Home Remedies for Relaxing Dogs During Storms

For some dogs, thunderstorms are just another excuse for a nap. For others they create anxiety so intense that the dog shakes, shivers, hides and in some cases even tries to escape from windows that may be several floors up. Your veterinarian can prescribe a medication to help your dog through thunderstorm anxiety, or you can try a more natural method. Home remedies require no medication and are equally effective for dogs.

  1. Music

    • According to Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue and musician Sue Raimond, the sound of harp music is soothing and relieves stress for several types of animals, including dogs. While the effects of harp music have not been scientifically proven, the effects of calming music have been found to reduce stress in humans and animals alike. Play music during happy times, such as during a soothing dog massage or when you give your dog a treat. Your dog then associates the music with happy, calm moments. When a storm approaches (as well as during a storm), play the music to keep your dog's mind off of the stress and on more calm thoughts.

    Body Wrapping

    • Stress from storms over-stimulates the dog's nerve receptors, causing the dog to feel overwhelmed and out of control. One way to correct this is to wrap the dog snugly to provide a constant pressure and allow the nerve receptors to adapt to the situation. This can be done by snugly wrapping your dog's torso in a T-shirt or by holding your dog near you (at your side or on your lap) and wrapping it in your arms or snuggling it in a blanket.

    Desensitizing

    • This method involves exposing your dog to recreated elements of a storm a little at a time until the dog is no longer bothered by a storm. You can play a CD of a thunderstorm at a low volume then increase the volume as your dog feels less threatened by the sounds of the storm. Just as with the use of music, offer your dog favorite treats or access to a special toy during the storm therapy session or during the actual storm. This way, your dog associates it with something positive. This method should be done gradually, but it can reduce your dog's stress when a storm occurs.