Discussion
My dog is terrified of thunder, firework, gunfire and lorries.
He's also fairly scared of rain - when he's indoors; he'll walk in the rain without a care. He's spent most of today lying in our bootroom, looking out of the open door and quivering.
However, that evidently wasn't good enough, so he's now in the garden, under a philadelpus bush, cacking his pants because it's raining. He won't come in, even on a lead.
Is he stupid, or broken?
He's also fairly scared of rain - when he's indoors; he'll walk in the rain without a care. He's spent most of today lying in our bootroom, looking out of the open door and quivering.
However, that evidently wasn't good enough, so he's now in the garden, under a philadelpus bush, cacking his pants because it's raining. He won't come in, even on a lead.
Is he stupid, or broken?
They're all bonkers, never met a sane one yet and long may they carry on like that.
In the heavy rain the other morning our idiot Golden decided she wasn't wet enough and just had to have a soak in the paddling pool, she also times pool visits perfectly, usually just as dinner is being served or as visitors arrive.
She'll teach the pup well, in another few months we'll have two Goldens who can't possibly not jump in the paddling pool at the most inconvenient moments and who cant resist getting in the lake on walks.
As for thunder fireworks etc, our two Cockers would go out and bark at whatever it might be, totally bomb proof. The Viszla on the other was utterly terrified of strange noises but any aggressive dog who had a go at her generally lived to regret it.
In the heavy rain the other morning our idiot Golden decided she wasn't wet enough and just had to have a soak in the paddling pool, she also times pool visits perfectly, usually just as dinner is being served or as visitors arrive.
She'll teach the pup well, in another few months we'll have two Goldens who can't possibly not jump in the paddling pool at the most inconvenient moments and who cant resist getting in the lake on walks.
As for thunder fireworks etc, our two Cockers would go out and bark at whatever it might be, totally bomb proof. The Viszla on the other was utterly terrified of strange noises but any aggressive dog who had a go at her generally lived to regret it.
Well some dogs are definitely smarter than others.
I'm lucky enough to only have to deal with one that knows all the flashes and bangs and weather and other things are interesting but don't matter. Thunder only matters if it shakes the house and a check is needed to confirm nothing unexpected is going on upstairs. Rain is just something that gets you wet, and that only matters if it's boring outside.
TV and video conferencing and stuff like that took a bit of investigating and is now understood to all be not real, whether it's the pictures or the sounds. Maybe worth watching, but not worthy of a reaction.
And sometimes a 'reaction' to something is a sneaky attempt to manipulate the stupid humans...
I'm lucky enough to only have to deal with one that knows all the flashes and bangs and weather and other things are interesting but don't matter. Thunder only matters if it shakes the house and a check is needed to confirm nothing unexpected is going on upstairs. Rain is just something that gets you wet, and that only matters if it's boring outside.
TV and video conferencing and stuff like that took a bit of investigating and is now understood to all be not real, whether it's the pictures or the sounds. Maybe worth watching, but not worthy of a reaction.
And sometimes a 'reaction' to something is a sneaky attempt to manipulate the stupid humans...
I've been fortunate in that my potty imbecile recent rescue of about 2 years old has proven to be the canine equivalent of kryptonite when it comes to thunder, ambulance sirens, local racket from nearby building projects etc. As mentioned, never make a fuss, or even acknowledge the existence of anything that might perturb them, and they'll follow your lead like as not and assume it's nothing to worry about. My instinct is that fireworks are going to be a complete nonentity to him. He sleeps through most things other than the opening of his treat box, the greedy scrote.
I wish I could get this approach to cross over into his behaviour when he takes against a another dog he doesn't like, but they all have their moments about one thing or another.
I wish I could get this approach to cross over into his behaviour when he takes against a another dog he doesn't like, but they all have their moments about one thing or another.
