Can I comfort my dog when he’s afraid, especially during storms and fireworks?
I was talking to a new client whose dog is afraid of thunderstorms and fireworks. She said when the thunder started her dog would crawl into her lap trembling. A previous dog trainer told her that she should not comfort her dog because it could reinforce the dog’s fear.
Wait, What? Where does this myth about reinforcing fear come from?
As a behaviorist I know that fear is an emotional response, not a behavior. Animals and people feel afraid when they perceive they are in danger. Dogs tell us they are afraid through their body language and behavior. They might tuck their tails, cower down, lick their lips when there’s no food around, yawn, tremble, or refuse to take food when they normally would. They might also have accidents (pee or poop) in the house when they are normally house trained. Or they might try to escape by pawing at the floor, door or window sills. And they might seek out the comfort of their people. See this wonderful video from Fear Free Happy Homes on Canine Noise Phobias Part 1 for an excellent overview of the behavior associated with noise phobias.
If your dog is one of those who seeks comfort when he’s scared, will you reinforce that fear by providing that comfort? No! Because fear is an emotion, and not a behavioral response like sitting, giving a paw, or jumping up. It cannot be reinforced. The analogy I often use with clients is to imagine a situation in which they were afraid. Then I ask them to imagine how they would feel if someone they loved and trusted came over and held their hand or gave them a hug. Would they feel more afraid? Most of us can imagine we would not feel more fear in this situation. Most of us would actually feel less fear and some comfort or relief. The same is true for dogs.
Sometimes a person’s fear can make a dog’s fear worsen. Maybe that’s where some of this myth came from. Imagine in that same situation above, that the person you loved and trusted came over to you and spoke to you in a high pitched, strained voice, and patted you on the back with quick, rapid slaps. This is not likely to help you feel better. You may perceive that your friend is also anxious and it won’t be helpful in making you feel comfort or relief. This could be the same with our dogs.
This myth may also come from the lack of regulation among dog training professionals. Many dog trainers are familiar with operant conditioning, a learning principle, that describes the reinforcement of behaviors like sitting to greet people. When a dog places his rear on the ground, a dog trainer will reinforce that behavior as part of teaching the dog to sit when asked. This is not a relevant learning principle for emotions which are not learned behaviors. But there is little regulation among dog trainers to ensure they fully understand the influences on a dog’s behavior.
What if we comfort him
I learned that the dog my client just adopted, Shadow, was approximately six months old. The owner noticed Shadow’s fearfulness around thunderstorms almost immediately. Shadow would seek out my client and climb in her lap. Because my client had previously been told not to reinforce a dog’s desire for comfort my client would push Shadow away, sometimes even scold him and walk away from him. Shadow would sometimes then go hide under a bed or in the bathroom.
We had quite a few thunderstorms around the time I was working with this client so we had an opportunity to test out how Shadow would respond if my client provided him with comfort. At the next thunderstorm, when Shadow came looking for comfort, my client invited him up on the couch so they could sit together. Shadow leaned into my client and she put her hand on his back and applied steady, firm petting along his back and sides. She also covered him with a blanket so he couldn’t see the lightning. She happily reported that within 15 to 20 minutes he had stopped trembling and was sleeping on her lap. He still appeared a bit tense and was startled when there was loud thunder. But it was the most relaxed she had seen him during a thunderstorm.
Fear, Anxiety, and Phobia
Fear is a normal response to danger. We all experience fear at some point and dogs do too. Anxiety is the anticipation of that danger. Dogs can notice subtle changes that tell them something they fear is coming up soon. Phobia is an “out of proportion” fear that is far greater than the actual danger that may be present. It may also be helpful to know that dogs that have noise phobias often also have other fears, like fear of new things, or separation anxiety. And there can be a genetic predisposition for some dogs to show noise sensitivity that can then develop into noise phobias.
Help for thunderstorm and firework phobia
Here are some things you can try if your dog becomes scared during thunderstorms or fireworks.
Plan ahead so your dog does not have to go outside for a potty break during a heavy thunderstorm or a fireworks display. Leave your dog at home with a trusted adult if you want to enjoy fireworks yourself.
Encourage your dog to go to a soundproof, dark area such as a basement, closet or bathroom. Close the curtains and shades or cover your dog’s crate, if your dog goes into the crate willingly seeking comfort. Make this location a soothing place with calming music (classical, reggae or soft rock) or white noise like a fan, a fountain or a white noise machine.
You can help by making that location even more soothing to your dog by providing a dog appeasing pheromone, lavender scent, a favorite toy or chew.
During fireworks or lightning, close the curtains, block the windows and keep the room brightly lit to avoid the high contrast with the lights outside. Or snuggle with your dog under a blanket to protect her from the flashing lights outside.
Provide comfort. If your dog wants to snuggle up next to you or sit in your lap, she is looking for comfort. Provide gentle, firm, slow petting for your dog or just let your dog sit with you. Remember to breathe and keep yourself relaxed and calm. You will not reinforce fear.
Advice to avoid
Never punish your dog for having accidents indoors or damaging property during noise events. It makes your dog even more afraid of the noise. Remember, dogs are acting out of fear, not misbehaving.
Avoid pulling your dog out of a hiding place. Some dogs are so frightened this will lead to a bite. Instead follow the suggestions above to make the space calming or gently coax your dog if it's not a safe hiding space.
Help is available
Even though fear is normal, feelings of anxiety or a phobia decrease your dog’s quality of life. That’s why it’s so important to get help from your veterinarian, veterinary behaviorist or professional trainer who has the credentials and experience to help your dog feel better. There are a variety of options now available to help, including behavior medications that often are used in conjunction with behavior modification training.
Loma Behavior and Training can help your dog feel less scared and fearful. We are experts at tailoring training plans to address these concerns. Visit our Dog Training page to get started.
About the author: Dr. Lorraine Martinez is the founder of LOMA Behavior and Training LLC and has been helping dogs and their people since 2002. She earned a PhD in psychology from the University of Washington and went on to graduate with distinction from the Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training. She is a Behavior Consultant affiliated with the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior and is a Fear Free Certified Professional.
