I have a Dog who is and inside dog (we don't have a yard) but we walk him everyday and we get him plenty of exercise in the house with running fetch games everyday.
We got him from the pound as a pup and he is a Yellow lab/ shepherd mix. No one is for sure what kind of shepherd but he looks like a small Yellow Lab and is about 16 months Old.
He is extremely smart (he has figured out doorknobs need to turn to open the door but can only manage it once in maybe 20 tries no one showed him this he just started doing it)
The problem is he get very anxious when my wife leaves the House and also during storms. Several people told us the bit with the wife is separation anxiety (she dotes on him like a favorite grandchild) and the loud rumbling noise and lightning cracks mess with a dog's sensitive hearing.
Several people swear by a gadget called a "thunder coat" which wraps around the dog tightly like a sweater. I am very skeptical but the dog really suffers from the above situations.
Do any of you know if such a thing works or is just another of those worthless gizmos pushed on infomercials?
LOts of goldens have thunderstorm anxiety (I’ve owned a couple myself). While I have never tried a Thundercoat personally, I know people (breeders) who swear by them. If I had a dog now with a big thunderstorm problem, I would try it, I think.
Some dogs are just a little anxious and others are a huge problem. My first golden was in the second category. She would destroy things if she was alone, especially if she happened to be outside (back then I sometimes left her out in the yard when we were gone). She once tore the door off of a Varikennel from the inside and also could unweave chain link fencing. Fortunately we lived in a part of the world where thunderstorms were rare.
One thing I would also do is have the dog’s thyroid tested. Sometimes there is a connection. Have the Michigan state panel done.
Anyway, good luck. Oh, most of the dogs I’ve had with the problem were fine if they could just get into a small space (bathtubs are often a favorite place). I’ve only had one that was really really psycho. And strangely, she was an AWESOME hunting dog.
My previous doggie got this problem at around age 8 ( she lived till 12). Two things worked:
1. when I lived in an apt that had a completely wall to floor small tiled shower ( she couldn’t feel the vibrations)
2,when I moved out of there —Valium, 2.5mg ( half of a 5mg tablet). the vet rx’d it..I gave her one just before the storm started or as it started..she was quiet and calm ..safe and effective. that’s the only time she got one.
That storm anxiety is often learned. My last two weren't fazed in the least until a tornado touched down nearby, then they were both terrified of them from then on.
Make a “den” in an interior room or closet that they can go to, with a dog pillow or even an old blanket or two. They won't be able to see the lightning as much, and the thunder won't be as loud away from exterior walls. Best place for them to be if there actually was a tornado, too, unless you have a basement.
Separation anxiety is helped by leaving a radio or television on while you're away. Give them something with your scent on it. Give them a treat and lots of praise and affection when you leave, and repeat it when you return, make a routine. Dogs are very oriented to a routine, it reassures them that you're coming back.