Why is my dog affraid of things like thunder or fireworks?

Unfamiliar noises often startle our dogs. They look to us for guidance and often we inadvertently reinforce their fear by trying to comfort them. This is the worst thing to do because from the dogs point of view we are telling them they are good to be afraid so the best thing is to completely ignore their fear.

Any Tips?
It is well worth spending time acclimatising your dog to as many noises as possible as early in their life as possible. This can be done by exposing them to the noise of the traffic, vacuum cleaners and so on.  Alternatively products like the Sounds For Behaviour Therapy CD, available through K9 Capers can help.

Do not make a fuss of your dog when he is displaying fear of this type. As mentioned, it will only serve to re-enforce the behaviour. However, distractions are good. You could try giving your dog his favourite treat or toy when you know thunder is about to happen, turn up the volume on the TV and even close the windows and doors in order to muffel the sound making it a lot less intimadating.

We hope that this answered your question but if not, please feel free to submit any further questions you have using the form below.

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