Storm Fear

I am often amazed at how sensitive dogs are to changes in weather and environment. They can feel the energy of a storm and when thunder and lightening are involved, their bodies positively quake!

Last night the Australian Shepherds I’m watching looked like someone had stuck their tail in an electric socket they were shaking so much. I took off their invisible fence collars and moved them from room to room in the house trying to find the smallest “den” with the no outside light/view. I knew that was the only way to calm them down. Of course this Colonial home built in the early 1900’s is all windows (and quite lovely on a nice day with tons of light!)

After the hallway to the laundry room, the bathroom, the master bedroom (where they are never normally permitted), and the pantry... we wound up in the den with the TV on, the lights low, and the doors to the bathroom and rest of the house closed on either side of the room. The windows in this space seemed to have sound buffers so the noise was not so loud. Good carpeting and lots of bookcases further buffeted the noise as the television volume drowned out the thunderous noise and rain outside. The dogs finally stopped shaking as I sat on the floor with them and they snuggled up next to me. The wandering cat (Percy) was in there with us too and he seemed just fine but didn’t lose the opportunity to snuggle up with the dogs and me.

We rode out the storm and, when I went up to bed, the pets came up to sleep with me (on the floor) for the night - like a child gets in bed with a parent after a bad dream. Today, sun in the morning, was nice. There will be more storms later but I’m hoping, now that I know the right space, that this will be an easier night for them. And me.