Signs That Your Dog Might Be Scared of a Storm
The first to keep in mind is that lightning and thunder go hand in hand. It’s not possible for lightning to be present without thunder. If you see lightning but you don’t hear thunder, it just means it’s too far away for you to hear.
In most cases, before you or your dog sees lightning, you both will probably hear the thunder. If your dog is present during a lightning and thunderstorm, they’re probably reacting more to the thunder than the lightning. Thunderstorms can be very distressing for dogs, so it’s crucial to keep an eye on their behavior. If your dog starts panting, pacing, or whining, these could be a few of the first signs that they sense a storm is coming your way. They also might jump up, bark, or even put their ears back. Loud noises can be very startling for a dog’s sensitive sense of hearing.
If your dog gets scared enough, they might try to run away. If you notice them exhibiting the signs above as well as shaking, cuddling with you, howling, and trying to get outside, keep an eye on them. They might try to escape. This isn’t to get away from you, it’s to try and escape the sounds from the storm.
Here are some signs you might notice if your dog is scared of lightning storms:
Here are some other signs you might notice if your dog is scared of lightning storms:
Thunderstorms have been around for as long as humans can remember. There isn’t a huge amount of information on when they came into existence, just that they seem to be a part of life. Again, the storms can be very pretty to watch, but they can start fires and cause injuries.
Britannica online says that thunderstorms occur in almost every region of the world, but they are “rare in polar regions and infrequent at latitudes higher than 50° N and 50° S.” As far as dogs and thunderstorms, many dogs have had a very heated relationship with thunder and lightning. A lot of dogs really don’t like the sound and this has caused problems for pups for many, many years.
One dog owner recently mentioned a summer trip to the lake with her family where the family dog came along as well. The lake had many lighting and thunderstorms during the summer, and their pooch hated the storms. The dog would tremble, pant and even hide in the basement before the storm was visible or audible to the family. So, they went and got her some calming treats at the local pet store to help her. It seemed to help, but she still had a very rough time with the storms.
The Signs Of Sensing a Storm
The first sign is usually when your pup seeks some type of shelter. If he’s outside and comes running back for no reason, hides under the bed, or goes into their crate or dog bed when they typically don’t. These are signs your dog is taking protective measures for an upcoming storm.
Some dogs may bark a lot to warn his pack that bad weather is coming. Others may like to cuddle up on their owners lap. Dogs that are scared of storms are more likely to seek the comfort and love of their human when they feel that bad weather is approaching. Dogs that are scared of storms are more likely to seek comfort and love of their owner when they sense a storm. Moreover, dogs will pace and move restlessly around a room. If this is the case, check the forecast.
Another sign is when they are outside and they stop to sniff the air around them, for no reason. This could be a sign that they can smell the thunderstorm coming.
Dogs use all of their senses when they feel a storm is coming. Dogs are actually able to sense barometric pressure changes. When this pressure in the air changes and charges in electricity change, it can alert the dog that changes in weather are happening. Sensing this change in pressure alerts your pup and causes them to try and seek shelter or a safe place to ride out the storm.
Although it would be very cool if dogs could predict the weather, their ability to know about storms before we do can be explained simply by science. Most big changes in the weather, such as an approaching storm, are preceded by a drop in the barometric pressure and shifts in the static electricity fields that surround us.
Likewise, dogs have hearing thats about 20 times better than our own. When a thunderstorm approaches, dogs can hear faraway thunder much earlier than we can. Before we have any clue that a storm is on the way, a dog may hear thunder and begin to sound the warning by barking. So the next time bad weather is forecast, keep an eye on your pooch and youll likely have an early warning that the storm is on its way!
When dogs feel fear, barking is often an outlet to express this emotion. As a storm approaches, dogs may feel helpless and scared. This feeling leads many dogs to bark to express their fears. Some dogs have even more dramatic reactions, causing them to panic and hide in a safe place. Of course, not all dogs are scared of thunderstorms. Like some people who love storms, some dogs just arent bothered by all the thunder and lightning.
Dogs can also smell approaching storms way before you do. Have you ever walked outside, taken a deep breath, and thought to yourself, “It smells like rain!” Often what you smell is ozone in the air as a result of lightning. Since dogs noses are much keener than our own, dogs can smell those smells way before we do.
But what about all that barking that goes on when a thunderstorm rolls in? Is your dog expressing displeasure with the weather? Is he upset that hes going to get wet when he goes outside? As most dog owners have experienced, dogs can get really upset during storms and many let you hear about it with a bout of boisterous barking.