LOVING YOUR DOG THROUGH A THUNDER STORM

How do I help my dog through the thunder storms? Staying Calm!

Lying on the bed, on his side facing away from me, I snuggle against his back and cover him with a folded sheet (800 count of course!) I pet him s-l-o-w-l-y so he feels my calm. A few years ago I discovered a miracle. When Sanka begins to pant, he usually has his head pointing upward, in alignment with his body. I take my finger and gently move his nose down to a 90 degree angle, a restful position. When I bring his nose down, he stops panting. I’m not holding his mouth closed, just g-e-n-t-l-y touching his nose to a position in which he stops panting. His breathing becomes calm because I am calm and just pet him gently. If he tilts his head back up and begins his stressful panting, I just gently put my finger on his nose and bring his head back to that 90 degree angle.

I know not all of you can do this with your dogs, but the most important thing to remember is to stay calm. The calmer you are, the calmer your dog would be.

We go through this every year. The last two weeks in June are usually thunder storms and then we go into the Fourth of July celebrations. How do I know this? I’ve had a guide dog for over 20 years. Pearl hated thunder. Gregg really hated thunder. And Sanka is getting better all the time.

Wishing all of you minimal stress as you calm your loving pals this weekend. ~Cheryl