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Post by Hezz on Mar 1, 2013 1:09:49 GMT
Oh dear, oh dear. YAWN! Poor dog ...... Mac has decided recently, as in the last week, that he is scared of lightning. Not thunder, you understand, but lightning. And of course, we hare having an unusual season for this time of the year. Usually by now our stormy season is over and we have just RAIN, and rain and more rain. But we are now getting storms, about 2-3 months later than normal. So when the lightning starts flashing in the middle of the night, poor dog starts to go ballistic. Day-time storms are fine for the obvious reason that he can't see the lightning, but 2am is not a good time to start barking and throwing himself at the walls of the house. Poor, poor dog. If I sit with him, or just be close, he is fine ....... no fun at 2am. I didn't get back to bed. Do you get thunderstorms in UK? Silly question probably, but I realise I have no clue.
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Post by stace on Mar 1, 2013 4:02:58 GMT
I don't think they have them like we have in Australia. I know New Zealand doesn't usually get those full-on thunder storms.
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Post by mizloco on Mar 1, 2013 8:57:08 GMT
We do get thunderstorms but not very often or too spectacular either. I love to watch a good storm they are amazing.
Sent from my HTC One X using proboards
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Post by Moogie on Mar 1, 2013 13:06:15 GMT
As mizloco said-we do but not major ones....i know that with storms lighterning or even fire works if atall poss not to over comfort them as this will tell them there is something to worry about so best thing to do is leave them be,it has worked with Ned and all our other dogs before but again each dog is unique and Mac is out side isnt he? so a totally different situation.
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Post by skysmum on Mar 1, 2013 17:08:27 GMT
Ohhh poor Mac, i used to have a Whippet cross and she was terrified of storms, fireworks, in fact anything that went bang. she would go frantic trying to find somewhere to hide, we had a sliding door under our bed at the time and she even worked out how to slide it and crawl under the bed. My friend has a little dog who does the same now and she has got some stuff from the vets to calm her when its fireworks time but storms are something you cant really predict. Dare i say i would bring him in when its bad Hezz, they can do themselves harm when the terror takes over .
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Post by Hezz on Mar 2, 2013 0:30:52 GMT
I think he would wreak the house, actually, Skysmum. And it takes ages for him to calm down, again. Last night I left the big spot-light on for him, and tied him up at the back door - he could see us just through the door and we did what we would be normally doing. The storm went around us and about an hour later he did settle down and curl up on his mat. Moogie, thanks for that, I agree with not overdoing the protective thing, but reading the conflicting advice off the web ......... it is easier to teach them not to be afraid when young rather than try to reverse well-seated fears or phobia. I am going to try to get some cheap strobe lights that I can change the pulse rate of - apparently they can be desensitised using these. I asked the question of the vets/nurses yesterday while I was picking up Smudge.
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Post by Hezz on Mar 3, 2013 0:49:27 GMT
And I am doping him up on chamomile tea! I made about 2 litres up for him yesterday, as strong as the teabags could make it, as they are all I have at present, added another two litres to it and that was his water for the night. He drank half ........ we had thunder but not sure about lightning last night and didn't hear a peep from him until he needed to do toileting. Who knows, I may have discovered the secret!!! Somehow I doubt it, though.
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Post by Hezz on Mar 4, 2013 2:35:07 GMT
Well what a night last night! Lightning, thunder, lots of rain. Poor dog has worn a sore on his lower neck from his check-chain and chain. We are not doing too well, I am afraid.
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Post by skysmum on Mar 4, 2013 17:01:33 GMT
Well what a night last night! Lightning, thunder, lots of rain. Poor dog has worn a sore on his lower neck from his check-chain and chain. We are not doing too well, I am afraid. Ohhh no poor Mac , Tilly says he can come and curl up on her bed's with her anytime, he can take his pick, choice of two dog beds, an arm chair in the dining room, half the sofa in the lounge and on very special occasions in between her mum and dad on the bed , and no she's not spoilt .
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Post by Hezz on Mar 5, 2013 1:13:44 GMT
Awwwww. Isn't Tilly lovely!! (I'll reconsider the python, if she is this kind to Mac, see the snake thread ) Last night went well although I think poor dog had gotten to the stage where he was thinking "oh, oh, getting dark, now the horror stuff begins" He started to go a little silly just as it was getting dark, no storm around, so I took him around to the front (where he ended up sleeping the night before), tied him up using his body harness, so he couldn't injure himself again, gave him some food, which he didn't touch, put him in his kennel and didn't hear a sound from him. He certainly wasn't himself yesterday. I feel the whole episode had left him exhausted and he was probably rather sore all over from throwing himself about. So he gets to sleep where my car should be for the time being, and the car is out in the rain. If it works, it's all good.
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Post by sarah*glittergirl2212 on Mar 5, 2013 21:27:24 GMT
Let's hope it works for Mac's sake... poor dog! I don't expect the car will mind the lightning I'm too soft, I'd have him in the house, probably on my bed (like my old dog used to get away with)so it's a good job I don't have a dog then isn't it!
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Post by Hezz on Mar 6, 2013 1:25:00 GMT
Probably, Sarah! But it is all what you know and are used to, I think. I grew up with usually about 5-8 dogs at any one time. They were working dogs and had kennels well away from the house, and while they were pets, they were working dogs first and foremost. So I have not grown up with dogs indoors - it's a foreign idea to me ......... but your whole history has been based around dogs inside, I suppose mostly to start with because it was simply too cold out! But happy to report that with storms all afternoon and into the evening, we didn't hear a peep from Mac-dog. I again tied him up with his harness on, (it will spread the load on his body if he does go berko), before dark, and put him in the same spot. Maybe we have hit on a winner. He isn't eating while he is stressing either and has lost a bit of weight that he didn't really have to lose. Every good night is a bonus and hopefully he will desensitize himself this way.
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