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Thunder Fearful
Dogs
Copyright © 1998 Bettina Rister, may not be reproduced or copied without permission You are listening to the evening news, and the weather comes on. Its early spring, and they have already issued thunderstorm warnings for your county until 2:00 AM. You look down at your feet at that sleeping ball of fur, and know that soon, that sweet little soul will turn into a quivering ball of terrified jelly. You know its going to be one of “those” nights. This scene is played out all over the country. And for
owners of Thunder Fearful dogs, its a nightmare. You don’t have many
choices, you can either dope your dog up, fix up their favorite closet for
them to hide in, or you can sit and hold them until the storm passes
over. None of which are very attractive options. Especially
when most of us can’t be there for our dogs every hour of every day.
But now there IS something that you can do. A training program,
built to “desensitize” your dog to noise, by using positive
reinforcement.
For immediate relief during severe thunderstorms until you get some foundation training in the works, go to your Vet, and he can prescribe a sedative, so that your dog won’t injure itself, or your house while a storm is going on. If you are going to be away, and the chance of a storm is likely, crate your dog in an anterior room of the house, and leave a TV or Radio turned up fairly loud, but not loud enough to make the dog uncomfortable. First of all, you start off with a radio, preferably one that puts out a substantial amount of volume, because you will need it in the end. Turn the radio on, a room or two away, and then call the dog to eat. This should be done EVERY TIME THE DOG EATS. Every day you should increase the volume, little by little, starting from almost in-audibly soft, to a dull roar. Remember to turn the music on first, and then call him for dinner. If it helps to break up his meals into smaller, more frequent feedings, then do so. The more opportunities you have to train, the faster the results. You can also turn the radio on and call him for special “no holds barred” treats through out the day, ones he really goes bonkers for. After you have the music literally blaring from the other room, you need to start all over again, placing the radio in the room that the dog eats in. Remember to start out soft, and gradually turn the music up louder and louder over the period of a week or so. After you have him eating with the radio full blast in the same room, you get to start over yet again. This time by going out and buying an audio tape or CD of thunder or gunshots. Again, start by playing the music very, very softly in the other room. Then gradually work up to full volume. After your dog can eat in another room with the CD at full volume, then move the player to the room he eats in, just like before, and start the CD out very, very softly. And over a week or so, increase the volume. If at anytime your dog acts uncomfortable, back track a day or two, don’t force him to move ahead if he isn’t ready. Baby steps are the key to good training with good results. Remember NOT to coddle or baby him, during a real storm or one of your “supposed” ones. This only serves to reinforce his fears, which is doing neither of you any good. Instead you should encourage him in an inquisitive and upbeat voice, be chipper and calm. Tell him how brave or how smart he is, and how well he is doing, and it will be no time at all before he isn’t scared of thunderstorms anymore. Coddling is one of the biggest mistakes that people make in this type of situation, because in essence, you are PRAISING and REWARDING him for being afraid. Also, don’t hold the dog in your lap or pet him excessively, a token pat every now and then and your encouraging words should be enough. This program should take about a month to six weeks to complete, depending on how the dog responds. Remember to be strong, for your sake and for the dog’s. If you can do it, you will be rewarded with a dog that does not suffer a lifetime of fear. And you will not have to worry every time that you hear a rumble off in the distance. |