Dogs are not fond of loud sounds. Fireworks are the most common loud noise known to scare a dog, but other sounds like loud gunshots and storms can scare them just as much.

If your dog isn’t fond of loud storms, then they probably whimper and snuggle up close to you. The loud sounds that come with storms can trigger your dog’s anxiety and luckily, there are ways you can counteract it!

If your love-able pooch experiences anxiety during storms, here are some ways to help keep them calm.

Why dogs have anxiety during storms

Unlike humans, dogs have incredible senses that can pick up on changes that may make them uncomfortable. When a storm is brewing, these senses are activated. 

Your dog can sense the drop in air pressure that comes with a storm. Adding in the darkening skies, rustling wind, and booming thunder, it’s a mix meant to freak a dog out. 

Another reason why dogs fear thunder is that they simply don’t know what it is. While dogs have the ability to sense the changes in weather, they don’t hold the ability to understand what a storm is, and sadly, we aren’t able to communicate it to them. 

If you have a dog that was rescued or previously owned, then they might hold anxiety from a past experience, especially if your dog was left outside most of the time. 

When a dog hears a loud, unrecognizable sound, its anxiety is going to raise. If your dog has more sensitive hearing and a skeptic personality, this could contribute to their sense of anxiety too.

How to know your dog has storm anxiety

There are many ways to tell if your dog experiences anxiety during storms. Dogs have different signs of anxiety that you can correlate to oncoming storms. 

One of the biggest tell-tale signs of pet anxiety during a bad storm is whimpering or shivering. Your dog may even get quiet. If your dog starts to shake uncontrollably, whimper, or get quiet after a loud boom of thunder, then they’re likely in distress over the bad weather. 

Another sure sign your dog may be experiencing anxiety during a storm is running away to hide somewhere in the house. 

It’s a natural reaction even for humans to run and hide when we become frightened, so it makes sense that our dogs experience this too. When your dog hears a loud noise they don’t recognize, they may run and hide somewhere in the house, like a corner or somewhere they feel safe. 

Along with this, if your dog begins to pant or pace around, then this is another sign that they might be experiencing anxiety during a storm. 

Learning the way your dog communicates anxiety is crucial for understanding their need to be calm when they’re feeling uneasy. In order to understand how your dog responds to storm, study them and monitor the way they react when they hear the loud claps of thunder. When you recognize their anxiety, use the following tips to help make them more comfortable.

Tips to keep your dog calm during bad storms

One of the most frustrating aspects of being a pet parent is not being able to verbally communicate with our pets when they’re in distress. While we may not be able to communicate verbally to them, there are things we can do to help calm their anxiety they may be having when there’s a bad storm. 

The best way you can calm your dog during a bad storm is to comfort them by being home with them. Are they hiding in the house? Shaking or whimpering? Then be close by to them!

Our dogs love it when we comfort them and wrap them in our arms, so just like our parents did for us when we were scared, we need to be close to our pets and comfort them when they need us, too. This will provide a calming environment that your dog will feel safe in. 

If thunder is still a challenge then you should look at our calming dog beds. A calming dog bed works to soothe to specifically minimize the anxiety your dog feels by providing a sense of security.

Calming dog beds activate orthopedic relief to your dog and create a cozy place for your dog to burrow while lying down. These beds can make your dog feel protected, which is exactly what they need when feeling anxious during a storm.

Comfort is key

No one likes loud storms and your fur-child doesn’t either. If they are experiencing anxiety in storms, use a combination of these tricks with a calming dog bed to help minimize the amount of anxiety your dog experiences. 

Remember, the best way to cure their anxiety is for their pet-parent to be right by their side!