afraid of thunder

Another vote for the Thundershirt.

The problem with drugs to be used only during storms is that drugs take time to take effect (especially oral drugs) and often one is not able to dose with enough time before a storm. Suppository sedatives and anti-anxiety oral drugs (dosed daily) are often better choices when drugs are the most effective means to deal with thunder/noise phobias. These may be the only choice for dogs that are truly phobic to the point of injuring themselves.

Try not to soothe your dog when he's extremely upset. It's sounds counter-intuitive, but soothing a fearful dog actually reinforces the fearful behavior. Tell him it's going to be okay and ignore the behavior (hard, I know!). I agree with getting a Thundershirt (has a similar effect as swaddling a baby), and also with getting the dog some calming medication.

Does your dog give you clues that a storm is approaching - pacing, panting, drooling, whining, etc.? We had a lab that could tell a storm was approaching up to an hour ahead of time (electrical changes in the air, I'm guessing). This was when we'd give him his medication, so that it was working when the storm hit.

Is your dog okay if you let him out of the crate? The metal of the crate may be conducting some electrical energy and making him nervous. Our lab liked to go hide in the laundry room until the storm had passed. We let him do this, not making a fuss over him. The smallness of the room gave him the feeling of a safe den, I guess. If you do allow him on your bed, do so, but don't comfort him. Just tell him that everything will be fine, then ignore.

I would consider contacting your veterinarian for a sedative. They work great for occasions like thunderstorms, fireworks, etc. Your dog will not care about the noise anymore and you will be able to get some much needed sleep!
Matt

The thundershirt worked well for our Fritz. He was afraid and would shake all over and try to bury himself under us. Thundershirt on, he still shivers a little during heavy thunder, but a HUGE improvement. We ordered it online and was less than the price above, but Fritz is a small doggie.

X2 on the thundershirt....this item is made of heavy flannel type material with velcor straps that fasten around the dogs throat. You then double wrap its body and it adheres with more velcro straps. It makes the dog feel more secure.

Our dog hated thunder and knew when she saw lightning that the thunder was soon to follow. She would begin shaking violently and nothing I said or did seemed to soothe her. Fortunately, a large thunderstorm was predicted and we were in a PetSmart. They have a 60 day money back guarantee on the shirt so we purchased one....around $50 bucks IIRC. That evening we put it on our dog as the storm approached. During the noisy thunder she slept peacefully in her bed as though she had no cares in the world. We were simply amazed, but it worked. After wearing it through many storms over the past year and a half, we now only put it on her is she show some sign of distress over an approaching storm. She seems more tolerant of the thunder at this point. Gunshots, firecrackers etc...now that's a different story...she still doesn't like those.....try it from PetSmart. If they still have that policy, you've nothing to lose if it doesn't work on your pet......Dennis

www.thundershirt.com

I have no idea if or how this works.
good luck camper..