I know someone with a cross-bred Mal/Collie. Such a thing needs regulation more urgently than any AI. It is likely more intelligent than most people I know - one of those dogs that tilts its head and studies you when you talk. It will follow quite complex instructions, including knowing each of its toys from a boxful of 20 or more. It loves the family cat, and they sit and watch the people in the room side-by-side. It's cute and deeply unsettling at the same time.
It has the agility of a monkey/cat and eats food like it only has 3 seconds spare in its busy calendar. Utterly loyal to the family, a little bit unpredictable with other dogs but...
... it's terrified of flies and hides under the table or behind the sofa if there's any in the room.
It has the agility of a monkey/cat and eats food like it only has 3 seconds spare in its busy calendar. Utterly loyal to the family, a little bit unpredictable with other dogs but...
... it's terrified of flies and hides under the table or behind the sofa if there's any in the room.
Smint said:
They're all bonkers, never met a sane one yet and long may they carry on like that.
In the heavy rain the other morning our idiot Golden decided she wasn't wet enough and just had to have a soak in the paddling pool, she also times pool visits perfectly, usually just as dinner is being served or as visitors arrive.
She'll teach the pup well, in another few months we'll have two Goldens who can't possibly not jump in the paddling pool at the most inconvenient moments and who cant resist getting in the lake on walks.
As for thunder fireworks etc, our two Cockers would go out and bark at whatever it might be, totally bomb proof. The Viszla on the other was utterly terrified of strange noises but any aggressive dog who had a go at her generally lived to regret it.
My mum's sIn the heavy rain the other morning our idiot Golden decided she wasn't wet enough and just had to have a soak in the paddling pool, she also times pool visits perfectly, usually just as dinner is being served or as visitors arrive.
She'll teach the pup well, in another few months we'll have two Goldens who can't possibly not jump in the paddling pool at the most inconvenient moments and who cant resist getting in the lake on walks.
As for thunder fireworks etc, our two Cockers would go out and bark at whatever it might be, totally bomb proof. The Viszla on the other was utterly terrified of strange noises but any aggressive dog who had a go at her generally lived to regret it.
tzhu/Bichon Frieze cross thing was placid as anything. Nothing would phase him at all, he even tried to make friends with any cat he saw (he was in a house if cats and dogs when he was born, my mum had cats when he arrived and he identified as a cat more than a dog so was always confused when they would run away! He did have a few cat friends eventually). Whenever there were fireworks going on at the local wedding venue he would go to the back door and whimper, not out of fear but to be let out so he could sit on the wall and watch them! Never known another dog like him. So I'd guess your dog isn't stupid or broken, just an individual.
We've two Fox Terriers here, one hates Fireworks, thunder, traffic, especially things with yellow flashing lights like the bin Lorry, but one place we walk has a Sunday Clay Pigeon setup nearby, shotguns popping off all the time and she doesn't mind at all.
The other one can stand anything except the fly killer in the kitchen, when that goes 'zap' she runs and hides.
The other one can stand anything except the fly killer in the kitchen, when that goes 'zap' she runs and hides.
Your dog is not stupid 
How your dog 'feels' about the environment can be connected to many things; their breed traits (eg some are genetically more confident than others), their character traits (you could have two pups from the same litter, one may be bold and the other shy) and their learning history (could have been scared by a bin truck, the exact same moment that a thunderclap occurred)..
Reassurance and comfort is a basic need for a sentient being, especially one you love like your family.... being their advocate and providing safe space will support your dog and you will strengthen the trust bond. Observing them and listening to them will give you deeper understanding of what your dog is saying
Ignoring your dog and leaving them in distress to deal with it alone without any support or 'toughing it out' is NOT what a qualified professional will suggest. Unqualified Facebook Karens will say stuff like that because they watched an episode of the tt in The Cravat (unqualified TV persona).
The one thing that nobody has mentioned, pain! or discomfort... there is a link (scientifically evidenced) with pain to sound sensitivity. I would suggest a vet check as well - and please seek a suitably accredited professional to support your dog as some of the comments here are harmful to your dog.
https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2018/03/29/veteri...
