You Don't Have To Ignore Your Dog When He's Afraid
The other night there was a thunderstorm. Normally this is a non-event at my house because none of my current pets have storm anxiety or phobia, but this storm…there was something different about it. Maybe it was because the thunder was crackly instead of a low rumble. Maybe it was because the accompanying lightning was extra bright and sharp. Whatever it was, my normally calm animals (cats included) were freaked out. The dogs barked, and the cats raced around, wide eyed, literally climbing the walls. The humans in the house were perplexed. We had known a storm was on the way, but we didn’t do anything to prepare because normally we don’t need to. We tried to calm everyone down by petting them, talking calmly to them, letting them burrow in blankets and pillows, and letting them hide wherever they felt safe. None of it really worked, though, and no one was calm until the storm was over.
If we had known the storm would create fear reactions from the animals, we could have been ready. Maybe the dogs would have been wearing Thunder Shirts sprayed with Adaptil, and the normally anxious one could have been given a dose of her prescribed Clonidine. Maybe the cats would have been given Zylkene or Anxitane (after I checked with my vet, of course) to take the edge off of their fear. But as it was, we were left with trying to comfort everyone as best we could while we rode it out. Thankfully, it was relatively short.
Fear is defined by Psychology Today as “a vital response to physical and emotional danger.” No matter what the trigger is, there are lots of things a pet parent can try to ease fear responses, whether they’re frequent or few and far between. Over the counter calming supplements and pheromones can help those with mild symptoms. Prescription medication can be had for phobic and high anxiety reactions. And in all cases, we can comfort them, even if it makes us feel better more than it does for them.
It used to be that we were told by trainers that we had to ignore fear responses; that comforting our animals only reinforced their behavior. It has since been proven that fear can’t be reinforced, but it can lessen over time.
The University of Pennsylvania put out a lot of great information in their patient handout entitled Fear of Thunderstorms and Fireworks. Here’s a short snippet:
…do not ignore your dog during storms. This advice used to be given because it was believed that attention during storms would reward the fearful behavior. As above, this is simply false. Ignoring a fearful, panicky dog deprives him of whatever comfort and psychological support you can give him. It also leaves him without any information about what he should be doing instead.
If your dog suffers from situational fearfulness, there is help to be had. Consult with your veterinarian if behaviors are mild and you’d like to try some over the counter products, or a veterinary behaviorist if they’re severe or you’d like to try prescription medication. Both options can be paired with desensitization and counter conditioning with a fear free trainer to teach you and your dog how to cope.
The most important message I hope you take away from this is that fear doesn’t have to be a normal part of your dog’s life. And you don’t have to feel helpless while your dog suffers. Let us help you find a professional who can give you the tools you need to manage it.
