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| 2007 | ||
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What to Do If Your Dog's Afraid of Thunder and Other Startling Noises
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| It is not uncommon for dogs to become frightened in response to thunder, firecrackers, and other sounds which occur without warning. These types of fears often develop even though the dog has had no traumatic experiences associated with the sound. Recent studies show that inherited factors may make some dogs more likely to develop these phobias. This does not mean that the behavior cannot be changed. Many fear-related problems can be successfully resolved. However, if left untreated the dog's fearful behavior usually worsens. |
| Why Fears Usually Become Worse |
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First, things that are present in the environment whenever the dog hears the startling noise can, from the dog's viewpoint, become associated with the fearful sound. Over a period of time, a dog can then become afraid of other things in the environment that remind him of the noise he is afraid of. For example, dogs who are at first only afraid of thunder can later become afraid of the wind, dark clouds, and flashes of light, which to them mean that the thunder is coming. Dogs who are afraid of firecrackers may also become afraid of the children who have the firecrackers or become afraid to go in the backyard, which is usually where they have heard the noise. Second, good-intentioned owners want to comfort and reassure their fearful dogs by petting them, talking softly to them, and perhaps even giving them tidbits. The dog however interprets the owner's behavior as a reward or reinforcement for fearful behaviors. This makes it more likely the dog will become more fearful in the future because fearful behaviors produce attention from the owner. Third, when dogs become frightened, they try to reduce their fear. They may try for example to escape to a place where the sounds of thunder or firecrackers are less intense. If by leaving the yard or getting into a certain room of the house the dog becomes less afraid, then these escape or destructive behaviors are reinforced because they lessen the dog's fear. Just the activity or physical exertion associated with these behaviors may be an outlet for the dog's anxiety. Unfortunately, escape and destructive behaviors are problems for owners and may also result in physical injuries to the dog. |
| What Not to Do |
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First, as explained above, attempting to reassure the dog when she is afraid is likely to reinforce the fearful behavior. If you give your dog lots of attention when she is afraid, she may temporarily become calmer, but she will probably become more upset the next time she hears the sound especially if you are not there. Second, do not try to punish your dog for being afraid. Punishment only makes her more afraid. This approach is almost guaranteed to make the problem worse. Third, do not try to force your dog to experience or be close to the sound she is afraid of. Making her stay next to a group of children who are lighting firecrackers will only make her more afraid and could cause her to bite in an attempt to escape from the situation. Fourth, putting your dog in a crate in order to prevent her from being destructive during a thunderstorm is not recommended. She will not be less afraid when she is in a crate, and is likely to injure herself, perhaps severely, attempting to get out of the crate. Obedience classes will not make your dog less afraid of thunder or other noises. These approaches will not resolve the problem because they do not decrease the dog's fear. Trying to prevent her from escaping or being destructive will not work. If she is still afraid, she will continue to show that fear in whatever way she can - digging, jumping, climbing, chewing, barking, howling, etc. To stop the escaping and destructive behaviors, you must help her to be less afraid. |
| What You Can Do |
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"Safe Places": First, you can try to create a safe place for your dog to go to when she hears the noises which frightened her, whether you are there or not. But remember, this must be a safe location from your dog's perspective, not yours. It may not be an area you particularly want her to be in, or you may not even understand why she would want to be there. If your dog is already trying to get to a specific place when she is frightened, then if at all possible, give her access to it. Consider installing a dog door if she is trying to get inside the house. If she is trying to get under your bed, give her access to the room. If she is not trying to get to a particular place, you can try to create a "hidey-hole" that is dark, small, and as shielded from the feared sound as much as possible. Encourage her to go there when you are home and the thunder or other noise occurs. Feed her in that location, and associate other "good things" happening to her there. The dog must be able to come and go from this location freely. Confining her in the "hidey- hole" location when she does not want to be there will only cause more problems. The "safe place" approach may work with some dogs, but not all. Some dogs are motivated to move and be active when frightened and "hiding out" will not make them less fearful. "Distract Your Dog": This method will only work when the fearful response is just beginning. You must be able to start when she first alerts to the noise and is not yet showing lots of fearful behaviors, but is only watchful. Immediately try to interest your dog in doing something which she really enjoys. Get out the tennis ball and play fetch. Encourage her to engage in any activity which captures her attention and for a short time period serves to “turn off”' the fear. As the storm builds or the noise continues or becomes more intense, this approach will probably not be successful. It may at least delay the start of the fearful behaviors for longer and longer the more often it is used. If you can no longer keep your dog's attention and she begins acting afraid, stop the process. If you continue, you may inadvertently be reinforcing her fearful behavior. "Behavior Modification": Behavior modification techniques are often successful in reducing fears and phobias. The appropriate techniques are called counter conditioning and desensitization. This means that the dog is conditioned (taught) to respond in non-fearful ways to sounds and other stimuli which previously frightened her. This must be done extremely gradually and that's where the desensitization part comes in. Desensitization means gradually exposing the dog to a less intense version of the noise which does not cause fear, and then pairing it with something pleasant for the dog, such as a mouth-watering tidbit of food. Through this process, the dog comes to associate "good things" with the previously feared sound. If these techniques are not implemented correctly, they will not be successful and can even make the problem worse. Used incorrectly, it is actually possible to reward and reinforce the fear rather then minimize it. Common mistakes which are made include 1) starting with a stimulus which is too intense and still causes the dog to be afraid, 2) trying to increase the intensity of the sound too quickly, 3) pairing the sound with something that is only slightly appealing to the dog rather than using a type of food or other stimulus which she is strongly interested in, 4) not applying the techniques in a very consistent, methodical way, and 4) not correctly identifying all the elements which the dog is afraid of in the problem situation. Many pet owners may need professional assistance to create and implement this kind of behavior modification program. "Consult Your Veterinarian": Medication may be available which can make your dog less anxious for short time periods. Your veterinarian is the only person who is licensed and qualified to prescribe any medication for your pet. Do not attempt to give your dog or cat any over the counter or prescription medication without consulting your veterinarian. Animals do not respond to drugs the same way people do, and a medication that may be safe for humans may be fatal to animals. Drug therapy alone will not reduce fears and phobias permanently. Often behavior modification and medication used together is the best approach. "Behavior Specialists": Many severe fears and phobias may best be worked with by consulting with an animal behavior specialist and your veterinarian. Using the appropriate techniques, it is possible to either resolve or at least lessen your dog's fear related behavior problems.
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Written by Suzanne Hetts,Ph.D. Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist,
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