janis
Grey Puppy
my 4 boys
Posts: 88
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Post by janis on Oct 4, 2006 9:14:15 GMT -5
i'm sure many of you experienced that awful storm that went through the area last night - about 5am here - anyways - i've never had a dog so absolutely TERRIFIED - poor rainy - he paced and drooled and circled and was as miserable as he could be - poor guy seemed to have also lost control of his bowels before i could get to him - (it WAS 5am) - all i could do was settle in on the couch for the rest of the night and put his bed beside me - he did settle after a while - the other 3 dogs just wandered about like nothing was going on - does anyone have a similar situation with their guys? - any suggestions on calming them down during the storm? -
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Post by tara on Oct 4, 2006 9:45:48 GMT -5
I am very lucky. Both my dogs are not scared of thunderstorms. My Lab doesn't even hear them (sleeps right through) and Tyson would love to be out in them if we would let him. With our Lab when he was a puppy we trained him that they were no big deal. When he would get anxious we would use a calm authoritarian voice (not angry, upset or worried just in control) and tell him to relax. He recognized this as Mom and Dad are in control nothing to be worried about. I was told to not pet him when he was upset because petting = love which reinforces the anxious behaviour. If our Lab calmed down then we would pet him and tell him he was a good boy (petting when the desired behaviour is expressed reinforces the good behaviour). It worked for Remy. However it may be different with greys I am not sure and there are many more knowlegdable people on here than me. Hope something helps no one likes to see their babies stressed. Tara
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Post by jiffer on Oct 4, 2006 10:22:09 GMT -5
Some greys are terrified, some aren't. Ricky at the kennel won't even go out if he senses a storm upon the kennel area.
It started here at 4 a.m. and ran until 8 a.m. Needless to say, I am pretty tired today as it was I who couldn't sleep through it.
Some people have found a crate to be a greyt help (even toss a blanket over it for good measure), others have tried the "Storm Defender Cape" which is basically a tin-foil coat you can buy for your dog online, and yet others have found that seeking refuge in the basement, turning a TV on nice and loud and chilling out to help. I believe the DAP (dog appeasing pheromone) Diffuser (available at specialty pet stores and vets offices) are supposed to help as well... I had one, I don't think it worked as well as they claim.
My parent's shih-tzu, Angel, hides behind the toilet. I believe it has a grounding effect so she can't feel the electricity in the air.
Best thing to do IMO is to act normal. The more you feed his fears, the more fearful he will be. If you can pet him and keep him company as you would do normally, it would be best. If any of mine were thunderphobic, I'd be in the basement watching TV.
Good Luck!
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janis
Grey Puppy
my 4 boys
Posts: 88
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Post by janis on Oct 4, 2006 10:36:18 GMT -5
makes total sense to just act as if nothing out of the ordinary is going on! - if rainy is being "babied" during a storm then of course he'll need to be constantly "babied" during the next storm - thanks so much for your input! - it is difficult to see him in such distress though - i'm going to give this a try today as it looks like it might just storm all day -
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Post by multiplicity on Oct 4, 2006 11:22:10 GMT -5
Some people also have luck with giving their affected pets Rescue Remedy. You can find it in healthstores and natural/health sections in some grocery stores. Here's some info: www.bachflower.com/rescue_remedy.htmA grey mom in this area uses it and it works pretty well however she did say today that "there's not enough Rescue Remedy in the world to keep him calm in a storm like this morning." I use it for my nervous kitty when we are having company over. Good luck!
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Post by greymouse on Oct 4, 2006 14:03:15 GMT -5
Scarlett is inconsolable in thunderstorms! I would have slept through the storm, but her standing beside the bed and panting, shaking, and drooling woke me up She shakes so hard that I am sure her feet are coming off the floor! I try to ignore her and just tell her to go and lay down, but it really does no good. We tried the Rescue Remedy, but it takes a few days to work and with storms, you just can't always predict them. The alternative is to put it in her water on a regular basis and then that means that everyone would get it. Kizzy is not affected by the storms, so I hate to give her something she doesn't need. This summer, Scarlett started to be terrified of just about every noise, so we talked to the DR. about it and he suggested Clomicalm, but I really didn't like the way she was on it and I didn't feel it was doing the job anyway, so I stopped it. After taking her to see her friends after the Lambeth parade, she has perked up and is a different dog now. She had been missing her friends as we hadn't been to the walks this summer.
