Calling all Yorkie owners!

[tannermama]

Calling all Yorkshire Terrier owners!
Does your Yorkie pant, shiver, whine, beg to be held, hide under the couch and sometimes even have an accident when you have a thunderstorm? Tanner is panting and shivering on my lap now and I was wondering if that was a normal Yorkie behavior. Oh, now he's licking my pants. I gotta go.

[Catlady711]

That can happen with any breed if they are afraid of storms.

Try turning on some soft music and speaking calmly to him. If he's under the couch don't drag him out, just sit by him and talk calmly to him. Be careful petting him in case he is really terrified and might bite you not meaning to.

If he's that afraid of storms you may want to ask your vet for some tranquilizers. We have alot of clients that do this (various breeds) and give them when they know a big storm is coming. It doesn't put them out but it does calm them down so they don't panic or hurt themselves until after the storm goes through.

The best you can do is just be with him, stay calm, and reassure him. I'm sure others may have even better suggestions of other things you can try.

[Jessika]

Sounds like he has storm anxiety and it can happen to any dog of any age, breed, or gender!

The number one thing to do aside from the suggestions above is DO NOT REINFORCE THE BEHAVIOR. As hard as it is, you must ignore the behavior when he is behaving that way. Dogs feed off human emotion -- if you coddle him you're telling him there IS something to be afraid of. If you ignore his behavior and act normal during thunderstorms, he may think "huh, they aren't acting any different, theres nothing to be afraid of!"

Try associating thunderstorms with something fun! What is his favorite treat, toy, or activity? Bring it out during thunderstorms. Hopefully soon he'll start to associate thunderstorms with having fun rather than being afraid

[Taz_Zoee]

This was in the article posted in Dog Health about summer safety. I thought it would fit here as well.

Summer storms
Many pets become stressed during summer storms due to the change in air pressure and the sounds of thunder. Calmatives such as Content-Eze (www.Sergeants.com) or Rescue Remedy may help. You should also prepare in advance by teaching your pet to rest calmly in a crate (www.Petmate.com). If pets are regularly fed their meals and offered special treats and toys when in the crate, it will become a reassuring resting spot during potentially stressful times.