Max, our 8 year-old yellow lab, is terrified of both. We live in Miami Lakes, Florida, and during the summer we have thunderstorms almost every day. We live in a one-story home with lots of windows and sliding doors, surrounded by palms and other trees. When there’s a thunderstorm, sometimes it feels like we are sitting outside in the middle of it. So imagine how this makes poor Max feel! (just in case you are wondering, we do have accordion shutters to protect us from hurricanes).
Since the time Max was a little puppy he started to shake as soon as he heard thunder or fireworks. I didn’t know what to do. But I knew I didn’t want to give him any medication to calm down. So I covered a sofa with a blanket and put Max on it. It worked. Even though he kept shaking, I could tell he felt safer there. Eventually he would relax. He would cuddle up and look half his size, and he would stay on the sofa until the storm passed, or the fireworks stopped. Then when he thought it was safe again, he would jump off and look for me or another family member. Kind of letting us know everything was fine.
Well, over the years we have used the same "therapy" to deal with Max's anxiety when a storm approaches or fireworks start. Actually, I’ve seen that this sofa/blanket remedy seems to work faster now than it did years ago. Now Max relaxes just a couple of minutes after jumping on the sofa and making himself comfortable. The bad thing is that Max has learned to associate the rain with the thunder, so now even if it is just raining he gets all shaky and goes to the sofa!
It was only recently that I talked to the vet about this, because we were at the office when a storm started and Max went crazy, shaking all over. The vet was very glad that we had found a way to calm Max down. He told me that this problem is extremely common and that many dogs become very destructive during storms and some even hurt themselves.
It seems though that Charlie, our seven-month Poodle/Schnauzer mix, doesn’t mind storms or fireworks for that matter. He doesn’t act any different when there’s thunder. He did not have any problems with the 4th of July fireworks celebrations either. So it seems Max will not need to share the sofa after all. I’m sure he is happy about that!
Here is Max on the sofa. This picture was NOT taken during a storm.
Griselda, your post brought back fond memories of our dog. He passed away many years ago. He too was very frightened of thunder and lightening. He was very brave in any other situation. You have a beautiful dog.
Hi Griselda, my two golden retrievers are fine with thunder and fireworks but a couple of things get them going. One is the sounds our cell phones make when we have missed a call, there is a voicemail waiting or if the battery is dying. Zak will wake us up in the middle of the night and we have to go searching for the dying cell phone. They also hate the sound a smoke detector makes when the batteries need changing and the sound of gunfire - for a while my husband was practicing mounted shooting in our arena and I would find the dogs hiding in the closets or under the desk.
Poor Max - with all those storms you get in FL I bet he spends a lot of time on the sofa - clever Max:)
Stephanie
Hi Griselda
My Airedale hates thunder & fireworks and has all his life. He is now 11 and I think it's rubbing off on our 4 year old Airedale now. A sort of learned behaviour.
Leon, thank you for your comments. I hope you enjoyed the company of your dog for many years. They become part of our families and are remembered as much as any other one of our loved family members when they are not longer with us.
Stephanie, it must be great to have two golden retrievers! they are wonderful and lovable dogs, and you got a double dose! Its incredible how they react to one sound and not to another, isn't it? Oh the smoke detectors, they bother me when the batteries are dying. The noise is horrible! I haven't noticed that they bother Max though. He doesn't seem to mind. And yes, Max is spending a lot of time on the sofa lately, there are storms almost every single day! Thank you.
Joe, that's what I am afraid of, that Max's behavior would teach Charlie that he too should be afraid of storms and fireworks. Charlie is only 7 month old now, and still doesn't seem to have any reaction to them. Let's see what happens in the future. Thanks for your comments.
Lori, thank you for your comments, and yes, the storms are coming almost every single day now. Today we had one again. How old is the little one?
Terry, yes, it seems that way. Charlie doesn't seem afraid at all. Let's hope Max's fear is not "contagious." I don't want to disappoint you, but a friend of mine who has a 15 year old lab that lost her hearing almost completely, still gets afraid when there's a thunderstorm. It seems that somehow they know there's a storm out there. Thank you for your comments.
Griselda, Bella is afraid of thunder and fireworks. She will move from spot to spot and will follow me from room to room and stay very close. Sometimes she will crawl under my desk while I am sitting there (not much room for my feet LOL!).
My Dessie wasn't phased a bit by either if these noises.
Ginger
Ginger, I know what you mean! If for some reason I can prepare Max's sofa right away when thunder or fireworks start, Max will also "attach" himself to me and mirror my every move until he is up there on the sofa, tucked with a blanket. Thank you for your comments.
Yup my doggies all hate thunder and lightening and fire works. I am not sure, though, if it just bothers their ears or if they are afraid of it. Either way, I let them snuggle with me regardless.
Grisela I am a big fun of dogs... In our family we always had dogs (beside other pets...) and grow up surrounded by dogs. All along I one that in particular is the love of my life. SUNSET. She is 10 years old, a mix of Akita and something else... very sweet and beautiful.
Here are my most recent adoptive children:
SUNSET..............................................DUDE.............................................PUKKY
Arina, I'm glad to hear that you are a dog lover too. Your pets are very cute! Love the names too. It looks that Sunset likes car rides, doesn't she? She just looks very happy there inside the car, and she is beautiful. Thank you for visiting and for sharing these lovely pictures of your pets.
