Many dogs are very afraid of thunder. They often whine when thunder strikes, or hide and refuse to come out. In more serious cases, they will tremble and have urinary incontinence. It’s really pitiful to see them scared (but my beanie has grown up since he was a child). I’m not too afraid of thunder, eat and sleep as long as the nerves are super large)
What should you do if your dog is afraid of thunder? Foreign experts have put forward some suggestions, so that owners can usually train dogs to tolerate thunderstorms, so that dogs will not be so afraid when facing real thunderstorms. Everyone can try it out!
Step 1. The owner should not be afraid either!
Dogs are very aware of the owner’s emotions. If even the owner is afraid, it will be even more difficult for the dog to calm down! However, at this time, you should not hold the dog to gently comfort the dog. If the owner comforts the dog, they will think that there is a thunderstorm.
It is indeed a bad thing, so the master has to come to comfort me, it does not help to alleviate their fear, and even makes them fall into a vicious circle of “thunderstorm → I am afraid the master will come to comfort me → whine”. Therefore, the most important thing to do at this time is to maintain a normal and consistent attitude, as if something happened? , let the dog know it’s no big deal.
Step 2: Prepare a shelter
When the ancestors of dogs were in the wild, thunder would quickly find a cave to avoid danger. Therefore, when dogs are at home, if there is no space to hide, they will be very afraid. It is best for the owner to prepare a relatively closed space for him. Dog kennels, so that they have a place to hide when they are afraid. (You can also go out to the cage, in short, the black and narrow ones are more secure)
Step 3: Train your dog to get used to thunder
Usually, use a relatively low volume to play thunder to the dog, and then if the dog is not afraid, give encouragement to snacks and play. If the dog is still afraid and lacks interest in snacks and play, express that he wants to. Turn the volume down a bit. Through repeated training, the volume is gradually increased, and over time, the dog will associate thunder with snacks, and feel that good things will happen when there is thunder! I won’t be so afraid of thunder in the future!