A storm starts at night and my dog is scared. What should I do?

Thunder wakes you before it wakes the dog, or so you think. Then you hear pacing in the hallway. Your dog may be hearing or sensing the storm long before the loudest crack. Tonight is not the moment for a loud recording or a lesson in bravery. Make safety and comfort the first job.

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine describes storm and firework fear ranging from mild worry to trembling, panting, pacing, hiding and escape attempts. For repeated or severe fear, a veterinarian can help with a plan, including behavior work and sometimes medicine timed before the event. The night-of response and the long-term treatment are related but not the same.

In the moment, reduce risk

Close and secure doors, windows and gates. A frightened dog may try to escape through a familiar opening. Make a quiet retreat available in a place the dog already uses. Close curtains if flashes upset them and use familiar background sound if it helps. Let them choose to hide or come close. You can sit nearby and comfort a dog who seeks you, do not drag them from a hiding place to prove the storm is harmless.

If they need a toilet trip, consider whether the conditions and their fear make it safe. Don't force a panicking dog outside during thunder. Follow local safety advice about lightning, and ask your vet for a practical plan if storms regularly interfere with toileting. Keep water available and avoid a food toy if the dog is too worried to eat or might chew off pieces unsupervised.

Watch for severe distress

A dog who repeatedly tries to break through a door or window can injure themselves. Move hazards out of reach if safe and contact a vet for urgent guidance if they are at risk. Breathing difficulty, collapse, seizures or an injury needs emergency care. A dog who paces and trembles through each storm also deserves a vet appointment even if they are physically safe tonight. Repeated fear can become harder to manage without a plan.

If your older dog develops storm fear for the first time, ask for a health assessment. Cornell notes that illness and age-related changes can contribute to noise fear. Do not assume a sudden new reaction is just personality.

Work between storms, not during the worst one

Ask your vet about a tailored plan and when prescribed medicine, if appropriate, should be given. Some treatments work better before the storm is underway. Sound training can be introduced gradually at very low levels on calm days, but recordings do not reproduce the whole storm. If the dog becomes frightened during practice, reduce the level and seek qualified behavior guidance rather than turning it up.

Prepare the safe place before the forecasted weather arrives. Practise relaxing there on ordinary days so it does not appear only with thunder. Check identification and update contact details in case a dog escapes. A regular storm plan can include who stays with the dog when you cannot be home.

Common mistakes

Forcing a dog outside to face thunder may intensify fear. Ignoring repeated escape attempts because "they'll stop eventually" risks injury. Using human sedatives or leftover medicine without veterinary direction is unsafe. Waiting until the first thunderclap to ask about a medication that needs earlier timing may leave few options. And a dog who goes quiet after hiding may still be frightened, watch how they behave, not only the noise they make. When the weather is quiet again, the storm-fear guide can help you prepare for the next storm.

Tonight, secure exits and let the dog choose a safe spot. Tomorrow, if storms reliably leave them frightened, call the vet. You do not have to solve the whole fear while the sky is still loud.

Sources: Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, "Fear of fireworks and thunderstorms": https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/riney-canine-health-center/canine-health-topics/fear-fireworks-and-thunderstorms.