my poor dog has anxiety attacks and is almost totally inconsolable when it so much as rains?

You can buy something called Comfort Zone for animals This is a plug in type thing that kinda works like a glad plug in or that type of contraption. It gives off a calming scent to the dog yet humans are normally not sensitive to smell it.

It really does help, I have a lab that is totally like this when it comes to storms, so try it, and if it doesn't work, most every store will be willing to take it back.

I listen to Patricia McConnell on the radio. She is an animal behaviorist on "Calling All Pets." She has a dog that is terrified of thunder and she has trained him by giving him "thunder treats." Even if it's 2:00 in the morning, she hears the thunder or the dog whining and she will grab a treat and happily say "thunder treats."

I think based on other things I've heard from her that your dog may need some prozac or valium while you are working on his behavior because it sounds like his anxiety is excessive for the situation.

Good for you for not using hot sauce. This will just teach him not to groom himself and you will have a whole new set of problems.

I'd take your dog to the vet for some meds and also look into the Comfort Zone plug-ins for dogs. They have helped my cats at times. At other times not so much. Right now, they are helping.

Good luck to you and hugs to your poor dog.

i have a 1 and a half year old german shepherd and she does almost the exact thing as ur dog (exept she doens't try and bite herself). SHe shakes and wines and runs around and hides under everything, even wen she's too big (which makes for a lot of broken picture frames and lamps). One time we tried locking her in a spare room, and she almost clwed a hole thorugh the door. She got relaly nervous whenever it so much as drizzled. IT got so bad we took her to the vet and they perscribed a medicine that would make her sleepy during the storm so she didn't no wut was happening. She couldn't get up and wlak around, or else she tripped and fell down, because she was disoriented. I felt sort of bad, but i'd much rather her feel a little dizzy than totally go crazy every time it thundered. good luk<333

No don't put hot sauce on his legs. This is a psychological problem, obviously, and you probably need the help of a vet or pet behaviorist (a vet who comes to your house) with this one.

This sounds so bad, I would take him to the vet and consider putting him on an anti-anxiety medication. Is he anxious in general, or is it just associated with storms?

P.S. Unlike Ryan F suggested, `putting him down' is not an appropriate answer to this problem.

If it's just associated with storms, you need to help your dog through them. Talk to your vet about ways to do that, and it also might help to put the dog through some `exposure' therapy, which can help your dog gradually become less anxious during storms.

I had a thunder-phobic dog for 17 years (lab shep mix). I used to sleep in the walk-in closet with her, in the summer.

I used to play a CD with thunderstorm sounds, very low, so my dog got used to it.Try conditioning him that when there's a storm, he gets a yummy (healthy, of course) treat!

Many dogs like the EXTRA ATTENTION they get, so they train us to feel sorry for them. There was an episode on The Dog Whisperer, about this, not too long ago! Look into the sites below. ;-)

take him to the VET the dog has some form of phobia they can give dogs medicine for this now days there is no reason to put him down its usually something caused from a early trauma in his puppy hood. I hope you can find help for him my black labrador was the same way but they put her on Medicine and now she does very well and is socialy healthy.Good luck to you and your Dog:)

He sounds extremely frightened and my need medication for a while when it rains.

I have heard of doggy Prozac. Ask your vet.

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I dont think you should give him any attention when he does this. Giving him attention only makes him think that this kind of behavior is ok.

I would get him one of those cone collars so he can not bite himself. Only put it on when he gets scared like that.