Rodrigo is afraid of thunderstorms.  He's had these fears most of his life, and they got worse when part of the fence went down in a heavy windstorm nearly two years ago.  As I type this blog post, there is thunder off in the distance and Rodrigo is resting peacefully beside me and I want to share how I was able to help me through his storm phobia.

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Why Dogs Fear Storms

I always thought it was the noise and it may be part of the reasons Rodrigo hates storms.  It's also the static electricity that is rolling across their coat, shocking them.  That's why we see dogs behaving restlessly, trying to hide from the storm – they're trying to get away from the static electricity caused by thunderstorms.

We have four dogs and the others sleep through thunderstorms; only Rodrigo whimpers and sits as close to me as possible when there's a storm.

Until now.

9 Ways to Relieve Your Dog's Fear of Thunderstorms

1 – Add Ewegurt to Your Dog's Meal

I discovered Ewegurt a year ago, and it's been my go-to supplement to naturally ease my dog's storm phobia.  Ewegurt is an all natural supplement made with sheep milk, which has a calming effect on dogs.  My favorite is the emu round treats. However, I also mix Ewegurt into my dogs' meals when I knew we're going to have a storm.  I usually see Rodrigo visibly relax within 30-40 minutes.

• CLICK HERE to order Ewegurt for your dog

2 – Give Your Dog CBD Oil

While Ewegurt does GREAT during thunderstorms and fireworks; if we're having a particularly bad storm, I give Rodrigo CBD oil before bed.  You can put the oil on a piece of bread, on a treat, or add it to their food and water.  I put it directly into Rodrigo's mouth – he knows the drill and comes ready for relief.  Or he just likes the taste.

CBD oil doesn't contain THC and doesn't have any adverse side effects beyond calming a dog and helping him/her sleep through the night.

• CLICK HERE to order CBD oil

3 – Don't Make Your Dog “Wait it Out”

While Rodrigo is sleeping now, the Ewegurt doesn't last 24 hours, and later tonight he'll want to sleep with me.  When he was a puppy I was told to let him wait it out; he'll eventually grow out of his fear.  After one night of listening to my puppy whimpering during the storm, I felt that I was only making it worse.  My job is to make him feel safe and secure, and I do this by sleeping by his side during the storm.

4 – Provide a Hiding Place for Your Dog

If there is a storm when I'm at work, I have a comfortable and roomy kennel for Rodrigo.  He can chill in the kennel on his memory foam bed with a blanket covering the top and sides.  Combining this with a breakfast that includes Ewegurt keeps him calm, and he's able to make it through a storm until we get home.

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5 – Don't Reinforce Your Dog's Fear

While I believe that I should ignore our dogs' fears; I don't think I should reinforce them by rewarding them with attention and baby talk.  So I invite Rodrigo to sit next to me, to lay across my feet, and to sleep with me in the guest room – all of these provide him with comfort.  But I don't hug, pet, and baby talk him whenever he whimpers from the storm because I don't want to reinforce the fear with the award that I give him when he ignores a bicycle or exhibits a good recall.

I figured this trick out a few years ago during the fireworks.  Once I began acting normally when there were fireworks, Rodrigo stopped being so afraid.  He's not a fan of the noise but sleeps through them now.

6 – Rub Your Dog's Coat with an Unscented Dryer Sheet

If the static electricity is a problem, rubbing a dog's coat with an unscented dryer sheet may help alleviate the annoyance of the static in their coat and the occasional shocks during the storm.  While we're told to avoid using dryer sheets around our dogs because of the chemicals, choosing an unscented brand and using it a few times a year isn't going to have an adverse effect on our dogs according to Dr. Marty Becker.

• CLICK HERE to read more about using unscented dryer sheets.

7 – Give Your Dog a Distraction

Bully sticks, cold smoked bones, and other chews and chew toys are a miracle during a thunderstorm.  Rodrigo has now woken from his short nap (the thunder is right above our house) and is now happily gnawing on a bully stick. I used to give my dogs Benebones, but despite being food grade, the plastic slivers that come off after chewing make Rodrigo sick.

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8 – Buy Your Dog a Thundershirt

The theory of a Thundershirt (or you can use an ace bandage if you can wrap your dog correctly) is that it acts as a tight hug, relaxing and calming a dog during a storm.  I've seen people put these on their reactive or shy dogs for walks too.  While this is a popular method, I had more success with Ewegurt and gave my Thundershirt to a friend who LOVES it for her dog.

• CLICK HERE to order a Thundershirt

9 – Call Your Veterinarian

Despite the number of ways we can help our dogs make it through a thunderstorm, some dogs have such high anxiety that they need drugs.  Last year a new drug called Sileo was released, and I've heard great things from dog parents about its effectiveness.  I'm not a fan of prescription drugs for my dogs because the one time I gave Rodrigo something for his fear, he lost all inhibition, bolted out the house when we stepped outside and was lost in the woods for a short time.

I didn't do my job and research the drug that I purchased from our veterinarian; our veterinarian didn't fully understand our dog's fear level before prescribing the drug.  Today, I understand that Rodrigo isn't a dog that is in need for a prescription – natural solutions work best for him.

The storm is over and Rodrigo is now sleeping at my feet.  Once again, he made it through the storm with only a few treats of Ewegurt.  I'm relieved because it means that I'll get a good night's sleep tonight, despite the heavy dog that will be sleeping across my legs.

Thank you to Ewegurt for being a generous sponsor of Keep the Tail Wagging®.  Ewegurt is an all natural supplement made with sheep's milk and other natural, healthy ingredients that help to ease anxiety in dogs.  I add it to my dogs' meals as a food topper or I feed it to them as a treat before thunderstorms, windstorms, when there will be fireworks, and before they are exposed to a situation that increases their anxiety.  It works great for my dogs and has no side effects.