How do I help keep my dog calm during a thunderstorm?

I have a 6 year old dachshund and she is terrified of thunder storms. When thunder sounds, she runs for someones lap, under a bed, or just runs around the house trying to find a "safe place". She also cries. I try my best to help her by petting her and comforting her when she does run to me, but she ends up running off when thunder sounds again usually (sometimes she does stay). Is there anything I can do to make her more calm during a storm? Is it natural for all dogs to be scared of storms like this?

slice a bit of its nose of

treat them like your man....just rub there lil belly and they'll be fine.

Its very natural. Put on some calm and loud music To cover up the thunder. See how that works.

It is very common for dogs to be scared during thunderstorms. You can ask your vet for Acepromazine, which is a tranquilizer that will help with stress for thunderstorms or fireworks. If you don't like that idea, then you can try Benadryl 25mb: Give 1/4 pill 1 hour before you expect the storm to start.

If she is at all used to a crate putting her in it would be a good idea. Put it away from windows and in the interior of the house to block more of the sound. It is a closed space, and probably feels a bit like a den.

Not all dogs get upset during storms. But some due. My Yorkie definitely does... and you just have to be patient and reassure them.

You may have to talk to your vet about getting doggie valium for the poor thing when you have bad storms. Other than comfort it, there is not much you can do. We had a large old dog, and even though she could hardly walk, if it stormed she would climb into the bathtub. We could hardly get her out because she was so heavy and we would have to lift her.It is more common than you think, probably a survival instinct from the wild dog days of their ancestors.

idk my dog just did the same thing 15 min ago!

We use rescue remedy, works great in thunderstorms or any other stressful situation. Its all natural. Here is a link to thier site for more information.http://www.preciouspets.org/newsletters/articles/bach.htmhttp://www.bachflower.com/Pets.htm

No matter what you do, your dog will be scared!I wouldn´t use medication, just reassure her and pat her.My dog would jump on to my bed every time there was a thunder storm, and only hugging him would stop him from trembling, as he grew old he got better, but that was causehe was deaf! Good luck!

Get her a crate that she can use as her safe place, her hidey-hole. You can put a blanket over it to make it more like a cave. Shut the door of the crate so she can't go tearing around and hurt herself or even get outdoors and injured.Play soothing music (obviously nothing with a lot of drums)There are meds that your vet can prescribe; it just depends on whether you want to dope the dog. You may not always be around when a storm rolls in, whereas the crate can be there for her any time.My married daughter has a 9-yr old male dachsie and he does this too; we found the crate and the music were about all we can do for him. Do her eyes get real dilated and weird? I ask because Frasier's do...it's like he doesn't really see us or even know who we are. He came to us as a 3-yr-old rescue and we joke that he got loose during a t'storm in Lexington (KY) and ran all the way to Louisville, where he was picked up.

Does your dog have a kennel or doggie-bed? I would keep an open kennel in a quiet, dark room for her. Give her that 'safe-place' that she's been looking for. She can run to it and 'wait out the storm'. Petting and reassuring her is a great technique - kudos for doing it.If you feel she is getting uncontrollably worked up over it (it doesn't sound like that is the situation), you can talk to your vet. They might give you a sedative prescription if they feel the situation warrants it. Most of the time a medication is only needed when the dog become uncontrollable, looses control of urine/bowel movement, or is a threat to himself or others because he isn't 'thinking' clearly due to fright.Many, many dogs are terrified of thunder storms. Yours is not the only dog, so don't feel alone.For the average thunder-storm-fear you can try essential oils such as lavendar (put a few drops on your hand, rub into palms, and then calmly pet/massage your dog). [to make sure your dog is not allergic to lavendar oil, try doing this on an average day on a small area of his body and make sure the skin does not react - some essential oils are strong and occasionally you find a dog that doesn't tolerate them] There is also something made from floral essences called Rescue Remedy. Its usually available at a health food store; some of the larger pharmacies might carry it. You would use it similar to the lavendar oil and it works in a similar way. good luck!

My dog doesn't like thunderstorms either. She does the exact same thing as your dog, (whining, hiding, jumping on people), but she also hyperventilates. We usually create a 'safe spot' for her such as a table with a blanket over the edges, or a corner of a room with a kind of cavelike feel to it. Also, it helps if you keep the volumes up on the TV or radio to help cut down hearing the thunder. And, keep as many lights on as possible so lightning doesn't frighten her either (my dog learned that when she saw lightning, thunder was coming). On the other hand, by petting her and soothing her you're showing that it's okay to 'freak out' during a storm. If you ignore the storm, she'll learn that it isn't that bad, and will learn to ignore it too.

shoot it and get a new one until you have a brave dog thats what i did until i got cookies just kidding just give it a safe spot or if your good at sewing make ear muffs for it him her whatever

What you should do is hold the dog close to you and coax it until it is calm. Maybe even you can cuddle up on the couch. What you want is for the dog to focus on you: not the t-storm.

I got this stuff called "Calm down" from the pet store. it's liquid and you add it to the water. I liked it cause it didn't knock my dog out, just chilled him a little.

Stop petting her and comforting her when she acts so fearful. You're only telling her that she's right to be afraid. Instead do something like starting a training session with her. Ignore the storm yourself. Tell her to sit and reward her with a small treat for doing what you tell her to do. Resist the urge to reward her in any way for acting afraid.My yorkie is afraid of noises, too, like the vacuum, so I started turning on the vacuum with him in the room and letting it run while I got out his favorite squeaky toy. First I played with his squeaky toy with him at the opposite side of the room as the vacuum, then gradually moved closer to the vacuum. I can't say he loves the vacuum, but he doesn't freak out over it anymore and I can get him to walk past it calmly.My dachshund on the other hand..... When I start the vacuum, she runs to get a tennis ball and drops it in front of the vacuum. I guess she thinks the vacuum will throw it for her now?

Electricity crackles in the fur of animals before it is 'feelable' by us mere humans.It's uncomfortable -- think of how you feel when you get a 'spark' when you touch something electrical. Not good.A lot of dogs will run for something ceramic (like a bathtub) when inclement weather approaches. Ceramics don't conduct painful electricity. Or... Put your dog on your lap and smoothe down the clothing you're wearing. That will keep electrical crackles from passing from the dog to you and back again. Give your dog a safe haven. I put a bunch of cotton blankets in the corner of my clothing closet. My pup RAN there and was safe, and didn't get zapped by crackling electricity. She ran there for the next 15 years. My next dog? Didn't react to thunder/lightning at all. Loved being outside and being rained on. So who knows? I've had Fraidy Cats and I've had Warrior Princesses. Short answer to your question -- make sure you have non-conductive (cotton) fabric nearby. Put it on your lap, and then put the dachsie there. Make a save haven of cotton in a cupboard, and make sure the door is cracked open. Hope some of this helps.

It is natural for dogs to be scared of loud noises. My Boston is scared because his owners before us, used a shot gun to scare him when he ran off. We adopted him and he's now abuse free. But he still cowers and hides when he hears loud noises, especially thunder. I close all our windows, turn on the air conditioner and turn on the t.v. I put him on our couch, and cover him with a blanket. He goes right to sleep and he can't even hear the noise. Fireworks also scare him. During the 4th of July, we usually try to take him with us, wherever we go, so he isn't left to hear the noises by himself.