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Fear of thunder getting worse



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 20th 04, 02:08 PM
sue
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Default Fear of thunder getting worse

We adopted a 10 yr old malamute mix 2 yrs ago. In every other way she
is a perfect pet and we love her dearly but her fear of thunder (and
firecrackers and gun shots) is getting worse. She used to hide in the
basement during a thunder storm and that was OK, they don't last that
long. I thought as she became more secure with her surroundings and us
the fear would abate but recently she has expanded her fear to being
afraid of rain and even cloudy days, this is after a string of late
day thunderstorms. She won't leave out of the house in the late
afternoon though I know she must have to go. I feel so sorry for her
and have no idea what to do about it. I took her in the car yesterday
afternoon to an area not far from our house and that seems OK, I guess
she figures there was no thunder there, who knows. I can't take her
for a ride every day that's for sure and I miss our long walks after
dinner.

Can anyone help me and my pupster?
  #2  
Old June 20th 04, 05:21 PM
Rocky
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Default

sue said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

Can anyone help me and my pupster?


How do *you* react to thunderstorms and loud noises?

My first dog was very sensitive to thunder and it took a lot of
time to desensitize her to the point that she wouldn't hide in
the basement and void her bowels when I wasn't home.

My current two dogs are fine with thunder and lightening, though
where I live it can come on suddenly and, caught unawares, it's
difficult *not* to flinch when the boomer comes out of nowhere.
It's important to ensure that you're not inadvertantly
signalling your discomfort to your dog.

On a different level, you may be getting anxious because you
believe she will get nervous and she builds off of that.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.
  #3  
Old June 20th 04, 05:21 PM
Rocky
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Posts: n/a
Default

sue said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

Can anyone help me and my pupster?


How do *you* react to thunderstorms and loud noises?

My first dog was very sensitive to thunder and it took a lot of
time to desensitize her to the point that she wouldn't hide in
the basement and void her bowels when I wasn't home.

My current two dogs are fine with thunder and lightening, though
where I live it can come on suddenly and, caught unawares, it's
difficult *not* to flinch when the boomer comes out of nowhere.
It's important to ensure that you're not inadvertantly
signalling your discomfort to your dog.

On a different level, you may be getting anxious because you
believe she will get nervous and she builds off of that.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.
  #4  
Old June 20th 04, 05:21 PM
Rocky
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

sue said in rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

Can anyone help me and my pupster?


How do *you* react to thunderstorms and loud noises?

My first dog was very sensitive to thunder and it took a lot of
time to desensitize her to the point that she wouldn't hide in
the basement and void her bowels when I wasn't home.

My current two dogs are fine with thunder and lightening, though
where I live it can come on suddenly and, caught unawares, it's
difficult *not* to flinch when the boomer comes out of nowhere.
It's important to ensure that you're not inadvertantly
signalling your discomfort to your dog.

On a different level, you may be getting anxious because you
believe she will get nervous and she builds off of that.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.
  #5  
Old June 20th 04, 08:13 PM
Chris
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Default

Sue, you are facing one of the most difficult challenges. It's common
for the fear to increase and one event be 'chained' to another until
the dog is panicking at things you're not even aware of.
How much time are you able to spend with her? Densensitization, as
Matt accomplished, takes a good deal of time and alertness to anticipate
and distract before the dog goes out of control.
where I live it can come on suddenly
and, caught unawares, it's difficult *not*
to flinch when the boomer comes out of
nowhere. It's important to ensure that
you're not inadvertantly signalling your
discomfort to your dog.

Are these events that unpredicable where you are? If not, I would
seek help from a board-certified veterinarian behaviorist known for
judicious use of drugs. (Ha! Good luck finding one of those.) Last
July 4th, a friend spent a tense, but not unbearable, night with her
fireworks-panicked dog with the aid of a single Valium.
I'm as anit-drug as anyone, but Dr. Karen Overall, whose opinion I
respect, believes that some pharmaceutical intervention may be
necessaary sometimes for desensitation to be accomplished. Otherwise,
the dog is simply 'unreachable'.

  #6  
Old June 20th 04, 08:13 PM
Chris
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Sue, you are facing one of the most difficult challenges. It's common
for the fear to increase and one event be 'chained' to another until
the dog is panicking at things you're not even aware of.
How much time are you able to spend with her? Densensitization, as
Matt accomplished, takes a good deal of time and alertness to anticipate
and distract before the dog goes out of control.
where I live it can come on suddenly
and, caught unawares, it's difficult *not*
to flinch when the boomer comes out of
nowhere. It's important to ensure that
you're not inadvertantly signalling your
discomfort to your dog.

