taking her in there if she's getting in a real state, it might help? What about underneath the stairs? Have you got a space and you can drape something over the front like I used to, coz it made a sort of den for her and she felt more comfortable? I know just what it's like, sometimes I used to think she'd have a heart attack the way she got so stressed out with a storm/fireworks. Good luck.

Pharaoh is a wuss with storms, he shivers and hides. Preferring under the bed, or behind the sofa. We close the curtains, put the radio on and try to distract him, but really all we can do is cuddle him and wait for it to pass. Maybe cuddling them re-enforces the behaviour, but it certainly makes me feel better. Poor little shivery thing.

Noise sensitivity in dogs is common and some have mild problems with certain noises. In other dogs, the sensitivity gets more severe and becomes generalised to all loud sounds.
It depends how bad it is and how generalised the issue but a lot can be done with a programme of desensitisation (slowly getting used to the noise in a safe place) and counter-conditioning (association of noise with a pleasant activity eg feeding).

I have a sounds scary cd which can help but it needs to be played on 0 to start a desensitisation programme, and the cd should never induce a fear response, otherwise its counter-productive. Takes a lot of dedication and an expensive HiFi to reproduce a convincing sound (mine wasn't good enough and Taki could tell!!)

I actually use melatonin (a natural hormone) - for my rescue: 30mg tablets purchased via the internet from US. It's brilliant and has worked far better than anything else. I also give her a tablet before a country walk with loud birdscarers or before a thunderstorm/firework time, again a very good result.

Mary

Pharaoh seems to do quite well on Bachs Flowers rescue remedy, a couple of drops in some water if we know it's going to be a bad night for fireworks, or there's a storm brewing.

Thanks for the info MaryS. So far she's only been scared of thunder. We walk near a railway and the trains haven't bothered her and neither have the birdscarers.

Apparently she's scared of fireworks as well, but we might not have her that long so we'll have to wait and see.

I have a DAP diffuser so if we still have her in the autumn I'll probably put it on in the middle of September. We also have radios upstairs and downstairs so I can put them on to drown out some of the noise.

She's still under the pooter desk, but has come out a couple of times and has stopped shaking. Poor thing!

I've got some Rescue remedy, I'll give it a go

Poor dog. I would try the DAP difuser now. You are definately doing the right thing not over comforting her though.....just act as calmly and matter as factly as you can.

My mum's GSD x collie is also fearful of thunder storms and my mum comforts him, even though i explain why it is best not to. He hates them, but is so ball obsessed that you can distract him with a ball game, because he then becomes fixated on the ball............unfortunately my mum won't take this approach!

I owned a BC years back that hated them....we just put on the tv or radio and didn't over react towards it. There are alot of home remedies that work.

Fortunately my 3 don't bother about it...