My Chloey is like deathly afraid of both thunder and fireworks. She was born on the 4th of July and she is still afraid of them. Last year for her 1st birthday we went to a fireworks show, and once the 1st one went off she jumped in my lap and by the 10th one we were in the car on our way home because she was soooo scared and her little heart was pounding so bad. On stormy nights she is up in our bed cuddled right up next to me and will even shove her head under my pillow, if we are in the car she hides on the back floorboards lol
Chris, I see that Chloey is a lucky girl and I'm sure she appreciates that you share your bed with her when she is scared. Thank you so much for sharing these stories about her.
When I first wrote this post I said that Charlie didn't mind the sounds of fireworks or thunder. But during the New Year's Eve celebrations he got scared of fireworks for the first time. Then after that things only got worst. Now Max is no longer with us. He died back in April. And Charlie gets so scared with thunderstorms that he hides everywhere he can. If a door of a closet is left open he goes there and disappears behind clothes. Or he goes inside a bathroom and hides in a corner. He gets terrified and once he finds a place to hide his body gets really stiff. I tried to put him on the sofa, like I did with Max. But it didn't work with Charlie. He wants the darkest and smallest place he can find.
Griselda, I have two Shelties. Is there really any other dog to have? LOL One Atreju doesn't seem to be bothered by the thunder but gunfire and fireworks sure make him angry. Fallon our smallest just wants to crawl under you when the booms start. However, when it comes to squirrels Fallon is a fearless beast climbing 7 or 8 feet up a tree. We never told her she couldn't so she just goes until gravity overcomes friction and she does a back flip and lands on all fours like a cat..... Go figure.
Griselda: I noticed that with my cocker Boopi, as she got older she didn't like thunder or fireworks. I would hold her in my lap until the storm passed but she never really relaxed. It was awful to see her be so scared. I thought it was even worse when she lost her hearing but then I noticed she didn't have to be frightened of storms and fireworks again. Very sadly, she recently passed away. I now have two baby cockers to carry on for her and we had a storm the other night. They raised up from their sleep and listened for a minute and then went back to sleep. I hope this means they are going to handle the thunder, etc. Time will tell. I know older dogs seem to have the most trouble.
Henry, your dogs are beautiful! Each dog has its own personality, don't then? Love the story of Fallon climbing up a tree and then falling on all fours. I would love to see that!!! Why don’t you share some video with us? Better yet, why not get some video or pictures and write a post?!
Donna, I'm so sorry you lost your Boopi, she had such a sweet face. I recently lost Max, and I know how hard it is.
Bubbi and Chela are so cute. I hope they never get scared of thunder and fireworks. But sometimes they do change when they get older. Charlie wasn't afraid of thunder or fireworks at the time I wrote this post, but now he does get scared. Thank you very much for sharing these beautiful pictures with us
This is a recent picture of Charlie. He thinks he is a furry baby.
Hi,
My schnauzer, Pete, is afraid of storms also! His safe place is our closet. When a storm is on its way, we leave our closet door ajar so he can come and go as he pleases. He even has a bed in there now. Sometimes I find him coming out of the closet when I get home from work, when there hasn't been a storm!
So far, my yorkie is oblivious to thunder, lightning and fireworks. My silky is another story - he won't stop wining or barking when fireworks go off!
Max is a sweetheart. Reminds me of a dog I had as a child...Stanley. Stanley used to get in a bed, on a pillow in a thunderstorm. And he was not a big dog and it was a struggle for him to get on the bed to begin with. When I became a cat person later in life, I thought they would also be freaked out during thunderstorms. Not so much. The cats seem to take comfort in being around each other when they are scared. It's kind of cute. They tend to group together and nto shake and look terrified like dogs.
Cindy, now I know from where Charlie gets the urge to get inside the closet, it's the schnauzer side of him! (Charlie is a poodle/schnauzer mix) I would love to see a picture of Pete, if you have one please share it with us.
Linda, yes, each dog is different. How old is your yorkie? I would love to see pictures of your puppies too.
Chris, yes, Max was a sweetheart. Everybody who met him fell in love with him. He had the perfect mix of looks and personality. We always joked that he should have been in commercials. He is no longer with us and we miss him every single day. It's been over two months already. But the pain is still there. Max was very much one of the family. I'm glad you had a dog when you were growing up. I always wanted one but wasn't that lucky. Didn't know cats did that during thunderstorms. It is cute. So they get together to protect each other, I guess... Cats are more independent than dogs, and seem to be more able to survive without human help. I like cats, but love dogs.
I am in love with your Charlie. I can't imagine what kind of world this would be without these sweet sweet pets. This might sound strange but send your dog calm energy, calm thoughts, calm sounds.
Hi,
I have an English Bulldog, Bruno and you would think a rugged looking dog like a bulldog wouldnt be afraid of the storm, but he is so scared when it thunders. He will jump in your lap if you are strong enough to hold 77 pounds. You can see my Bruno on my active rain site.
Tinker
Sheron, so sorry I didn't answer you earlier. Somehow I didn't see your comment before today. Thank you so much. Charlie is adorable and a very sweet doggy.
Tinker, I would love to see Bruno jumping on your lap, all 77 pounds of him! That must be quite a site! I'm going to visit your AR page now. Can't wait to see Bruno! Thank you so much for visiting.
My dog Ginger hates fireworks, thunder or anything loud for that matter. She will either hide under my bed or she wants to be right under my feet. My sister/partners dog Stormy is terrified of storms and fireworks, she hides in the bathtub or the closet. She is the closet troll. She couldn't have a more suitable name.