I think I may have accidently found a solution for dogs that are terrified of thunder and lightning.
Last night there was a pretty good t-storm and our dog Ditto hates them. He trembles, pants loudly and paces restlessly through the house. He stands in your way wherever you go and he’s very annoying. I feel bad being annoyed because he’s so terrified but his behavior is ceaseless.
At bedtime last night, it was still thundery and we were in bed with Ditto panting around the house like a little choo choo train. He’d come up bedside and pant in our faces. That dog panting recirculates so much air he makes the whole house smell like dogbreath. It is irritating when he’s standing next to you, blowing on your leg, but when he’s standing next to the bed blowing a 40 knot wind in your face it is too much.
I did what I did last night for the second time and it worked.
I put his leash on him and tied the other end to a living room doorknob next to his bed.
As soon as I left the room – quiet. After a few minutes, I went back to check on him and he was laying in his bed, calm, quiet and normal looking. As soon as he saw me, he jumped up and started panting and acting all freaky again.
In the morning, he was fine. I unleashed him and he’s normal. It works.
The first time, when I let him go, he headed straight for the water and was very thirsty. (I imagine panting dehydrates a dog pretty well). Last night, I moved the water next to him.
We’ve tried everything in the past. Thundershirts, all the pills and drops you can buy that are supposed to calm dogs down, everything. Nothing seemed to have any effect, not one iota.
Tying him up calmed him down immediately both times, so long as we weren’t in the room with him. We can spy and see he’s calm and relaxed. As soon as he sees us he jumps up and acts all scared again.
I don’t know the psychology. I guess he’s trying to warn us of danger or ask us to turn the thunder and lightning off. I dunno. But he’s calm and relaxed when he’s tied up alone. It may sound cruel but I don’t think it is.
If your dog has this problem,  try it. Let me know.