Weathering The Dog Storm!

Have you ever wondered why your dog reacts to loud noises like thunder, lightning or fireworks?  Or have you wondered why your dog hates the snow, or wet grass?  Or maybe you have a dog that HATES water and refuses to swim. 

Is this really the natural reaction from an animal that came from a wolf?  The short answer is no.  So, why does your dog act that way?  Let’s discuss.

Always Faithfuls training consultant Kurdt Greenwood explains.

“…the wolf show no fear in thunderstorms, in Africa on the big open grass planes with frequent thunderstorms the animals seem to be content grazing and going about their day. My lions in captivity also showed very little fear or anxiety…The big difference for me between our dogs and the wildlife is exposure, the wild animals are exposed to the elements from young and gain confidence as they grow up with strong family members being confident around them in the storms. 

So I think the most important thing is to expose your young pups to thunderstorms, loud sounds, different environments, smells, people, animals, and so on. It’s also very important to be confident around your animal so if you exposing him to a thunderstorm act like it's no big deal, just natural event.

I think we humans create these fears in the animals when they  are young and most impressionable by over babying them or not being consistent and firm with them,  it's a complex environment they find themselves in.   And they need lots of consistency, love and exposure…once the phobia has been developed when the animal is older, it becomes much trickier and it will fall on you with patience and skills to find a solution for each individual case depending on the severity.”

Exposure to the elements and strong leadership from the pack leader during that exposure is an important part of this if you have a young impressionable dog. 

Once the phobia has been established, depending on the severity of it, a certified trainer can help by doing a thorough assessment and figuring out how to reshape those behaviors during those times. 

Want to learn more?  Contact your local certified Always Faithful Dog Trainer today!