How to Calm Your K9: Thunderstorms, Vet Visits, and Meeting People

Q: I love my dog, but she is anxious and stressed, especially during thunderstorms, at veterinary visits, and when meeting people. What can I do to help her be calm?

Use a thunder shirt or anxiety wrap to help your dog relax and feel safe. Changes in barometric pressure can petrify your dog and act as a trigger for the sound of thunder. When a storm hits, turn on the lights and turn up the TV to drown out the noise.

• Slowly desensitize to thunder with a recording of storm sounds, starting at a low volume and increasing over several weeks. Massage your pup with lavender scent in the air to provide a sense of calm and reduce anxiety. Deliver treats if her fear has subsided enough to eat stress-free.
• Spa music helps canines relax — I find this the most underrated method for calming a dog with anxiety. Go ahead: sing, dance, and act silly to show that you are not worried.

Canine Calming Tools

• Defender Cape: decreases sensitivity to static electricity
• Thunder Shirt
• Anxiety Wrap
• Calming Cap: cuts down vision (but they can still see)
• Dog-appeasing pheromone collar: relaxes and gives a sense of well-being and reassurance
• Rescue Remedy: helps with panic, terror, and the feeling of losing control

At the Vet

Ask to wait in your car and have the office call you when it is your turn.

At the vet, use an Elizabethan collar (when your dog is not injured): she will concentrate on what is around her neck rather than worrying about other dogs in the waiting room. Fill a squeeze tube or a 3/4-inch non-toxic garden hose with healthy, sticky food to redirect her away from distractions or fears.

Take her when she doesn't have to go. Drive to the clinic, sit in the parking lot, feed amazing, tasty treats, and then drive home. The next day, do the same thing, but get out of the car and treat and love your pooch. On the third day, take her inside, give a treat or meal, and have the staff feed A-list treats and give her some love. Now the vet is a safe, familiar place to visit!

Meeting People

Teach a solid sit: dogs cannot jump if they are sitting.

Keep greetings calm in tone and body language, and coach guests to calmly pet only if all four paws are on the floor. When the doorbell rings, put your dog's favorite toy in her mouth, or keep her behind a baby gate with a pre-stuffed Kong when guests enter.

For dogs with high levels of fear or anxiety — shaking, drooling, panting, stiffness, urinating, whining, trying to escape — talk to your veterinarian about pharmaceutical intervention. Medication can do wonders, especially when paired with training and behavior modification.