Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Thunderstorms

We had a REALLY long thunderstorm last night.  For the last year or so Max barks at thunder.  It has definitely been getting worse lately.  He doesn't show any other signs of stress (drooling, panting etc.) and he will stop his barking long enough to work for treats however that really isn't practical at 3:00 a.m.

I have tried a thundershirt, classical music - and a combination.  I have tried a (little) bit of classical conditioning by playing storm sounds at low volume but he seems to be able to tell the difference.  Last night he woke us up barking before we could even here the thunder.

Anybody have any good ideas?  I was hoping not to have to go the drug route but I'm fresh out of ideas.

2 comments:

Beyond the Dog Dish said...

Have you ever used Rescue Remedy? It is not sedating at all; just calming and all homepathic (botanical). Thankfully my two sleep through it but I feel your pain as my lab did not!

katie, Maizey and Magnus said...

Perhaps try Homeopet? Of course keep with the thunder shirt, and Homeopet can be used in conjunction with Rescue Remedy. The thing with them is they may take up to twenty minutes to begin working and that may be too long. Also the tightness and fit of a thundershirt make a big difference. When our trainer fitted Maizey's I thought it was way too tight, but when it's loose it has no effect.

Sorry for you and Max, it's no fun to be woke up and I'm sure it's no fun for him either! Hope you find something that works.