Can dogs sense storms approaching? What to Know

Signs Your Dog Might Sense a Storm

Every dog is different. So, your dog may or may not react to an approaching storm. However, if they do react, they might do some of the following things.

You might notice them shaking. Some dogs just shake by nature, but it can also be a sign your dog is scared. Some dogs are terrified of the noise from storms. You might also notice them panting or pacing. These are just behaviors dogs can be exhibit when they are stressed. You also might notice them barking or running around your house. They might be sensing the storm is coming, and they might be trying to communicate that to you.

There are some other, more serious things you need to watch for if your pup is dangerously distressed. If the storm is scaring them enough, your pup might also try hiding. Its not surprising to find them in an odd spot because they are trying to get away from the noise. Some pups might even get so scared they might try to run away. So, be cautious about keeping doors and windows closed. If not, your pup could get out and get hurt.

Here are some signs you might notice if your dog senses a storm coming:

Here are some more serious signs you might notice if your dog senses storm coming:

Can dogs sense storms approaching?

Historically, as far as dogs and the weather, we can assume they go way back. Since before dogs were domesticated, they have had to live with the changing weather. Maybe this is why they seem to have a keen sense of when a storm or even natural disaster is coming. Who knows – but that exposure definitely couldn’t hurt. If they knew when a storm was coming, and a storm could mean danger for them and their pack, since they lived outside, they might be able to get to shelter and stay safe.

This sentiment still appears to be alive and well in many dogs. A dog lover once recounted going on a lake trip with her family and observing her sister-in-law’s Jack Russell/Chihuahua mix trembling and hiding in the basement, one evening. Though it’s not out of character for a Chihuahua to shake, even when they aren’t afraid, she could tell the dog was distressed.

She asked her sister-in-law about it, and she mentioned that the dog always knew before a large thunderstorm was coming, and the poor dog was distressed. So, the three of them set out to the local pet store and got the pup some calming treats to see if they would help. Sure enough, not long after, a large storm rolled in. While still scared, the pup cuddled up with the family and seemed to calm down a bit. Once the storm had passed, she was totally fine again.

Can dogs sense storms approaching?

So, why do dogs seem to be able to sense storms before they’ve happened? The answer is fairly simple. Dogs have very sharp senses of smell and hearing. Did you know a dog’s sense of smell is up to 100,000 better than yours, according to animals.mom.me.

Their sense of hearing is uncanny too. Dogs can hear much higher frequencies, probably somewhere between 40,000 to 60,000 Hz, according to petmeds.com.

If you think about it, too, humans can also sense when a storm is coming. Have you ever smelled the rain before it started raining or heard thunder in the distance? You probably have. Since your dog’s senses are so much stronger, think how much earlier they can sense a storm. There might even be blue skies and sunshine, and they might still feel something coming. It’s uncanny!

Ways A Dog Can Sense A Storm

During my research, I’ve come to read about the science behind the dog’s ability to sense a storm even before we humans do. Turns out, it is not just mumbo-jumbo like some believed. Instead, dog behavior has something to do with atmospheric changes, static electricity in the air, and instincts.

Let’s first talk about barometric pressure and how it can affect your dog.

Apparently, the changes in the air pressure when a storm is brewing or approaching can be felt by our four-legged friends. The charged air produces static electricity on the dog’s fur. This can be felt by dogs, especially the ones who have double coats.

It is not yet certain if this static electricity bothers our furry kids but one thing is for sure, their fur can tell them when a major weather change is happening.

Our fur babies have far more sensitive hearing than us humans. So it’s not hard to understand that they can hear and feel thunder long before we can.

The wild cousins of our domesticated dogs – the wolves – have been observed to run into the woods to find shelter long before the storm arrives.

This same instinct is wired into our dogs which is why you may notice your fur babies hunker down inside your bathroom before a storm appears.

So while you may be just hearing the thunder now, keep in mind that your dogs might be hearing that thunder from miles away for quite some time.

Dogs Can Smell 20 Times Better Than Humans

We humans can smell rain a few minutes before it arrives. Now our dogs can smell 20 times better than we can and if we can detect rain just from the scent in the air then you can bet that your dogs can.

Your dog can detect that rain through the smell of the air even if the storm is a few miles away and will hit your home after 15 or 20 minutes. That is how powerful the dog’s nose is.

A dog’s nose twitches a lot when they scent the air and their ears perk up when they hear something. So if they are doing both and then start to exhibit some anxiety then a tornado, hurricane or thunderstorm might just be coming your way.

The science behind why dogs get frightened during storms

If you grew up in my household, you would not need to read this article. Thats because you would know — as undisputed fact — that dogs (and cats and birds and rats) can sense a stormy forecast, mostly because a certain matriarchal figure in the household would not let you forget it. Every time the dog whined endlessly or the cats careened through hallways pursued by imaginary attackers, my mother would sigh heavily and declare that the weather must be changing. Seeing that we lived in the Pacific Northwest — where storms happen regularly — and that our pets were traditionally just shy of wild, my mother could often claim accuracy on her predictions.

But were my mothers prognostications coincidence or did she have a decent idea brewing? Many have claimed that animals — especially dogs — can sense storms coming, and its not always just people making excuses for their golden retrievers bad behavior. Now, some of the hypotheses for dog behavioral changes arent crazy at all. Theyre based on biological differences between dogs and humans that certainly could give canines the upper hand in predicting storms — or even impending disaster.

As most of us know, dogs do have a “better” sense of hearing than people, meaning that they can hear much higher and lower frequencies than we can. And some posit that dogs can hear that distant, low rumbling of thunder before people do, alerting their owners to an approaching storm. Likewise, while we dont know exactly how much better dogs are at detecting odors than humans, we do know they can detect smells in much greater detail, having 20 times more scent receptor cells. It stands to reason that if humans can “smell” an approaching rain, then dogs can too — and much sooner than a human. Theres even some idea that dogs — like many other animals — will respond to changes in barometric pressure. So if youre seeing a dog behaving strangely, it could certainly be its response to a low-pressure system moving in [source: Alice].

But while these are all certainly intriguing ideas, there isnt enough strong, evidence-based research to give this theory a firm thumbs-up. We should also make it clear that no scientist or researcher is arguing that dogs (or animals in general) have some sort of telepathic ability either to foresee a forecast. There is no reason to think that animals are doing anything other than using their biology to react appropriately to warning signs [source: Nature].

Some researchers, however, do think that animals can at least sense early warnings — like subtle tremors before larger earthquakes — before humans. And by picking up these cues, they might be making an altogether reasonable decision to flee the area. Running to a forest, for instance, is instinctual to an animal looking for cover. No sixth sense necessary, in other words.