Are these events that unpredicable where you are? If not, I would
seek help from a board-certified veterinarian behaviorist known for
judicious use of drugs. (Ha! Good luck finding one of those.) Last
July 4th, a friend spent a tense, but not unbearable, night with her
fireworks-panicked dog with the aid of a single Valium.
I'm as anit-drug as anyone, but Dr. Karen Overall, whose opinion I
respect, believes that some pharmaceutical intervention may be
necessaary sometimes for desensitation to be accomplished. Otherwise,
the dog is simply 'unreachable'.

  #7  
Old June 20th 04, 08:13 PM
Chris
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Sue, you are facing one of the most difficult challenges. It's common
for the fear to increase and one event be 'chained' to another until
the dog is panicking at things you're not even aware of.
How much time are you able to spend with her? Densensitization, as
Matt accomplished, takes a good deal of time and alertness to anticipate
and distract before the dog goes out of control.
where I live it can come on suddenly
and, caught unawares, it's difficult *not*
to flinch when the boomer comes out of
nowhere. It's important to ensure that
you're not inadvertantly signalling your
discomfort to your dog.

Are these events that unpredicable where you are? If not, I would
seek help from a board-certified veterinarian behaviorist known for
judicious use of drugs. (Ha! Good luck finding one of those.) Last
July 4th, a friend spent a tense, but not unbearable, night with her
fireworks-panicked dog with the aid of a single Valium.
I'm as anit-drug as anyone, but Dr. Karen Overall, whose opinion I
respect, believes that some pharmaceutical intervention may be
necessaary sometimes for desensitation to be accomplished. Otherwise,
the dog is simply 'unreachable'.

  #8  
Old June 20th 04, 08:39 PM
Julia Altshuler
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Default

I wonder if I'm doing the right thing with Cubbe. She's normally
fearless on her own territory which is where she spends most of her
time. Unlike the typical dog that follows her person around the house,
Cubbe hangs out on the living room couch or at the bottom of the
basement stairs, places that are comfortable for the weather. I'd
sometimes prefer it if she slept by my feet like a normal dog, but no.
That is unless there's thunder in the distance and a storm in the air.
Then she lies down behind the chair in the computer room while I'm
seated at the computer. She doesn't cry or pant or show any sign of
stress. She's just there. This is not forbidden behavior by a long
shot. She might press herself against the legs of the chair making it
hard to adjust, but I like her there.


The only trouble is that I know she does it when she's reacting to the
storm. I can't imagine discouraging a behavior I rather like and that
she's allowed to do, but I don't want to reward behavior that has fear
at its root. Am I rewarding her by letting her lie there? I'm not
praising or coddling in any way. The most she gets is the same pat she
gets any other time I'm walking by her.


--Lia

  #9  
Old June 20th 04, 08:39 PM
Julia Altshuler
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I wonder if I'm doing the right thing with Cubbe. She's normally
fearless on her own territory which is where she spends most of her
time. Unlike the typical dog that follows her person around the house,
Cubbe hangs out on the living room couch or at the bottom of the
basement stairs, places that are comfortable for the weather. I'd
sometimes prefer it if she slept by my feet like a normal dog, but no.
That is unless there's thunder in the distance and a storm in the air.
Then she lies down behind the chair in the computer room while I'm
seated at the computer. She doesn't cry or pant or show any sign of
stress. She's just there. This is not forbidden behavior by a long
shot. She might press herself against the legs of the chair making it
hard to adjust, but I like her there.


The only trouble is that I know she does it when she's reacting to the
storm. I can't imagine discouraging a behavior I rather like and that
she's allowed to do, but I don't want to reward behavior that has fear
at its root. Am I rewarding her by letting her lie there? I'm not
praising or coddling in any way. The most she gets is the same pat she
gets any other time I'm walking by her.


--Lia

  #10  
Old June 20th 04, 08:39 PM
Julia Altshuler
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I wonder if I'm doing the right thing with Cubbe. She's normally
fearless on her own territory which is where she spends most of her
time. Unlike the typical dog that follows her person around the house,
Cubbe hangs out on the living room couch or at the bottom of the
basement stairs, places that are comfortable for the weather. I'd
sometimes prefer it if she slept by my feet like a normal dog, but no.
That is unless there's thunder in the distance and a storm in the air.
Then she lies down behind the chair in the computer room while I'm
seated at the computer. She doesn't cry or pant or show any sign of
stress. She's just there. This is not forbidden behavior by a long
shot. She might press herself against the legs of the chair making it
hard to adjust, but I like her there.


The only trouble is that I know she does it when she's reacting to the
storm. I can't imagine discouraging a behavior I rather like and that
she's allowed to do, but I don't want to reward behavior that has fear
at its root. Am I rewarding her by letting her lie there? I'm not
praising or coddling in any way. The most she gets is the same pat she
gets any other time I'm walking by her.


--Lia

 




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