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Post by jiffer on Oct 4, 2006 14:23:15 GMT -5
Scarlett is inconsolable in thunderstorms! I would have slept through the storm, but her standing beside the bed and panting, shaking, and drooling woke me up She shakes so hard that I am sure her feet are coming off the floor! I try to ignore her and just tell her to go and lay down, but it really does no good. We tried the Rescue Remedy, but it takes a few days to work and with storms, you just can't always predict them. The alternative is to put it in her water on a regular basis and then that means that everyone would get it. Kizzy is not affected by the storms, so I hate to give her something she doesn't need. This summer, Scarlett started to be terrified of just about every noise, so we talked to the DR. about it and he suggested Clomicalm, but I really didn't like the way she was on it and I didn't feel it was doing the job anyway, so I stopped it. After taking her to see her friends after the Lambeth parade, she has perked up and is a different dog now. She had been missing her friends as we hadn't been to the walks this summer. Aww, poor girl! She needs to get out for some more walks I know what you mean though. You can't help but feel terrible... and ignoring them often makes you feel worse. Angel is like that... she's so tiny that you just want to protect her.
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meganm
Junior Grey Lover
Puppy Love
Posts: 292
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Post by meganm on Oct 4, 2006 14:45:19 GMT -5
Fire is not a big fan of thunderstorms, he just trembles though... no pacing. He gives me that "mom I am REALLY worried" look I was awake from 5 am and onwards this morning giving him scritches to keep him calm. I am sure he will get over it as this is only about the 3rd storm we have had since I got him and he is already getting better. But I want My sleep! <sob>
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Post by Tigger's Mommy on Oct 4, 2006 15:38:04 GMT -5
storms dont bother my two at all. Abby likes to watch the rain from the windows, and Tigger just cuddles up to ya. Neither of them pace or wine or pant or any of that. They love the rain tho. If its raining at the trailor they love to go outside.. mind you at home you have to drag them out.
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Post by GreyPoopon on Oct 4, 2006 16:19:01 GMT -5
When Betsy joined us in May 05, she was very concerned about thunderstorms. During the first few--which all seemed to occur during the middle of the night--I told her to go and lie down, and sat a few feet away from her. I didn't touch her, but my presence was enough to keep her lying down. Now, she's fine.
This year, her fear has been fireworks. I tried rescue remedy, BioCalm (a natural calming product available through vets), TV (The Weather Network, which is what they hear most often), sitting near her, wrapping her in a blanket, and Benedryl. Other than the Benedryl, which I'd prefer not to use, and which really needs to be given in advance, the most effective strategies were background noise and the blanket. Being wrapped up seemed to comfort her a lot.
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Post by samrob on Oct 5, 2006 10:40:49 GMT -5
Hope is very afraid of thunder and fireworks. She has improved quite a bit. She used to be destructive during storms, and now she just drools, shakes and paces. Rob and I started calling storms "parties" and we act extra cheerful and goofy during storms. We also use rescue remedy. Our vet also talked about other owners having slight sucess with using a "storm CD" You start out playing it quietly, so that it is background noise, and when the dog stops reacting to the noise, you slowly turn the volume up. We have not tried that yet, but it sounds interesting.
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Post by greymouse on Oct 5, 2006 13:57:36 GMT -5
[quote author=jiffer Aww, poor girl! She needs to get out for some more walks ; [/quote] I agree and we are working on it I wish we could make it to the Pinery, but I really don't think that we can. I hope some are going to show up at Springbank or the girls are going to be very disappointed.
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Post by greymouse on Oct 5, 2006 14:02:01 GMT -5
Hope is very afraid of thunder and fireworks. She has improved quite a bit. She used to be destructive during storms, and now she just drools, shakes and paces. Rob and I started calling storms "parties" and we act extra cheerful and goofy during storms. We also use rescue remedy. Our vet also talked about other owners having slight sucess with using a "storm CD" You start out playing it quietly, so that it is background noise, and when the dog stops reacting to the noise, you slowly turn the volume up. We have not tried that yet, but it sounds interesting. I got the Canine Lullabies CD for Scarlett, but after I got it and went to play it during a storm, I thought that I really didn't think it was a good idea to have one more thing on when the lightning was so bad. I hate having all sorts of things going during a really bad storm. I did play it at other times and it is very soothing!
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Post by samrob on Oct 5, 2006 14:28:37 GMT -5
sorry, i meant a cd with storm sounds on it, you play it to desencitize them to the sounds of thunder
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3amigos
Junior Grey Lover
Posts: 202
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Post by 3amigos on Oct 13, 2006 10:01:35 GMT -5
sorry, i meant a cd with storm sounds on it, you play it to desencitize them to the sounds of thunder That method worked very well with Cole. Robert downloaded a free screensaver (I think it's called Haunted House) and played 24/7 for about six months. At the time we thought nothing of it and certainly hadn't considered the possibility that it would desensitise Cole but come Spring we saw a huge improvement in his behaviour during thunderstorms. He used to be very nervous during a storm. Now he'll stand outside (if we let him) and watch the rain with daddy. Athena on the other hand is unconsolable during a storm and fireworks. She absolutely hates them. We tried rescue remedy, benedryl and even valium. Nothing helped to calm her. Someone suggested Melatonin and it's been a lifesaver. One Melatonin tablet when a storm is predicted and Athena is much calmer. No pacing, no drooling or trembling. She will seek out her quiet spot but once the Melatonin has taken effect she's back on the couch.
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