Anyone else sitting at the computer with their dog quivering under their legs?

[low_48]

It's that DanG time of the year again in the city. FIREWORKS!!!!!! They are illegal in IL, but they are just too much fun for some. It most be so much fun that they have to start in mid June. I get at least two or three weeks of my 110 pound Lab/Retriever mix cowering around the house looking for the tighest shelter she can get. When I come in here on the computer, she has to squeeze under my legs, and force me away from the keyboard. It would humurous if she didn't look so worried. Only a week or so to go. >:(

[logwalker]

I watched a show on training dogs on nature the other night. The trainer had a bloodhound he got from the pound and the dog was very frightened of thunderstorms. So the trainer sat on the porch with the dog while a big thunderstorm was passing over and held the dog in his lap. He petted and calmed the dog by talking to it in a soothing voice. The dog finally calmed down. Maybe it would work for your dog. Just a thought. I do know how tough it can be on some of them. Joe 

[WDH]

Thunder really freaks Miss Scarlet out.  She has gone off and entered 3 different peoples houses to get away from the thunder.  One neighbor about 1 mile away called me one stormy night and said, "Your dog is in my bathroom and we cannot get her out."  I had to go get her.

When thunderous weather arrives, I put her in my woodworking shop where she feels safe.

[Don P]

Just one dog under your legs?  :D
Our Black and Tan hound was a stray. I couldn't figure out why someone would let a dog like that get away from them without notices up and a search until I fired the gun in his presence. Instantly I understood. You cannot come near him with even the smell of powder on you, he'll back away and start quivering. We lost him one 4th in WI when the homeowners set off some bottle rockets. As time has gone by it has come to include thunder, I've found him 5 miles away, run till he was lame. The framing gun has begun to bother him, he didn't used to mind it. There is no calming or soothing him, its way too deep. If he gets too bad we have some doggy valium we give him.

Our other dog was a drop off some years later. Just a big, sweet, doofy husky mix with a head much larger than the equipment it encases. He was oblivious to anything up until this year. I thought he was faking it for awhile, either wanting petting or shopping for prescriptions  :D. Nope, the one dog has done it to the other. We've decided to see these two through before we bring (or let in) another.

[thecfarm]

My first dog was terrible when it was thundering or fireworks.I tried to talk and comfort her many times.Guess I did not have the touch.Never worked for her.The dog I have now could care less about it.If he's sleeping he will wake up and look around.

[Dave Shepard]

We've got three border collies and a Bobo (origins unknown). Two of the collies get upset during thunder, and one of them especially so. I think doggie valium would only bring her down to sheer terror levels.


Dave

[Reddog]

I feel for you, for some thing that is against the law it sure goes on alot.
Mary's old Casey dog, a mix from the farm. She would get so worked up. One thing you can try is giving them some Benadrel. Helps take the edge off.

[Jeff]

Yes and no and no.  Juno the Husky will be the same place, under my desk if there is any thunder or fire works, Icy, che's ready to find the party and the noices have no effect on her what so ever which surprises me. Scooter, he if thinks if its loud, he can, should and will go beat it up.

[neslrite]

yep, Tucker the log dog is terrified of fireworks, thunder and rain.  The minute it starts to rain he starts panting and pacing around the house.  Thunder and fireworks and he's looking for a place to hide whether its behind the TV, under the desk or behind the furnace in the basement.

It's not his fault and he wasn't always afraid of these things but one day we had a crazy flashflood - not normal for around here.  Tucker was outside and hid under the deck.  We couldn't get him out and the water level kept on rising and rising.  He just kept his nose pressed up against the space between the boards.  I made Kevin drive home from work and pull him out.  Needless to say the dog hasn't been the same since.

Tam I Am

[SwingOak]

I've got one dog that acts as our early warning system, and she inherited that from her momma, who would crawl into my lap. She starts panting and shaking like a leaf an hour before a thunderstorm hits. I can't even use my paslode finish nailer in the house when she's inside.

Two others couldn't care less but like to watch the lightning, and my bird dog ignores it completely and sleeps through it all.

My last GSP was terrified of thunder and fireworks, but wasn't gun shy in the least.

[sgtmaconga]

My big sheperd (119 lbs.) is a rescue i got a few years ago. he was shot so loud noise makes him shake some. he will climb on the couch with me and won't move until i do.

[Blake22]

I didn't realize how lucky I was. My black lab starts looking for a bird to retrieve when the fireworks start. The only thing I have to do is keep her from going to the noise. Good luck and take care of those dogs.

[ibseeker]

Thanks for the reminder. I put the dogs in the garage and turn on the radio. It seems to work pretty good since they stop howling and the mini weiner dog stops shaking. Most stuff doesn't bother the Lab but I think she notices the weiner dog's nervousness and starts acting a little sketchy herself.

[Grower]

Yea the terriers are always quivering under my chair when at the puter, if they haven't cleared out to do some unnannounced rabbiting that is...............

[zopi]

Mine isn't afraid of anything...even when he should be...I think the little bugger would try out a Grizzly if he got the chance..

[jim king]

Someone mentioned Valium.  When we lived in Colombia we picked up a hairless wormy guy and called him Max.  After his transformation to healthy he turned out to be what appeared to be a purebred English Pointer.  He was very afraid of fireworks and gunshots and when we traveled to the States we did give him valium.  We sat in the plane wondering if he would have a heart attack during the trip but when the door opened he was calm and fine.  I did not know this was so common, we thought maybe he had been in a drug camp and got scared during a fight with the police or something similar.

[Warbird]

One of our neighbor's dogs ran off in fright from the fireworks last night.  I feel bad for the dog, though, not the neighbor.  He had a couple of pitbulls (or some type of 'bull' mix), one of which bit my wife a few years ago.  He was walking them off leash and my wife was walking our puppy on a leash.  They got real excited and charged the puppy, which she picked up, and while twisting and turning to keep them away from our dog, one of them bit her on the butt.

I was livid but treated the guy with the respect I would like to be treated with.  I reported the dog and asked the guy as politely as I was able to keep the dogs on a leash when walking in our neighborhood.  Animal control took both dogs and placed them in quarantine for a few days to observe them.

A few months later, we were driving down the road and guess what?  Yup, same guy, same two dogs, neither on a leash.  As soon as he saw our car, he pulled a single leash out of a pocket.  I slowed, looked right at him, and drove by shaking my head.

Guess what else?  Those same dogs ended up biting another person a couple of years later.  Because I'd reported them and because they weren't positive which dog actually did the biting in both cases, both dogs were put down.  Real shame.  They coulda been good dogs if the owner woulda just pulled his head ...  well, I'm getting angry just thinkin' about it, so I'll stop there. 

Back to the original topic...  we have a mutt (lots of terrier, possibly some lab (long legs), and other stuff).  He is a great dog, except he's gun shy.  He started chasing rabbits in our fenced yard a year ago and I was thinking, "Yeah!  Got myself a good bird dog!  Woohoo!  Go get 'em boy!".  But then we discovered thunder, fireworks, dropping a large board on the floor, anything...  it terrifies him.  No amount of cuddling makes him happy about loud noises, either.  No bird dog fer me.  :(