Many of us were scared of thunderstorms when we were little and growing up. With dogs, thunderstorm phobia is very real and if you own a dog with this problem, it can break your heart and be very difficult to live with.

The best time for a dog to become accustomed to the periodic thunderstorms is when they still are puppies. Regrettably, this usually doesn't happen. Dog's ears are very perceptive and some dogs are not able to handle blasting sounds. If your dog goes ballistic when he hears loud noises or thunder, be very tolerant and thoughtful. Keep in mind that he is going through a very stressful time and he does not need more stress from his human owner. Being able to diagnose the fear is not hard at all. The dog may shiver, desire to be close to you or run away and hide.

In some severe cases, dogs have become destructive as they try to find some way to get away from the thunder. Pet owners have come home to devastation in the home and the dog that had before been house trained, may have eliminated in the house. There are other dogs that have been known to jump through a window or door trying to get away from the sound. Other times, if a dog was in a crate, the dog has eliminated in the crate or demolished it while trying to find some way to get out.

Dogs that have been left outside have been known to run, tearing up fences or chains attempting to get away from the noise. Unfortunately, many dogs have been hit by a car or ended up at the city pound. You should at least be able to settle him down if your dog has not been desensitized to thunderstorms.http://petcare.suite101.com/article.cfm/calming_a_dog_scared_of_thunder

Try to get your dog's mind off of the loud thunder. Find one of his favorite chew toys or stuffed toyand play with him. Make up some fun playtime activities in the house. There is no need to pat him constantly or cuddle with your dog. It only makes the dog think that the fear is okay so never baby your dog. Try to behave as though there is nothing wrong and it is just a normal day or night. Find something to play white noise on since white noise seems to camouflage sounds that are undesirable. Turn on the radio in between two stations or put the TV on an off station.http://www.howtodothings.com/pets-animals/how-to-calm-your-dog-during-a-thunderstorm

If your dog utilizes a crate, be sure that it is made available for him. Usually the dog's crate is his own private hideaway where your dog can run and hide if he wants to during a storm. Try to cover his crate with a thick towel or a thin blanket which might provide him extra consolation. Always leave the crate open so if your dog wants to get out during the fireworks display or thunderstorm, he can. Another thing to try, is if your dog runs to the bathroom, play music or turn on the exhaust fan to help mask the loud noise. Many dogs do run to the bathroom to hide because usually bathrooms are interior in the house or apartment and probably won't have windows so they feel it makes a safe place to be. Be sure that if your dog runs and hides, there is nothing in the area where he is hiding that he can destroy. Various dogs will hide under a bed or in a closet and this is fine as long as there is nothing that the dog can destroy or there is nothing in there that might be unsafe for him.http://petcare.suite101.com/article.cfm/calming_a_dog_scared_of_thunder

The number one thing is to remain composed. If your dog feels that your are terrified, he will feel that too. Act like the thunderstorm is not that big of a deal. Never respond excessively to an overwhelmed terrorized dog. The more tranquil you are, the more tranquil your dog will be. Do not shout, scold or yell at your dog. This will only raise his level of anxiety, nervousness and fear. Do not allow your dog to go out of the house during a thunderstorm. If you have to take him outside for any reason, be sure to keep him on a leash or in a crate so he cannot run away. Be sure that your dog's identification tags and vaccination tags are current. If your dog is not on a leash or confined in a crate, he may run off even if he is right next to you.

Find a way to muffle the sounds coming from outside. You could try to increase the volume on the television set during the storm if your dog is used to hearing the TV anyway. This will aid in reducing the loud noise coming from outside the house or apartment. As an alternative, the dog will hear sounds that are more recognizable to the dog. If you have curtains on the windows, close them. It will help to block out the lightening in addition to the view of the rain pounding outside by doing this.http://www.howtodothings.com/pets-animals/how-to-calm-your-dog-during-a-thunderstorm</ref>

If the above mentioned steps do not seem to help, check with your dog's veterinarian and see if anti-anxiety medication is appropriate for your dog. There are some anti-anxiety medicines for dogs that can aid in alleviating some of your dog's distress. This type of medication works best if given at least thirty minutes before the thunderstorm begins or thirty minutes before the fireworks display begins. There are also sedatives that your veterinarian can prescribe for severe cases of thunderstorm phobia. Additionally, there are some commercial products that might help relieve the stress your dog feels. Some gentle aids, like homeopathic remedies and herbal supplements that are suggested by holistic veterinarians might be helpful. There is also the "Anxiety Wrap" that utilizes a dog's pressure points and can aid in relieving your dog's fearfulness. The "Anxiety Wrap" was developed by Susan Sharpe, a dog training expert.http://www.anxietywrap.com

There are herbal remedies that are available. One of those is called Rescue Remedy and is a mixture of flower essences and is used to calm an anxious dog.http://www.rescueremedy.com/pets/Another option is to research Dog Appeasing Pheromones or D.A.P.http://www.k9capers.com/feature-dap.asp This remedy comes in many forms such as spray, a collar that your dog wears and even a diffuser that is plugged into an electric outlet and works just like an air freshener does. This liquid has the same properties as the pheromones that a mother dog discharges that is utilized to calm and sooth her litter of pups. There is no odor to the D.A.P. and human beings and other animals will not even notice it. Only your dog will. The D.A.P. may help your dog feel safer and less nervous.http://www.howtodothings.com/pets-animals/how-to-calm-your-dog-during-a-thunderstorm