Afraid Of Thunder

[DTrain]

I read something about BC's being afraid of thunder but I have lost rack. I noticed something yesterday that I am wondering about and I have a question or a few. Are BC's actually afraid of thunder and is their reaction to it a learned response. Or, are they naturally afraid of thunder and do all BC's have a natural response to it. I hope I am making myself clear. I had three dogs out late yesterday afternoon. A thunder storm was approaching and as it turned out it was one of the most violent storms I have ever seen. The thunder was constant and there was lightning strikes all over our area some very close to us. We even had funnel clouds. One of the dogs is afraid of thunder. He started his work but at the first load crack he ran to me. The other two dogs continued to work. As my attention was one them I did not respond to the first dog. I just wanted to get our work done and get out of there. The first dog ran back to go to work but at the next crack of thunder he headed for the house. The other dogs kept working but when I called them off they headed for the house as well. The first dog hid under my desk and the other two dogs who do not normally show any reaction to storms joined him. I have never seen this before in the other dogs and I did not respond in any way. However, I also do not recall ever seeing a thunderstorm that severe nor have the dogs. So with the two dogs that are normally not afraid do you think that they could have some natural instinct to respond in a very severe situation. I have seen wild canines gather during a storm so is there some bit of nature going on here.

[bc4ever]

I don't think it's just Border Collies. My friend's Golden used to run and hide in the bathtub if it even looked like rain. One day they even found her in the clothes dryer! I don't know how she managed that--she was no small dog. They had her on Xanax for storms. I've seen all breeds of dogs go ballistic during a storm. Our 3 year old BC isn't bothered by them at all--never has been. I think sometimes it might be a learned behavior--we try to comfort them which only makes them think they must be right--something is terribly wrong! Our attitudes towards bad weather has an effect on them too. When Scooter was very young, he and my husband were outside playing Frisbee when the loudest boom of thunder I've ever heard came out of nowhere--shook the house, rattled the windows. And it was sunny and beautiful. No sign of a storm brewing. Of course, Scooter ran for the house, but my husband didn't react, walked slowly to the door and let him in a few seconds later once he had calmed down. Now when we get rough weather, Scooter sleeps right through it! Maybe it hurts their ears or they have an unpleasant reaction to the barometric pressure just before a storm. Maybe just a self preservation thing from their wild beginnings. Who knows? My brother in Colorado says they find more BCs wandering around after a storm than any other time, because if they're outside by themselves, they run for cover and they don't care where it is. He's picked up several who were happy to get into his truck, even though he's a stranger. Luckily, he lives in a small town in the mountains and he usually knows who the dogs belong to and returns them. I'm just glad Scooter isn't one of those fear of storm dogs. Now, black plastic garbage bags on a walk is another story! LOL!

[juliepoudrier]

Melanie Chang, et al, are doing a research project that addresses the genetic basis of noise phobias, among other things. If you search for her (SoloRiver) profile, her sig line includes a link to information on the project. She'd probably love to get samples from your dogs.

 

I don't think we can make the blanket statement that all border collies are noise sensitive, since some clearly are not. But it's prevalent enough in the breed to cause someone to fund a research project on the topic.

 

I think border collies as a breed are probably (generally) noise sensitive partly because they were rbred that way (that is, they had to be able to hear whistled commands over vast distances, so are perhaps more "attuned" to noises in general). Many (but not all) dogs who are mildly phobic when young become increasingly phobic as they age. Some dogs react only to particular sounds (i.e, thunder vs. fireworks or gunshots) and some are generally sensitive to all loud, startling sounds.

How this translates genetically into phobias and what role learned behavior has (vs. the genetic component) is not well understood.

 

Maybe Melanie will see this and give you her take on it.

 

J.

[mbc1963]

My dog didn't used to be afraid of thunder - I remember walking him when there was a storm in the distance and being glad he wasn't even noticing. But, he now seems to link thunder to the darned fireworks that always fall around the same time of year, and the loud thunder bothers him.

 

Fireworks are worse, though.

 

Gearing up... we oughta have about a solid month of drunk-induced idiocy around my house...

 

Mary

[DTrain]

Thanks Julie. I sent an email to Melanie explaining how the dogs have all come from the same blood line but only one has a noise phobia. This blood line goes back a long way and there is a couple of dozen or more dogs alive and working. I have wondered if we have done something to cause the one dog to respond the way he does. It would be even more curious if his phobia is natural to him and is the only one in the blood line. I also asked Melanie if she would like samples bit I have not heard back.

[2 Devils]

Melanie is usually quite busy so it may take a day or 2 for a response.

 

I have a thunderphobic border collie. In the other thread I believe I mentioned Tempe being that way. It started when she was about 1 yr old. She is now 20 months or so. I have finally had the vets prescribe meds. She now has xanax for the worst storms. We have had a lot of booming storms lately. Anyways, Tempe is actually better outside during the thunder than inside. Outside she will go off and hang out but indoors the anxiety is horrible. She pants, shakes, paces, tries to hide, etc...

 

I had a bc mix named Charlotte that was thunderphobic for about a year. One day she became thunderphobic and was like that for a year or so. Then all of a sudden it was gone. I never heard of a dog getting over thunderphobia like that but she did.

[Root Beer]

I have one who is terrified of thunder. Just last night I put him in the bathtub with his RMB and suddenly BOOOM! I didn't even know there was a storm coming since it was dark out. That was the end of it. I had to put his dinner in the 'fridge until the storm had been over for a while.

 

My other one - the one who is afraid of people and dogs - isn't nearly as bothered. He tends to "lay low" during a storm, just like my other dogs do, but he finished his dinner first and could function he were called upon to do so.

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

Daisy is afraid of thunder too, but not really terrified of it. She doesn't hide in the tub or stop functioning, get the shakes or pant real bad. She mostly just doesn't understand it I think. If there is a really loud crack she will run to the nearest window and bark in the general direction of the storm. She will go from one patio door to the other trying to figure out what's going on. Usually she will stop if there is something more interesting to do, like training or play time or if the storm is going on for a while, she kind of settles into it.

 

I don't know what it's like in other parts of north america, but when we get storms here in alberta, sometimes I get killer headaches, same as when chinooks come in. I figure if weather can affect some people like that, it may just have a similar effect on animals...