Fifty
percent of domesticated dogs suffer from some degree of thunderphobia. Well, in my house at least. (Sue says you can
use facts to prove anything.) I woke
last night to lightning flashes, the thunder roll, and then the sound of hail
hitting my roof. Tiny Dog burrowed out of the sheets, startled to a full-body tremble, wide-eyed,
and sat on my sternum. Wren crawled back and forth over my neck and head. The
other two, Atticus and George, they were sleeping like regular beasts. Xanax helps Wrennie when the storms come
through, but I ran out of the small dose size she needs. And I had my hands
full massaging the terrified hounds anyways. I couldn’t abandon them in the
middle of a storm, for god’s sakes. The meds work best before things get spooky.
During a storm, more full body contact is required to settle her nerves. |
Their combined phobia is mild is compared to Murray’s, the dear
deceased elderly stray German shepherd we had for a year. Eighty pounds of black and tan handsomeness
would push his body behind the couch, behind the tv, into then out of the
closets, all the while drooling. Medication, petting, hugging his big chest,
holding his bear head, covering with a blanket—nothing helped. After he passed
away, I had my own mild storm sensitivity for awhile. When he would get tense,
I would get tense. It was infectious, the stress.
This is not a tiny dog. This is Murray, who hated thunder. |
Tiny Dog looks hung over today, especially after her walk. Poor sleep, the sky above unleashing scary
stuff. It has to feel random and
personal at the same time for her. I lay
awake in bed, petting the shivering chihuas, counting the seconds between
flashes and thunder, to see how fast the storm was moving out. The weather passed over and Tiny Dog fell
asleep tucked between my elbow and ribcage, Wren on the other side, also under
the covers. I suppose I was their island of safety, and that makes my heart hurt a
little, but in a good way.
Ah, yes. The storms. Indy, now deaf, sleeps right through!
ReplyDeleteLacey tries to become one with our bodies, then puts her head under something...poor little ones!