CAPITAL HUMANE SOCIETY
2320
Helping Your Dog Overcome The Fear Of
Thunder
And Other Startling Noises
Copyright Denver Dumb Friends League and
Humane Society of the
It’s
not uncommon for dogs to be frightened of thunder, firecrackers or other loud
sounds. These types of fears may develop even though your dog has had no
traumatic experiences associated with the sound. Many fear related problems can
be successfully resolved. However, if left untreated, your dog's fearful
behavior will probably get worse.
The
most common behavior problems associated with fear of loud noises are
destruction and escaping. When your dog becomes frightened, she tries to reduce
her fear. She may try to escape to a place where the sounds of thunder or
firecrackers are less intense. If, by leaving the yard or going into a certain
room or area of the house, she feels less afraid, then the escape or
destructive behavior is reinforced because it successfully lessens her fear.
For some dogs, just the activity or physical exertion associated with one of
these behaviors may be an outlet for their anxiety. Unfortunately, escape
and/or destructive behavior can be a problem for you and could also result in
physical injury to your dog.
Things
that are present in the environment whenever your dog hears the startling noise
can, from her viewpoint, become associated with the frightening sound. Over a
period of time, she may become afraid of other things in the environment that
she associates with the noise that frightens her. For example, dogs that are
afraid of thunder may later become afraid of the wind, dark clouds and flashes
of light that often precede the sound of thunder. Dogs that are afraid of
firecrackers may become afraid of the children who have the firecrackers or may
become afraid to go in the backyard, if that’s where they usually hear the
noise.
What
You Can Do To Help
Create
Distract
Your Dog: This method works best when your dog is
just beginning to get anxious. Encourage her to engage in any activity that
captures her attention and distracts her from behaving fearfully. Start when
she first alerts you to the noise and is not yet showing a lot of fearful
behavior, but is only watchful. Immediately try to interest her in doing
something that she really enjoys. Get out the tennis ball and play fetch (in an
escape proof area) or practice some commands that she knows. Give her a lot of
praise and treats for paying attention to the game or the commands. As the
storm or the noise builds, you may not be able to keep her attention on the
activity, but it might delay the start of the fearful behavior for longer and
longer each time you do it. If you can’t keep her attention and she begins
acting afraid, stop the process. If you continue, you may inadvertently
reinforce her fearful behavior.
Behavior
Modification: Behavior modification techniques are
often successful in reducing fears and phobias. The appropriate techniques are
called “counter-conditioning” and “desensitization.” This means to condition or
teach your dog to respond in non-fearful ways to sounds and other stimuli that
previously frightened her. This must be done very gradually. Begin by
exposing her to an intensity level of noise that doesn’t frighten her and pair
it with something pleasant, like a treat or a fun game. Gradually increase the
volume as you continue to offer her something pleasant. Through this process,
she’ll come to associate "good things" with the previously feared
sound.
Example:
·
Make a tape with firecracker noises on
it.
·
Play the tape at such a low volume that
your dog doesn’t respond fearfully. While the tape is playing, feed her dinner,
give her a treat or play her favorite game.
·
In your next session, play the tape a
little louder while you feed her or play her favorite game.
·
Continue increasing the volume through
many sessions over a period of several weeks or months. If at any time while
the tape is playing, she displays fearful behavior, STOP. Begin your next
session at a lower volume - one that doesn’t produce anxiety - and proceed more
slowly.
If
these techniques aren’t used correctly, they won’t be successful and can even
make the problem worse. For some fears, it can be difficult to recreate the
fear stimulus. For example, thunder is accompanied by changes in barometric
pressure, lightening and rain, and your dog’s fearful response may be to the combination
of these things and not just the thunder. You may need professional assistance
to create and implement this kind of behavior modification program.
Consult
Your Veterinarian: Medication may be available which can
make your dog less anxious for short time periods. Your veterinarian is the
only person who is licensed and qualified to prescribe medication for your dog.
Don’t
attempt to give your dog any over-the-counter or prescription medication
without consulting your veterinarian. Animals
don’t respond to drugs the same way people do, and a medication that may be
safe for humans could be fatal to your dog. Drug therapy, alone, won’t reduce
fears and phobias permanently, but in extreme cases, behavior modification and
medication used together might be the best approach.
What
Not To Do
·
Attempting to reassure your dog when
she’s afraid may reinforce her fearful behavior. If you pet, soothe or give
treats to her when she’s behaving fearfully, she may interpret this as a reward
for her fearful behavior. Instead, try to behave normally, as if you don’t
notice her fearfulness.
·
Putting your dog in a crate to prevent
her from being destructive during a thunderstorm is not recommended. She’ll
still be afraid when she’s in the crate and is likely to injure herself,
perhaps even severely, while attempting to get out of the crate.
·
Don’t punish your dog for being afraid.
Punishment will only make her more fearful.
·
Don’t try to force your dog to
experience or be close to the sound that frightens her. Making her stay close to
a group of children who are lighting firecrackers will only make her more
afraid, and could cause her to become aggressive in an attempt to escape from
the situation.
·
Obedience classes won’t make your dog
less afraid of thunder or other noises, but could help boost her general
confidence.
These
approaches don’t work because they don’t decrease your dog's fear. Merely
trying to prevent her from
escaping
or being destructive won’t work. If she’s still afraid, she’ll continue to show
that fear in whatever way
she
can (digging, jumping, climbing, chewing, barking, howling).
Animal
Behavior Specialists
If
your dog has severe fears and phobias and you’re unable to achieve
success with the techniques we’ve
outlined
here, you should consult with an animal behavior specialist and your
veterinarian.