Thunderstorms and My Dogs

[Claire]

I have a "puppy" who is 12 years old and there's a thunderstome going on right nowl Her mom doesn't care (I really do mean her mom, not me) because she's old and deaf. The 'baby' is lovely and is afraid of things like paper bags. I mean, she's a real scaredy cat. Oh, dog.

I'm going to make a lot of posts tonight because now that I'm logged on, I'm probably not going to again. For some reason I need a password to get on, and Lord only knows, I have all I can do to remember my own phone number and zip code. No, I'm not a moron, I simply have moved every couple of years my entire life and my brain just cannot take any more.

Anyway, my poor little puppy is so scared that she is lying at my feet ... no, make that ON my feet. She's such a good girl.

 

[BlueCat]

Sorry about the password. I can't imagine what's up with that. When they updated the site, I had to log in again, but I told it to remember me and I'm fine - just like always.

Also sorry about the "pup". I don't know what happens to a dog to make them get that way. I suppose one good scare might be enough for some to be gun shy forever. That's why I could never figure out why a person would say, take their dog to a fireworks display. Are they looking for trouble?

Fortunately, I have a teeny tiny little Miniature Pinscher who is a bundle of nerves about practically everything, but is fearless in a storm. He has also *knocks on wood* been fine when the neighbor shoots fireworks. The storm thing is great though. He'll either sit at the back sliding glass door and watch the action, or he wants to go sit on the loveseat on the front porch and take it all in. We humans also love a good thunderstorm, and encouraged him from the time he was even tinier to go out on the porch with us. It's like an adventure to him, and I'm so grateful.

I know this doesn't help, and I have no answer for you, but I do sympathize. I know dogs like that and they are so frightened that it makes me sad for them. They don't know what they're missing.

BC

 

[amber]

Are you afraid of storms too Claire? Sometimes dogs can sense fears in people. I love thunderstorms, and my lab doesnt care about them at all. In fact I sit out on the porch with him to watch the rain, thunder/lightening. Sorry your "puppy" is afraid, but just cuddle him up and he'll be ok.

 

[Barbara L]

Claire,

We got our dog a dog house, but he refused to go in it. I tried putting dog food, prime rib, a cat (he loves the cats!), everything I could think of, in the dog house to try to get him to go in it. I struggled to put him in it, and he held onto the sides of the opening. Nothing worked. He preferred to stand out in the hot sun or in the rain. Then one day I was at the kitchen sink, looking out, during a thunderstorm. Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck something nearby and there was a huge clap of thunder. I looked out, and Duncan was in his dog house! Ever since then, he goes in there all the time. He also likes to sit on top of his dog house like Snoopy!

Barbara

 

[Claire]

It is rather odd. We lived in Florida, where thunderstorms are the norm, and she never feared them. We went on the road in an RV for three years, and about in the middle of our travels, she suddenly became fearful of thunder and fireworks. I can pretty much nail down when she got scared (we were camping right next to a ball park in Tennessee and fireworks went right over our heads on opening night). No, hubby and I do not fear bad weather. We've managed to live through hurricanes and tornadoes, week-long power outages, etc. She (Keiki)(a Jack Russell Mutt) simply HAS to be on or around my feet during fireworks or thunder. And she can sense when it is coming. We'll joke about it ... Claire, Keiki is on your feet, there must be a storm coming.