Originally Posted by JulieR
Okay, this is going to sound very unpopular but just hear me out. LOL
DO NOT comfort a dog that is afraid. Don't coddle him, pet him or otherwise try to "love" him better.
Why not? For the same reason that you DO pet him when he does something good: you are telling him that whatever he just did is the right thing to do! So when you pet him while he's panicking in a storm you're telling him he was right - he SHOULD be afraid!
Instead, you need to be calm and confident. Lead by example - project the idea that there is nothing to fear, and that you are in control of the situation. You aren't going to let anything bad happen to him, but you can't tell him that with words or petting - instead, let your body language and energy tell him that.
As tough as it is, you have to ignore the behavior you don't want. In this case, I would put him in a sit or down position next to you, silently project your calm confidence and read a book or sew something. As long as he is sitting where you asked him to be, ignore him until he calms down - THEN you can praise him, thereby reinforcing the relaxed behavior.
No drugs, no feeling sorry for him. Instead help him face his fears and get over them. It isn't easy and it won't be instant, but I promise it's well worth the effort!
We did not want to medicate our frightened dog so we tried this method for months. We were dedicated to helping her get better. We were positive in our actions and did not coddle or pet her. We acted normal and went about our day as if it were any other day. This did not work for us and our Boston. There was no getting over the fear for Roxy. We live if Florida, the state with the most thunder and lighting, plus we have loud bombing from the AF base. The vet says the dog feels the static electricity from the storms in the hair follicles long before the storm arrives. So.....doggie downers it is. Roxy runs to the kitchen where her pills are and flips on her back because she wants the pill so bad. Once she has 1/2 of a pill, she calms in about 15 minutes.
Roxy
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