[Snowshoe]

I don't know how it is where you all are, but here in "sunny" Ohio we've been getting crazy thunderstorms. Sometimes, the storms last for hours and include loud bouts of thunder and flashing lightning.

Previous to this heat cycle, Orchid's never been afraid of anything much less storms.

For the past few nights, when it storms she screams in her kennel to get out. I think that the thunder wakes her up and then she sees the lightning flashing and gets terrified.

When she cries, it sounds like a woman screaming and is very disconcerting to hear, especially when it starts in the middle of the night and wakes us out of a dead sleep.

Lately, my boyfriend has taken to sleeping on the couch and letting her out when she starts screaming. She comes into the living room and lays down beside the couch and eventually quiets down.

Is it that she feels trapped in her kennel and instinctively wants to get to a higher, more open ground?

Is it the noise and the light together?

Does anyone have any ideas on how to deal with this?

I don't know if this is just part of her being in heat, or whether this will end up being something permanent. I'm positive that we're not dealing with this right, but I'm really confounded on how to comfort her with out making her think that its OK to be frightened of storms.

Thanks!

~Snow & the Furry Herd

[Snowshoe]

hello!!! (she hears the sound echo in the cavernous silence)

[opokki]

Does she seem to get anxious prior to the storms or only after the storm has started?

I've recently learned that some dogs are thought to get static shocks during thunderstorms, leading to or contributing to their fear of them. Rubbing the dog down with anti-static sheets prior to the storm can help alleviate this.

If it is only the sound that frightens her, there are thunder storm CD's available which can be played regularly at gradually increasing volumes until the dog becomes desensitized to them. This might be difficult to do though if you are having real thunder storms frequently before she has been completely desensitized to the noise.

Rescue remedy might also be helpful for some dogs if given before and during the storm.

Nicole Wildes book "Help for Your Fearful Dog" has a chapter on thunder storms but my copy is at work. If I remember to, I'll look it over tomorrow to see if there are any other useful tips.

[skelaki]

You can also give her melatonin to help her stay calmer.

But, the rouble with letting her out of the crate when she's "screaming" is that you inadvertently reward that behavior. It's understandable though.

How old is she now? One of my collies loved thunderstorms until he was 7 years old and then he suddenly became afraid of them. If herbal and or homeopathic remedies don't help, ask you vet for something stronger to give the dog but whatever you give has to be given first when the dog is calm (before the storm is due).

[Val]

I'm no expert but I don't think it has anything to do with the heat cycle. We've had Pepper about 2 months now and she has some issues. She's never liked the storms but she would just go lay down some where and she wouldn't go out in them. Two nights ago here in central Illinois we had the big one with lightning and thunder. The dog woke us up screaming just like you described. Nothing would calm her until I let her out and let her sleep by me in our room. I had to do this because my granddaughter had school the next day and my husband had to get some sleep for work.

I figured this was going to be a really bad thing but last night she slept in her crate just fine. No problems. Now here it is 11:00 at night and we've got another of those horrific storms. Huge thunder, lots of lightning, sounds like the worlds coming to an end. Pepper is under my desk shaking, laying on my feet as I type this. She will be spending another night in our room I can tell.

This doesn't answer any of your questions except that I think it must be just these certain types of storms that we're having in this area right now. By the way, Pepper is fixed so I know it doesn't have anything to do with a heat cycle. I'm sure people would say I'm doing the wrong thing by not forcing her to stay in her crate but if they could hear the sound she makes, plus the fact that our house is small and we need our sleep.....well......I guess I'll have to fix it later. The one saving grace was that she did go back into her crate last night just fine with no storm. I guess time will tell.

Val

PS - she is also on Prozac for about a week now for seperation anxiety but it doesn't seem to be helping with this bout of storms. I can't tell if it's working for the other or not.