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My dog is afraid of thunder. What are the best calming solutions?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Maltipoo | Male | neutered | 3 years and 4 months old | 13 lbs

My dog has always been afraid of thunders and would whine even at the slightest hint of a thunderstorm. He would be whining all throughout inconsolably so. We tried calming treats, Thunder shirt, and the likes none work. And we don’t know how to help him. What can we do?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Penelope Graben, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 25th, 2021

Hello, Thunderstorm and noise phobias can be really frustrating in pets. Many animals benefit from anti-anxiety medications to help them cope through stormy nights. This would be something you would need to talk to your veterinarian about. A calming canine pheromone product called Adaptil may also be helpful. During the storm itself, you can try to drown out the noise of the storm with white noise or calming classical music, keep him away from any of the windows where he can see the lightning flashes, and- to an extent- let him do what he wants to cope through the storm. Some dogs like to go into a small room, like a closet or bathroom, or their kennel during storms. There is nothing wrong with them picking a comfortable spot and bringing them their favorite bedding or toys to the area may be helpful as well. If Choco wants to cuddle and stay with you the whole time, that is also fine. Remember to stay calm yourself, as Choco will feed off of your energy as well. For a long term solution, you can use audio recordings of rain or thunderstorms around the house at very soft volumes and short amounts of time while Choco receives treats and attention. The volume and duration of the recordings can be slowly increased over time as Choco learns stormy noises lead to happy things. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

    Licensed Veterinary Technician

    Published on July 19th, 2017

    Compression wear such as the ThunderShirt may help. Sedatives may help as well. There is a newer drug called Sileo that is specifically for noise aversion. You will need a prescription from your vet for it though. Other drug free alternatives include pheromone products such as the Adaptil collar or DAP plug in diffuser and Rescue Remedy for Pets.

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