Is Your Dog Afraid of Thunder & Lightening Storms?
Well if he or she is… they are certainly not alone! Many people have animals or know people who do — that are deathly afraid of lightening and thunderstorms. And unfortunately many people believe that there is no reason for this fear other than that the animal is just being a “big baby” when a storm brews up.
Nothing could be further from the truth!
Research has shown that many animals can actually “feel” the static electricity in the atmosphere. You all know how keen a dog’s sense of smell is — it’s a zillion times better than a humans right? Keeping that in mind, it has been proven that some animals have a similar sensitivity to this static electricity and it is that “feeling” that scares them and makes them uncomfortable.
Sure, many animals do not like loud noises, etc. My “girls” (The Wee Weiner Dogs) do not particularly care for fireworks of any kind. But the girls don’t seem to mind a nice thunder and lightening storm at all. I am very fortunate in this respect!
However, I have one friend who’s dog is so deathly afraid of the noise of the storms he would find her (Lab Mix) terrified and hiding in the closet. Another friend of mine has to be with her dog (Boxer) comforting him through the entire storm or he is so fearful she thinks he may harm himself. (((Poor Doggies!!!)))
So — what do you do to help them over their fear of storms?
Well, one thing that the study showed was that it helps immensely if you rub your animal’s fur thoroughly with a dryer sheet the minute you know a storm is coming. Yes, the very same dryer sheets you use for your laundry. It will remove any static electricity in their fur and keep them from actually “feeling” the affects of the storm.
If you happen to live in a part of the country where storms brew often like I do — (Florida is the lightening capital of the world!) — make the dryer sheet rub down a regular regime with your dog. And keep in mind an animal can sense bad weather long before the storm is near… so keep a watchful eye on your local weather channel and prepare accordingly - especially if you are not likely to be home with your furry buddy when the storm hits.
Your animal has a lifetime of anxiety and fear built up & they will need patience on YOUR part help them get over it. All they know is that a storm is coming — and the noise of one may still upset them because they know what to expect when they hear these noises.
And for heaven’s sake… don’t just use a dryer sheet one time and go “well that didn’t work”. Some pets may always continue to be fearful of storms. BUT - at least you know that if you use the dryer sheets – your pet won’t have to FEEL the affects of the static electricity that may run through their bodies.
Hopefully this post will help someone and their animal have much better storm experiences in the future.
Is Your Dog Afraid of Thunder & Lightening Storms?
