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DOES YOUR DOG FEAR THUNDER?
By: Stephen C. Rafe
© 2006, 2009, Stephen C. Rafe. All Rights Reserved.
The season for fireworks and thunderstorms is here. And, more than at any other time of year, dogs become noiseshy when exposed to these sounds. Dogs that fear thunder display many symptoms even before a storm begins. Canine behaviorist, Stephen C. Rafe of Germantown, MD, says the responses include: barking, panting, pacing, hiding, pawing at people, trembling, salivating, howling, destroying things, running away, or carrying on in any number of ways.
What NOT to Do
Rafe says, “Avoid reassuring the dog or coddling it. On the other hand, don’t scold it either.” Coddling rewards the for being afraid and scolding can make some dogs more stressful and even aggressive.
What TO Do
Whenever the dog shows fear of any loud noises, Rafe says ignoring it “may help reduce the behavior.” He says that when the fear symptoms are mild, you can distract the dog from being frightened by playing fetch or having it carry out simple obedience commands in a fun way.
Also avoid over-reacting to the thunder, yourself. That could startle the dog even more.
You can also gradually desensitize dogs to loud noises using recordings of thunder along with largo music from symphonies. Starfire has developed three such systems – audio recordings that help eliminate dogs' fear of thunder, fireworks, or gunfire. Each includes music that has been scientifically designed and recorded to help dogs remain calm as the noises are introduced.
Do It Yourself
To create your own system, play the music on your stereo at normal volume as you feed your dog or scratch its ears. Once the dog associates the music as being pleasant, play the music on one player as you introduce a recording of the thunder on another player. The thunder recording must be an extremely high-quality reproduction of the actual sound for it to work effectively.
Play the thunder recording at a very low volume (barely audible) for about five minutes, and always wait at least 15 minutes between playings. This allows learning to take place. Repeat the music and the thunder at that volume at least ten times before increasing the thunder recording’s volume slightly. Then keep the music at normal listening volume throughout several segments as you gradually raise the volume of the thunder. Do this in small steps until the thunder and the music are the same volume.
Dealing with Stress
Should the dog show signs of stress at any time, stop playing both recordings, wait at least an hour, then introduce the music-only recording again for at least another 20 repetitions. Follow this with 20 repetitions of the music and the thunder at the lowest level of the sound. Then, try raising the thunder volume slightly. If the dog succeeds, continue on this way. Once the thunder is the same volume as the music recording, phase out the music over just as many gradual steps. The dog should have learned to remain calm even when just the thunder recording, alone, is playing -- at normal volume. If not, you should retain a canine behaviorist's services.
When You Succeed
Try allowing the dog to go through an actual thunderstorm as you play just the music recording. However, if the dog still shows fear, a canine behaviorist on the scene may be able to discover a hidden cause. However, in most cases, with patience and perseverance, noise phobias can be cured.
For those who do not wish to attempt such a program, Starfire offers cure systems for dogs that fear thunder, fireworks, or gunfire. For more information, click “Starfire” at http://www.starfire-rapport.com The systems come with free email support for the rest of the dog’s life and have been favorably reviewed by Cornell University’s Animal Health Newsletter.