Story By Jenny Cain The Complete Canine
Every year amidst the dry heat of June lurks the anticipation for the monsoon season to begin. They provide a brief respite from the heat, entertainment from the lightning and the oh-so-delightful smell of creosote. For many dogs, including my little guy Ned, this is not the case. With thunderstorms comes an increase in anxiety and fear. Despite my best efforts to prepare and comfort him during the storms, they are unpredictable and I can’t always be home with him. While some dogs may never fully overcome their fear of storms, there are many effective ways to help them feel safer and more comfortable. With the right approach, you can reduce their anxiety and make the monsoon season much less stressful.
I’ll start by sharing what works best for Ned and then discuss other strategies that help many dogs.
If I know a storm is expected that day, whether I’ll be home or away, I turn on brown noise from YouTube. Unlike white noise, which contains higher frequencies, brown noise consists of deeper, lower frequencies that can do a better job of masking the rumble of thunder and other storm sounds. I enhance the effect by turning the bass all the way up on the speakers. The deeper frequencies create subtle vibrations that dogs can feel, similar to the vibrations produced by distant thunder. This can help bridge the gap between calm conditions and the sudden rumble of a storm, making the experience less startling for some dogs.
The other thing that helps Ned the most is doggie headphones from Doggie Hush. These are designed for dogs who are sensitive to sounds and are ergonomically designed to be comfortable (if your dog is ok with wearing something on their head). Another good option is a snood, a soft fabric noise reducing ear wrap I also sometimes use instead.
There are many calming aids out there, what works best is dependent on the dog itself. Calming collars and diffusers can be helpful for most dogs. These imitate the calming pheromones that mother dogs produce to help comfort their puppies. Another useful aid is a Thunder shirt. This is designed to fit snugly around their bodies to create a swaddle-like feel. Canada Pooch makes a weighted calming vest that can be quite effective for helping a dog feel more grounded.
An alternative is a weighted blanket for your dog (please be careful with smaller dogs and the appropriate amount of weight they can handle). CBD is another option that can be effective. (Please always check the appropriate dosage and check with your veterinarian if they are on other medications). Music can be a great addition, especially when you’re not home. “Through a Dog’s Ear” is psychoacoustically designed to calm your canine. You can find many options at iCalmPet – icalmpet.com. Some dogs respond to being in a den-like space such as a bathroom or closet. These typically have few or no windows which may feel more comforting to them.
In addition to calming aids, there are ways to help desensitize your dog to the frightening sounds. Find some thunderstorm sounds on YouTube and play at a very low volume. Remember dogs can hear much better than us, so start lower than you think. During that time do something pleasant with them such as playing, mealtime, during walks or during training sessions with treats. Once they are comfortable at that volume then turn the volume up a little more. If the dog begins to show signs of stress then turn it back down and keep working there for a bit longer. The dog needs to be without stress for it to make a connection between the sounds and pleasant activities. It’s best to start working on this before the monsoon season starts but you can certainly work on it during a storm.
If you have a puppy you can begin proactive noise desensitization so that they learn to not fear it from an early age. It is the same desensitizing strategy but they may not encounter any stress while practicing it. There’s a great app, Pupsense, that has many different sounds designed to help you expose your pup to various noises. Also, when it rains, take them outside to go potty, play and enjoy it. When they get used to the rain, wind and thunder early on then you’ll have a dog who will be stress free and potty outside when it rains!
Here’s to another monsoon season, and hopefully one that our pups can weather a little easier!
For more information contact, jeremy@
