Originally Posted by craftybear
How do you calm a dog down that is afraid of thunder storms?
Last night here in central Indiana we had some bad storms and my new shih tzu dog, Sophie, was scared to death and paced the family room floor. She is 5 years old and I just rescued her on April 11th.
I had tranquilizers from the vet at first, but don't like to do that too much. He suggested I try one of the herbal remedies. I currently have "Rescue Remedy". Works quite well for my Great Dane and Rottie. They are just a mess when they hear thunder (or feel the pressure change) 200 miles away. There is another one but I forget the name of it. You can get this through Drs Foster & Smith. They also have some chewable ones, but it takes too many for my big dogs. I also keep my walk-in closet door open and clear so they can go in there for refuge. They won't go down the basement stairs. I think giving them a lot of attention and reassurance during the storm just intensifies their fear, so I tend to ignore them but stay close by.