Helping Your Dog During Thunderstorms

 

Many dogs have anxiety about thunderstorms, one that can not only make storms unpleasant for them but can cause severe anxiety that can lead to damage to your house and injury to your dog. We know firsthand; our late Australian cattle dog, Alby, had a terrible fear of thunderstorms and it was awful to see her anxiety begin as a storm approached.

But there are steps you can take to make the storm more bearable for your dog. Some dog lovers recommend wraps, a technique much like swaddling a baby, to give the dog a feeling of security.

Susan Sharpe, ADPT, CDPT and veteran dog trainer, invented The Anxiety Wrap (photo, right), a stretchable fabric an animal wears like a bodysuit to provide a gentle pressure and help relieve the fear created by a thunderstorm. Sharpe offers several tips for helping your dog deal with thunderstorm anxiety:

“First, determine what part of the storm triggers your dog’s reaction.” The trainer uses the example of a dog that chases and barks at the lightning or thunder through the house. “This dog might fare better in a crate with a cover over it to help minimize the lightning while placing a radio or television on or near the crate to help with the thunder. Be sure to observe any crated dog during distress as it may increase his anxiety.”

Second, see if your dog can find a safe place where he can remain calm through the storm. “Sometimes this is the bathroom, sometimes it’s the closet. As long as the occupants of the house are okay with the location of the safe place and the dog remains calm without undergoing further trauma, this is an acceptable solution.”

If a safe place can’t be found, Sharpe suggests, “You might try attaching the leash and walking your dog through the house, asking him to perform learned behaviors or go up and down stairs, etc. Redirecting your dog’s focus helps him let go of his perceived danger. Make your house an obstacle course and give the dog juicy treats for maneuvering through, especially during a stressful situation. Gently engage your dog in whatever his favorite activity is whether it’s a game of fetch or hide and seek.” The trainer notes that some dogs just can’t be refocused on other activities, regardless of the treats, when their sense of what they perceive as danger is so strong.

And don’t give up if you don’t see improvement right away. Ms. Sharpe explains, “Any positive exercise you can do helps to create a better association between your dog and the storm.”

The most important thing, Sharpe cautions, is to remain as neutral as possible if interacting with the dog. “Often we humans will try to reassure our dogs by talking in an animated way, sitting with, hugging, and petting them,” she explains. “Unfortunately, giving them special attention even with the best of intentions can actually reinforce their fearful behavior. To a dog, this out-of-the-normal behavior can justify his anxiety. After all, something must be wrong or his human wouldn’t be making such a fuss. Also be sure to never punish the dog for his fearful behavior.”

Even better than trying to help your dog get over a thunderstorm fear is to stop it before it ever starts by working with your puppy during that first year. Along with extensive socialization, Sharpe recommends playing ball or other fun activities with the puppy whenever a storm occurs while the puppy is not showing any signs of thunderstorm fear.

Photograph courtesy The Anxiety Wrap

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Another great product review for the Anxiety Wrap!

Frantic dogs may need the swaddling of a wrap

Posted: July 9, 2010 - 12:19am  |  Updated: July 9, 2010 - 3:18am

By Lisa Yackel

At this time of year, we begin to hear stories from our clients about their dog's fear of loud noises.

Usually, the pet has exhibited these fears all year, but with our summer afternoon thunderstorms, clients have the issue more predominately on their minds.

Typically, they come to us asking for tranquilizers to calm the dog. This is not the best solution in most cases. Tranquilizers need to be given a few hours before the event and should not be given daily.

With our clients who work, the dilemma of not knowing when to use the medication becomes an issue in itself.

Summer storms are so unpredictable that it is hard to know when they might pop up. We have had clients come home to a house that looks like it has been ransacked because their dog was frantic trying to get away from a bad storm or fireworks.

My own dog is only mildly agitated by loud noises. Over the years, we have learned to put on soothing music and place her in an interior room without windows on the Fourth of July. That seems to work just fine for her.

However, my sister's dog has increasingly become a basket case when she visits. (We also have to deal with Fort Stewart during bombing exercises.)

This got me thinking how, as a new grandmother, I had been intrigued with the thoughts being presented to parents on swaddling newborns and babies.

The wraps seem to help relax and lull babies to sleep. I had seen wraps for horses and had read some on the subject in our veterinary journals. So, I recommended to my sister to try a wrap for her dog.

The Anxiety Wrap (www.anxietywrap.com) was developed by a professional dog trainer. The light pressure of the garment is meant to target points on the dog's body to give a calming effect and release tension.

My sister tried the wrap on her 11-year-old Australian Shepherd who would hide in the closet during storms or loud noises.

This is my sister's story:

"The wrap fit perfectly and she didn't mind wearing it. I got to test it out several nights later when there was a storm. The storm was some distance away and, at first, I thought maybe she was losing her hearing because she wasn't reacting to the thunder. When the storm got closer, she calmly got up and went into her closet.

Since then we have weathered several storms and as long as she has on her wrap, she does not exhibit the signs of stress that she used to show. In fact, on several occasions, she has calmly gone back to sleep and did not even go into the closet."

