Heavy rain, thunderstorms and loud noises. There is someone in the house who just can’t stand them: our friend Fido. In fact, if you have a dog , you will have noticed that it has a great fear of thunder and the most annoying noises. This is because his hearing is much more sensitive than human hearing. So how can you help him? There are some simple remedies for dogs who are afraid of thunderstorms .
How to calm a dog that is shivering in the storm
- Distract him . This shifts the focus to something else; we can make it play with an object or turn on the television at low volume to confuse external noises.
- Find a safe corner for him: cushions or a small kennel are enough, the important thing is that it is a comfortable space, a refuge from his anxiety about the noise of the storm. If you want, you can also have him find a small snack , as chewing relieves stress.
- Do not go out and avoid standing at the window ; in fact, even the vision of lightning could make him frighten.
To help him, our goal must be to not let the dog perceive that we are afraid and that the noises of the pouring rain and the storm do not constitute a danger, neither for us nor for him.
Because the dog is afraid of noises
The dog is not only afraid of the storm, but of loud noises in general. Another frightening situation, for example, is that of the vacuum cleaner: the dog is afraid of the vacuum cleaner . At the base of these fears there seems to be a self-defense mechanism on the part of the animal. Furthermore, as a living being, even for our 4-legged friend it is natural to get scared in the presence of sudden noises; the difference is that a dog cannot calm down independently, indeed, if the noises continue, as in the case of a storm, the anxiety of our furry friend grows.
What not to do when the dog is afraid of the storm
Just as there are remedies for a dog that is scared of a storm or a vacuum cleaner, there are also some things not to do :
- scold him
- look at it steadily
- to be seen worried , because the dog may sense this and become even more agitated
- pamper him excessively and in a different way from “usual” (eg: let him get on the bed or sofa when there is a storm …)
Also, if you can, also try not to leave him alone when there are severe thunderstorms and do not punish him when he is afraid, you will only make the situation worse.
Try to behave as normal as possible and your friend will be grateful to you.
Loving him also means respecting him in his being and in his diversity and then, tell us the truth … the storm scares you a bit too, isn’t it? :-)