- you wouldn't ask the School Dinner Lady for Educational Psychological advice for your kid. Even though she's worked with kids for years.
How your dog 'feels' about the environment can be connected to many things; their breed traits (eg some are genetically more confident than others), their character traits (you could have two pups from the same litter, one may be bold and the other shy) and their learning history (could have been scared by a bin truck, the exact same moment that a thunderclap occurred)..
Reassurance and comfort is a basic need for a sentient being, especially one you love like your family.... being their advocate and providing safe space will support your dog and you will strengthen the trust bond. Observing them and listening to them will give you deeper understanding of what your dog is saying
Ignoring your dog and leaving them in distress to deal with it alone without any support or 'toughing it out' is NOT what a qualified professional will suggest. Unqualified Facebook Karens will say stuff like that because they watched an episode of the t
t in The Cravat (unqualified TV persona).The one thing that nobody has mentioned, pain! or discomfort... there is a link (scientifically evidenced) with pain to sound sensitivity. I would suggest a vet check as well - and please seek a suitably accredited professional to support your dog as some of the comments here are harmful to your dog.
https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2018/03/29/veteri...
- you wouldn't ask the School Dinner Lady for Educational Psychological advice for your kid. Even though she's worked with kids for years.
Doofus said:
8GAAR6 said:
Your dog is not stupid
I know. He's also not noise-sensitive.
Have a look at this
https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2018/03/29/veteri...
Edited by 8GAAR6 on Monday 7th September 17:59
Doofus said:
My dog is terrified of thunder, firework, gunfire and lorries.
He's also fairly scared of rain - when he's indoors; he'll walk in the rain without a care. He's spent most of today lying in our bootroom, looking out of the open door and quivering.
However, that evidently wasn't good enough, so he's now in the garden, under a philadelpus bush, cacking his pants because it's raining. He won't come in, even on a lead.
Is he stupid, or broken?
Our female rescue dog is exactly the same, I could have written that post word for word.He's also fairly scared of rain - when he's indoors; he'll walk in the rain without a care. He's spent most of today lying in our bootroom, looking out of the open door and quivering.
However, that evidently wasn't good enough, so he's now in the garden, under a philadelpus bush, cacking his pants because it's raining. He won't come in, even on a lead.
Is he stupid, or broken?
She is a rescue dog from Romania and apparently was feral so you never know what they have experienced.
She even starts the shakes before it starts raining or thunder, and can obviously sense the coming change in the weather and will disappear through the cat flap and hide in the garden.
She was called Luna by the rescue place so quite an appropriate name for her.
JEA1K said:
Mars said:
I know someone with a cross-bred Mal/Collie.
That is an insane breed mix ... both are on the far side of the spectrum. The owner must be very dedicated to keeping the dog entertained
Honestly though, looking at the cat (called SLH - Simpson's dog reference but only responds to the initials) and Jeff together is really really unnerving. Take a photo of them and you'd say "Ahhhh" but sit with them in the same room, and you can't take your eyes off them... just in case.
Edited by Mars on Monday 7th September 20:37
Mars said:
JEA1K said:
Mars said:
I know someone with a cross-bred Mal/Collie.
That is an insane breed mix ... both are on the far side of the spectrum. The owner must be very dedicated to keeping the dog entertained
Honestly though, looking at the cat (called SLH - Simpson's dog reference but only responds to the initials) and Jeff together is really really unnerving. Take a photo of them and you'd say "Ahhhh" but sit with them in the same room, and you can't take your eyes off them... just in case.
Edited by Mars on Monday 7th September 20:37
About as far removed from each other as you could possibly get!
I've owned many greyhounds/sighthounds, and grew up with various collie crosses. I would think twice about a collie or collie cross, and wouldn't even contemplate a collie/mal cross.
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