Lightning, Thunder, and Fear! Oh my!

Do you have a dog that’s afraid of thunderstorms, fireworks and loud noises? I know my dog can’t be alone! Cowering, crawling in the smallest possible hole he can find, whining and crying, being restless, and climbing on top of me were common occurrences every time the thunder would roll!

The good news is this is not an uncommon issue. The better news is that there are a variety of ways to find relief!

An animal with a fear of loud noises can be difficult to handle. Many times, these dogs are also super controlling dogs that like to be in charge of the household. So here’s a list of suggestions to work with to help keep everybody a little more balanced in the middle of the next storm!

1 – Make sure you aren’t a part of the trigger. Often, our animals can pick up on our own subtle and well hidden feelings. I *know* I’m afraid of storms, so naturally my dog became afraid too. Oops! This point was driven home to me when I was on vacation and he was unphased by a storm while the dog sitter was there! It’s not always easy to separate the two issues though, so just do a self check to make sure. If you discover you are afraid – that’s ok! The first step is to make sure you openly acknowledge that. Our animals don’t understand masked emotions, they can’t hide feelings, so when we do that (intentionally or not), it only drives up their anxiety.

2 – Make sure you aren’t feeding into the anxiety of the situation by getting anxious about the dog’s anxious behavior. We can create an accidental tape loop around the situation when the dog gets upset, we get upset that the dog’s upset, and now the dog thinks there’s really something to be upset about… and, well, you see where this goes. Don’t go down the rabbit hole. Just accept that the dog is afraid, but remain neutral about their behavior, regardless of what they do.

3 – Don’t comfort the dog. When I discovered that my dog was acting fearful of storms, I was moved to want to comfort him. What I later discovered was that the message of “It’s ok, don’t worry, you’re fine.” = “It’s ok to be in the state of mind you’re in at this moment” to the dog. Praising the dog in a fearful state only confirms to the dog that they should remain fearful (this applies to all situations, not just thunderstorms!). That blew my mind! My dog’s anxiety lessened immediately when I stopped interacting with him at all while it was storming outside.

4 – Give your dog a new job. Our animals assume roles within the household, and in the case of an anxious animal, sometimes assigning a new “job” can help them feel more confident. Greeter, Ambassador of Fun, Captain Silly, whatever it is that helps your animal feel good in their skin is a great way to help them come out of their shell and leave their anxiety behind.

5 – Get creative. There are a number of products on the market, including Thundershirts, Essential Oils and so much more that are helpful. Many people have found great success with a variety of tactics. Finding something that is comforting to your pet and then offering that during a storm can help bring out more good feelings because of the association between feeling good and the item. This can even include Essential Oils that are calming. 

6 – Use Energy Healing. Many people are familiar with Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or Tapping. What a lot of people aren’t aware of is that it works great on animals, too! Animals are so much more receptive to energy healing modalities because they don’t question if they are effective or not, they just absorb whatever they need and leave the rest. EFT can help really peel back the layers of the trauma that may have happened that caused the fear in the first place. It often takes a few sessions, but is a wonderful way to help release blocks in the animal’s energy. There are a wide range of energy healing modalities that can be used on animals, including TTouch, Schalar Wave, and more. Experiment with different modalities to see what your animal best responds to.

Here is a great video from my mentor, Joan Ranquet, on using EFT for anxiety around loud noises.

It is possible to help an anxious dog get past their fear of storms, fireworks and loud noises. It may not be easy (especially if this is a life-long fear), but it is possible to help the dog (and you!) be happier and less stressed the next time a storm rolls through.