Big storm last night

[Hezz]

We had a mother of a thunderstorm last night which put to the test my preparations for Mac-the-Mutt on a large scale. He is a right scaredy-cat when it comes to storms to the extent that he will try breaking into the house to be with us. So I have been doing crate-training with him for the past month or so in preparation, and with the crate in a secure room with the lights on and him shut in, he settled down rather well and everyone was able to get a decent night's sleep. I do have some sedatives for him if he really does go off the rails, but last night's storm was rather up-close-and-personal and we managed without sedating the poor boy. I had a win, whoo hoooo!!

[jellybean]

Well done you   I feel so sorry for dogs who are frightened of loud noises, my friend used to have a great lump of a dog, think it was a labrador cross, and come bonfire night he was a nightmare, he managed to hide in the wardrobe once and peed all over her shoes and handbags just through nerves. My Niece on the other hand has 2 border collies, and they are the exact opposite, they go absolutely nuts to get OUT of the house to watch the fireworks  

[starlingqueen]

I love a good thunderstorm. Thankfully my dog doesn't mind them, although he used to bark at them which kept us awake at night. He's partially deaf now so only hears the big bangs.
So pleased for you, that the plan worked Hezz. Nothing worse than a terrified dog, it upsets everyone not just the poor animal. Well done you.

[skysmum]

Ohhh well done Hezz, its rotten when they are petrified like that, ive had one similar in the past.

So glad Matt will feel safe and secure now and peace of mind for you, also no vet bills if he should harm himself .

[samwiseg]

Oh my god poor Mac! Bless him, it must be a nightmare for animals that get like that but credit to you Hezz for training him well enough to be able to deal with it better.

We have thunderstorms here and the buds dont bat an eyelid thankfully but then I bet your storms are a lot bigger and more tropical than ours

[Hezz]

It certainly wasn't anything that could be ignored; we ended up getting almost 100ml out of it over the course of the night, so almost 4" in the old money. In fact we didn't realise anything untoward was happening until Mac started getting sooky at the back door. Soon after it really started to get serious. While the rain continued, the thunderstorm was mostly over by about 11pm, we let Mac out, he had his dinner and then chose himself to go back into the crate, rather than into his kennel where he would normally sleep.

The birdies spent the night inside too as the gutters couldn't handle the deluge and overflowed, then the rain blew in and the whole deck was awash. I am sure they didn't mind a night inside.

[Moogie]

poor mac-doggy no really poor little thing,must be scary for them,one of my clients dog goes so mental he will try to get in any where that is open including the fridge
Another clients dog hates storms,fireworks ect but bought one of these:-
www.amazon.co.uk/Thundershirt-Anxiety-Coat-Dog-Grey/dp/B0028QK6EY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418144173&sr=8-1&keywords=thunder+jacket

and apparently it worked a treat x

[Hezz]

Thanks Moogie for that. Apparently they work for some dogs and not others. I suspect that it depends on what it is about a storm that sets the individual dog off as there are some many factors, and we can't feel them. I must admit to being put off giving these coats a trial due to the cost - a lot to fork out if it doesn't work. Glad it works for your client's dog though.

[sarah*glittergirl2212]

So glad to hear the crate training has helped Mac deal with the storms a bit more. Not having to sedate him has to be a good thing whenever it can be avoided.

[Hezz]

True, Sarah, but I have no idea how he might react if we aren't around. That is my biggest worry.