How To Comfort Your Dog During A Storm
If you’re an animal lover, you’ve probably wondered how to comfort a dog during a storm or bad weather. This is because dogs are especially sensitive to noise as they can hear sounds that we are unable to hear. Sounds of a higher pitch that humans can’t hear can be heard by dogs and cause anxiety or potentially hurt their ears. Sounds such as alarms, fireworks and thunderstorms are common causes of anxiety and stress in dogs.
What can I do?
Thunderstorms can be frightening for our four-legged friends. Unfortunately, you can’t “cure” a frightened animal. But there are some things you can do to comfort a dog during a storm. Here’s a list of tips to help comfort your dog during a storm:- Place a blanket over them and cover their head as seen in the picture. This not only makes them feel warm but eases their anxiety and makes them feel safe.
- Stay by their side. Try to avoid leaving the house when your dog is frightened during a storm.
- Give your dog plenty of attention such as pats or even a calming massage.
- Compete with the noise by putting on the television or the radio in the background so the storm is less noticeable for your best friend.
- Use natural therapies such as lavender oil or specialist calming oils made for dogs and cats.
- Try a thunder shirt – this is a shirt that wraps around your dog applying gentle, constant pressure much like the effect of nursing a new-born.
- As a last resort, a visit to the vet may be necessary to discuss medication for your dog’s anxiety. However, we recommend that you try all the above methods first.