My 2 dogs are afraid of thunder and lightning. They always get under your feet and trip you during storms. Any Ideas? Answered

I do not recomend the herbal product or the any other drugs unless your pet is causing themselves, you, or your property serious harm. Some dogs can be trained to reduce or eliminate their reaction, but unfortunatly it's hard to generate a storm on a regular basis during the training process. Take your pet to his/her favorite area to lay down. Give a command to lay down or stay and tell your pet "It's ok" in a calm, flat tone. If your pet has a "quiet" command, use it. Reward the pet only for good behavior, after being still (and quiet if you had trained for that) for 5 minutes, then 10, then 20. Say "No" if your pet disobeys. Work on it during every storm, and try to increase the time your pet stays still and quiet. Do not make the mistake of rewarding your pet for jumping on you. I understand that it's afraid and it wants your help, but if you have gotten into a pattern of coddling or petting the dog immediatly after it does something like that, they'll consider that a reward and will continue to do so. The next best idea is mentioned above, give your pets a quieter place to ride it out and offer a little white noise like television or radio. Even static works. Monitor their behavior and make sure they do not harm themselves, make a mess, or do any dammage.

There's a noise-desensitization tape produced by an animal behaviorist that may help if it's the noise that bothers them. http://www.starfire-rapport.com/noiseshy.htm There's a tape for fireworks as well, if they start generalizing to other loud noises.

Howdy! I'm a professional pet care worker, with four years experience. There are plenty of products available to calm dogs in these stressful situations. Homeopet makes a great product called Anxiety TFLN, which I have used on large-breed animals and small breeds, alike. If you're looking for a "magic, no effort" solution, as so many are, this is your best bet. Your vet will likely recommend Prozac or Zoloft. Please, be kind to your animals-- don't use these products, if you can avoid it. The best treatment for a weather-anxiety dog is to bring him to a windowless room, with some white noise-- a radio running a talk-show, or TV running the news. If you can keep him company, even better.