This might be a solution for your pet if you are in a similar situation.

Lisa Yackel is the administrator at Case Veterinary Hospital. She and Dr. Carla Case-McCorvey, veterinarian and owner of Case Veterinary Hospital, write a blog about pet care and families on coastalmommies.com.

 

5 our of 5 Paws product review

Dog Anxiety Wrap: Product Review to Stop the Boom Boom Fear

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

Written by: Carol Bryant

And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air, the cocker hiding ‘neath my chair. Yes, these are the images that beckon to mind in my household this time of year and whenever a thunderstorm is looming.

My name is Carol and I have a dog who is incredibly petrified of loud sounds from outside. My little guy started out without this fear in the world. Innocent and tabula rosa, my little cocker blank slate. Then it changed on a dime, or should I say “quarter” stick.

Dexter needed to relieve himself and last 4th of July at the exact moment he was in front of the house doing his business, a HUGE host of fireworks exploded into the night sky. Bye bye innocence, hello reality. I about thought that he would jump out of his fur and leave track marks trying to get back into the house. All of my cooing and coddling him that it was “okay, baby, it’s okay” only reinforced his behavior. Bad dog mommy. Bad.

It progressed to fear of the loud thunderous storms that make their presence known here in Pennsylvania frequently during the summer months. As a dog writer and heavy traveler with Fido, certainly we needed to nip this in the bud.

So when the folks from The Anxiety Wrap company contacted FIDO Friendly to see if we were interested in a product review, I skeptically thought well, “sure why not.” I wondered though, would it really work? What’s so special about a snug fitting holistic body suit? And won’t Dexter eventually realize putting the shirt on means boom booms are about to hit the night sky?

That’s why I write about product and don’t invent it. That’s left to the good folks at The Anxiety Wrap. Susan Sharpe invented the Anxiety Wrap. She’s trained animals for over 20 years, so she has experience with this sort of thing. That put me at ease.

The process of ordering the Anxiety Wrap was really incredible, and that’s an understatement. The customer care team worked closely with me to ensure an exact fit for my Fido and to explain exactly how to use the Anxiety Wrap, the do’s and don’ts and how to maximize its efficacy.

You can learn more about those specifics here: The Anxiety Wrap

Once you’ve ordered the Anxiety Wrap and have it home, the instructions are very simple and include:

1. Put the Anxiety Wrap on 20 to 30-minutes one time only absence a storm for an introductory period.
2. The next time the Anxiety Wrap is put on the dog it will be for an actual storm. Once the Anxiety Wrap is on the dog STOP all interaction, this means NO talking, NO touching and NO direct eye contact. The dog may follow you around or may not, but do NOT interact with the dog whenever the Anxiety Wrap is on him or her.
3. The reason for no interaction is because a) your interaction may reinforce the very behavior you are wanting to extinguish and b) your interaction will raise the dog’s adrenaline level, which could then override the Anxiety Wrap’s effectiveness.
4. Once the storm has passed and the dog has stopped showing all storm related stress symptoms removed the Anxiety Wrap and you may then calmly interact with your dog.
5. Put the Anxiety Wrap on your dog bi-monthly during the storm season to prevent it from becoming a conditioner for approaching storms.
6. Watch this video on how to properly remove the Anxiety Wrap. There are other informative videos on the site too.

Well, I followed the above. Dexter is accustomed to wearing clothes for warmth and style in the fall and winter months, so he was completely accepting of apparel on his cocker body. In fact, he even hands me each paw to insert in the shirt openings. If your pooch isn’t used to clothes, you just need to be patient and work with them that wearing the shirt is a good thing. Reward them verbally and perhaps with a treat each time. Wear the shirt during calm times. Let them know it’s a good thing.

After the third wearing during non-storm periods, we decided to put it to the real test. A storm was brewing, complete with lighting. We put the shirt on a half hour before the boom booms started. This is an image (left) of the heavy panting and shaking behavior Dexter experiences at these times. He is 5 minutes into the storm in this picture.

After 20 minutes of ignoring Dexter (not an easy feat, mommy instinct kicking in), an amazing thing happened. He lay on his bed in the office and decided to take a nap. DURING THE STORM!!! This couldn’t be, could it? After 2 minutes he woke up, circled and lay back down. See?

We tried the anxiety wrap several times after that experience in different situations. I live near a park that shoots off fireworks in pre-celebration of Independence Day. He shakes at first but within 20 minutes of wearing the shirt, he is behind the chair or couch hiding but calmer. Much much calmer.

Anxiety Wrap has not only lived up to its expectations but far exceeded them and gave me the innocence back that ran through my cocker’s body before the big bad world of boom booms entered. For that, I thank them. Thinking of trying it on your Fido? Go for it and find more info about how and where to purchase and pricing by clicking here: The Anxiety Wrap

Overall Product Review: We give this product 5 out of 5 paws. Let the bombs burst in air, this Fido is unaware. Thank you, Anxiety Wrap!!!

Note: We accept no monetary compensation for reviews. Review is NOT sponsored by Anxiety Wrap and is the sole opinion of the reviewer for FIDO Friendly magazine. We welcome your feedback and comments.

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