my black lab gets very upset when it is thundering and lightening outside. Is this natural?
What can I do to calm his fears? I was told by my sister to leave him alone, he will work it out himself. Will he?
What can I do to calm his fears? I was told by my sister to leave him alone, he will work it out himself. Will he?
Cubby's Mama
Favorite Answer
My mom's dog is terrified of loud noises like thunder. She hides in the bathtub and closes the curtain. All you can do is pet them and try to keep them calm, and like my mom's dog, if they find a place they feel safe, make sure they have access to it.
Tigger
A lot of dogs are afraid of thunder and lightning. In fact, my grandparents used to have to chain their Saint Bernard when a storm was coming because otherwise he would tear up the screen door trying to get in the house.
Confine your dog if he gets destructive while scared. Don't look at him or talk to him, but let him see you treating the storm as if it were absolutely nothing at all. He'll eventually take his cue from you and settle down.
Good luck!
cascadesunset
Lightening scares some dogs, one of mine can't stand to be alone when it's stormy out. Oddly enough he's a black lab cross, could be the breed. I doubt he'll get over it, just comfort him and tell him it's ok, and don't leave him outside alone.
wishnuwelltoo
You can try putting him in a dark place, playing music so the music will drown out the noise of the storm. You can pet him with a dryer sheet, the static from the storm could be bothering him. Type melatonin in your search engine, and see if you think that will help.
T_B
It is very natural. Sometimes dogs feel uneasy to loud noises because they are not use to hearing it, just like a baby will sometimes cry during a thunderstorm. If you dog is experiencing this you can try to comfort him/her just by petting him to let them know its okay.