thunder!!!!!????

sethh · Jul 23, 2011

Im at work and my wife just called and told me my 6mth old cbr which has already been introed to starter pistol. Just absolutely freaked out when she took him outside and thunder clapped. Should I be worried or is this something that can be normal for some dogs. The only dog I had scared of thunder was a gun shy springer.

Duck Blind · Jul 23, 2011

My neighbor, a retired cop, owns a retired k-9 drug dog (ylm). The only thing that this dog is afraid of is thunder. Vet prescribed tranquilizers for when the storms rolled in. He absolutely shuts down during storms. However, he is not afraid of anything else. He's ten years old. Good luck.

sethh · Jul 23, 2011

I should ad he is fine inside no shaking or anything. But he just about dragged my wife inside. She said she had to sprint to keep up with him.

Duck Blind · Jul 23, 2011

my neighbors dog doesn't do anything when a storm roles in, much less bolt. His attitude changes when the sky's start to darken or the barometric pressure starts to drop. In or out, doesn't make a difference.

Ed Bahr · Jul 23, 2011

Both Chessies that I have owned did not like thunder or fireworks in the sky........But I could shot over them all day. I would not worry they know the difference

DoubleHaul · Jul 23, 2011

My lab is scared to death of thunder storms. Gunfire, other loud noises are not problems. We have tried rescue remedy and other calming aids. The thing that works the best is the Thunder Shirt.

Eric Johnson · Jul 23, 2011

So....the dog knows enough to get inside during thunder and lightning. Sounds like a smart dog.

Seriously, thunder and gunfire sound differently so I'd not get too concerned just yet. If the dog continues to show anxiety during storms, look at a product called a ThunderShirt ....

http://www.thundershirt.com/

We have one of those dogs and the ThunderShirt beats medicating the dog.

Eric

MSchack · Jul 23, 2011

Hmmmm, says Thunder Shirt calms dogs and helps with nervousness and anxiety. I wonder if anyone tried one of these at a hunt test? Would it even be legal?

Thomas D · Jul 23, 2011

Would it even be legal?

No vests

Keith Stroyan · Jul 23, 2011

I've had two Labs that became afraid of thunder in old age, but were absolute gun nuts.

I don't have scientific proof, but since they start getting nervous when it's a long way off, I'm guessing that the very low frequency "sound" is a large component of the fear. In any case, they didn't associate gunfire with any sort of fear...

I haven't tried a "thunder suit."

SCOTT C. · Jul 23, 2011

I have a female that shakes in fear during a thunder storm. But she hunts everyday of the Quail season here in Florida as a flush dog, lots of gunfire, she loves it and lives for it. Close in Duck and Dove hunting are no problem either, she is the first out the door in the morning.

I was training one day as a thunderstorm was approaching and I could see a change in her attitude but her love of retrieving and training was higher than her fear, so she didnt fall into a full state of fear.

DoubleHaul · Jul 23, 2011

Keith Stroyan said:
I've had two Labs that became afraid of thunder in old age, but were absolute gun nuts.

I don't have scientific proof, but since they start getting nervous when it's a long way off, I'm guessing that the very low frequency "sound" is a large component of the fear. In any case, they didn't associate gunfire with any sort of fear...

I haven't tried a "thunder suit."

We think it is possibly the low pressure, but it could be him just hearing it from a long way away. We know when it is coming since the guy starts shaking.

The thunder shirt really does help--didn't do much the first time but showed marked improvement from second on, which they say is common. Now when we pull it out he is very happy to see it.

Janet Kimbrough · Jul 23, 2011

DoubleHaul said:
We think it is possibly the low pressure, but it could be him just hearing it from a long way away. We know when it is coming since the guy starts shaking.

The thunder shirt really does help--didn't do much the first time but showed marked improvement from second on, which they say is common. Now when we pull it out he is very happy to see it.

I have to second the Thunder Shirt. I have only used it once and saw an improvement. I did have a thunderstorm issue once at a test while he was running and he had retrieved the go bird and then just started running with the bird in his mouth and it took me almost five minutes to get him to come in. 30 minutes later we had a "rain delay" because of a thunderstorm.

Janet

Guest · Jul 23, 2011

Eric Johnson said:
So....the dog knows enough to get inside during thunder and lightning. Sounds like a smart dog.

Seriously, thunder and gunfire sound differently so I'd not get too concerned just yet. If the dog continues to show anxiety during storms, look at a product called a ThunderShirt ....

http://www.thundershirt.com/

We have one of those dogs and the ThunderShirt beats medicating the dog.

Eric

Hunting vests work as well as the thundershirts from our experience. So your hunting vests can do double duty.

We've used them on some client boarding dogs and it does take the edge off.

However, we do have an occasional dog that just needs its valium and honestly, that works so good and is so simple, it's the best choice for us when we can time it properly. We've had injectible, too and it's great.

caglatz · Jul 29, 2011

No worries about thunder - once they realize birds fall from the sky when your shotgun goes off. Just keep up with raising intensity levels of gunshots over the next few months.

DrCharlesBortellPhD · Jul 29, 2011

Thunder scares most dogs even though they are accustomed to 'loud noises" for several reasons. 1. Thunder is sudden and unexpected. 2. it is often accompanied with bright lightening. 3. thunder creates vibrations (due to shock waves) that the dog senses over entire body, not just auditory. 4. thunder creates a form of static electricity that the dog senses via their hair follicles. There are other factors too as why dogs who can sit beside a shotgun or sit watching fireworks that are not bothered will go into "panic mode" once thunder starts.

all depends how dog was acclimated or introduced to various stimuli and if positive or negative experience is associated.

thunder!!!!!????

sethh

Duck Blind

sethh

Duck Blind

Ed Bahr

DoubleHaul

Eric Johnson

MSchack

Thomas D

Keith Stroyan

SCOTT C.

DoubleHaul

Janet Kimbrough

Guest

caglatz

DrCharlesBortellPhD

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