My daughters´ dog, Snarfy, a 20– lb. Boston Terrier mix, is hiding between my legs and the couch right now, trembling in fear. There is a summer afternoon storm brewing with lightning and thunder, and she is terrified. She´s the toughest little terrier with quirky behaviors like biting water hoses and attacking the vacuum cleaner, who doesn´t think twice about standing up to big dogs. But thunder is another matter.
I have had clients tell me their dogs are so terrified of thunder that they hide in closets, under beds and will tear up things in their home when it thunders. One labrador tore up and ate my clients´ wind jacket during a particularly bad thunderstorm. When I was a kid, our rough, tough cow dog figured out how to open the front door and come into the house to hide under the bed during thunderstorms. This was a dog you could not normally drag into the house.
Animal behavior professionals think dogs become fearful of thunder because it is a survival technique. Animals in nature hide when it is thundering to avoid lightening strike or a storm.
Our domesticated dogs do not understand they are not in imminent danger in the house!
There are recordings of thunderstorms on CD you can use to desensitize your pet if needed. Start with a very low volume, and increase slightly each subsequent day, until the dog no long pays attention to the noise.
Anyway, with some assuring words and petting, tough little Snarfy has calmed down and quit shaking as the thunder dies down.
Sharon E. Anderson, DVM
