Keep calm and carry on – an update on managing thunder phobia

Daily rain. Monsoon month. Rain reigns.

Note: Thundershirt kindly arranged with their local partner, Hound Habitat, to send to me a sample of the Thundershirt for trial after I wrote to them about Donna’s thunderstorm phobia and needing tools when it comes to managing thunder phobia. 

I wrote this last week, please pardon the “this morning” and “todays” :P

Somewhere in the later part of last week, the rains started.

It was not noticeable at first. I thought It was just passing showers. But it eventually grew into a persistent deluge every single day in the last week, by turns light as if intending to trick you into believing it was ending soon and than blustery and thunderous. That would explain why I am up this morning 3 a.m. sleepless and *clearing the dog’s soiled peepad and newspapers, two sets of them. And it would explain why I was online even before 6 a.m. I’m not complaining. I’m simply stating down the facts so I may look back at it in the future. (Although I don’t know why I would do that :P)

*She used to wake us up jumping against the door once the drop in air pressure hits her and gets her scared-excited. Lately, she seems to be able to manage being by herself until she eliminates, then she jumps against the door and would not stop until someone gets up to clear the soiled and scratched and crumpled peepad-newspapers and replace with new ones. Even if she does not need to use the new ones, she is very insistent to inform us that she has eliminated. Once I’m up, I can’t get back to sleep anyway so I clear them.

But this post is about last week, when the rain was barely noticeable. I had just started getting Donna familiar to her new Thundershirt. And also to slowly learn to calm down enough to lie down by herself and hopefully, be able to manage her fear independently. (This is important to me because there will be times when there will be nobody at home for her to lean on.)

Why are you on that side of the gate? I’m lying down now. Get over here!  In this picture, she settled down pretty fast, even though there are still some signs of worry. 

Calm down, self! Perhaps it was the thunder that got her up to her feet again. I don’t remember the details so clearly anymore. She is yawning and managing her stress. 

In any case, she did get to a point where she was so scared she refused treats. Thankfully, it was for a short duration that day, not long compared to the usual. So good. And I was pleasantly  surprised to see her use her crate when the rain had almost stopped.

I deserve a treat! ;) Oh yes, you do.

Crate-training started about a month ago. During this time, 90% of meals and treats occurred in this tiny space. After a while, she has learnt to run to her crate at the sound of her food containers being opened. Sometimes, she’ll even go in to nap an hour ahead of her mealtime. Perhaps she thought that would make the food come faster, I dunno. It is rather comical.

I started crate-training her as I hoped the crate will eventually became a safe place for her to hide when it storms and thunders. It has not become that safe haven yet. This morning, her favourite place to “keep calm and carry on” is on her clean set of peepad in the toilet (after the soiled ones were removed). I have hopes for the crate though.

I definitely think consistently training and regularly rewarding calmness is helping a lot in getting her to manage her stress better with the bad weather. It works well with the physical aid like the Thundershirt in maintaining the calmness. I do feel that she is more subdued with the shirt on.

I may be sleeping but I keep an ear open to keep track of you! She is completely relaxed when she sleeps on her side like that.

The rain had stopped. The rain and distant thunder were unpredictable, so I kept the Thundershirt on her a while longer, just in case.

Donna’s ability to manage her anxiety is not consistent. There are too many variables, I think, what could be affecting her. I never expected any of the aids I am trying to give me a quick solution. But eventually, I hope we will see it bear fruit and I will do a more thorough wrap-up. Meanwhile, these updates serve as markers that help me remember the progress.