[vath]

Camaro is extremely afraid of Thunderstorms and Fireworks... He always retreats to the bathrooms or even the walk-in shower. If we are out on a walk he will try to pull me home if he hears anything like thunder or a loud firework.

What is your German Shepherd Dog scared of?

 

[vath]

and I forgot to ask if there are any known techniques that can alleviate him of this fear. he's 3.5 human years old now. and has always been afraid. I think it has gotten so bad that we will not even go on walks alot of the time because he thinks that a firework will go off during the walk. he's constantly avoiding certain areas in my new neighborhood and pulling me back home.

 

[chevysmom]

Thunderstorms don't bother either pup. Fireworks don't bother Shya at all. Chevy used to be terrified with fireworks but they don't seem to bother him much anymore at all which is good!

 

[Sean Rescue Mom]

Sean is afraid of both thunder and fireworks but probably even more so of thunder. I guess you could rationalize that by saying fireworks are not typically all year round.

 

[lmkersnick]

Mitzi is afraid of any strange / loud sounds. It didn't help that a couple of years ago the neighbors catty-corner to us set off firecrackers all day/night long, a couple of times when I had just taken her outside to pee. - IMMEDIATE return to the house, practially dragging me. -
We live within sound of the main roadway thru our area, and *any* strange noise from cars/trucks/motorcycles/emergency vehicles / construction / you-name-it, and she's pulling for the house.

The thunderstorm issue is bad enough that she starts pacing or trying to hide up to 15 minutes before we start to hear anything, and sometimes it doesn't even have to be thunder and lightning. - Even a good, heavy downpour will trigger her anxiety. With observing that she's either trying to dig her way to China thru my bathtub, or trying to fit herself into a space where there's no way she'll fit, we've decided that the best place for her to feel most comfortable is in her kennel, with the cover on. - It's enclosed, dark and away from most all of the noise.

This also goes as far as her not liking the flash from a camera - we don't know if her being the main picture-subject from 4 people with digital cameras in the same household made her not like lightning, or if lightning made her not like the camera flash....

 

[Deejays_Owner]

Both Deejay and Fluffy are not bothered by Thunderstorms or Fireworks & both have passed gun shy tests.
Funny Deejay will sleep while a Thunderstorm is going on, but he watches Fireworks he will look up to the sky after the bang.
I think he likes them

 

[GunnersMom]

Gunner is terrified of thunder. One little rumble, way off in the distance, is enough to have him clinging to me and shivering. I've tried to redirect his attention and play with him during storms, so he'd hopefully start to associate them with something good. No luck. He's always too upset to want any part of it. I've even tried starting the playtime a little before I know a storm is coming and it works great until he hears the first rumble. Then it's all over. I've just resorted to basically stopping whatever I'm doing to sit with him during storms. Seems to be the only thing that calms him at all.

He doesn't like fireworks at all, either, but he doesn't seem to be afraid of them. It's more like they make him mad. He'll run from window to window, fur up, barking his head off.

 

[Sherush]

Jesse when the first thunderstorms hit we turned it into a game and a fun thing with play and treats and commands all rolled into one and now no fear at all even with the worst ones we act like nothing is going on and throw a ball and give him a really good chew. Fireworks in May we took him close to some going off in our park and played with a stick and plastic bottles and chased and had a grand old time near end he just watched the pretty things going up in the air while we did in fun 'Oh" and "Ah" "aren't they pretty" in play voices. On July 1st we took him to city fireworks and a little girl we don't know lied on his back and watch the fireworks while he chewed a bone like nothing was going on.

 

[littledmc17]

Brady isn't scared at either thunder or fireworks
he will bark when he hears either one

 

[KCandMace]

All three of my pups are just fine with loud sounds. Gun shots and artillery included.

 

[Eve-Lynn]

Link just turned 7 months and is not afraid of thunderstorms. The other night we had a big one and both him and the kids slept through the whole thing, DH and I not so much. He has never been around fireworks. Maybe next year!

 

[Kayos and Havoc]

Max is terrified of thunderstorms and fireworks. He was picked up as a stray right after 4th of July 2000 in Kentucky. He had been running loose for over a month before that. Thunderstorms are also pretty frequent and can be severe in Kentucky that time of year so I suspect he just spent about 6 weeks trying to hide from all the noises. Gun noises scare him too. So does the water hose. Dog was proabaly sprayed with water, popped with pellet guns etc to scare him off or so we suspect.

Here in Oregon we live just a mile or so from McNary Dam, one of the large dams on the Columbia River. They have fish ladders for the fish to get over the dams and when the salmon are running the birds all seem to know where the ladder entrance is and they go after the young smelt there. So the fish and wildlife guys have shotgun shells set on timers from small cannon to shoot over the water to scatter the birds. First time I took Max and Kayos down there to walk on the neat nature trails and the cannon went off, Max nearly tore my arm off. We had to go back to car and I had to take him home. Now I know when the salmon are running Max needs to stay home.

We try to play with him and distract him when we have the rare (thank goodness) thunderstorm out here and during firework season and he is somewhat better. Course I think he is also getting hard of hearing too.

Kayos and Havoc could care less.

 

[SunCzarina]

Morgan needs a 4th check box - wants to bite the fireworks! She's crazy like that, my little skunk killing goddess.

 

[NWS_Haven]

My IPO3 male (now 10 years old) is afraid of all three. I don't know if it's because something happened before I got him or if their ears get more sensitive as they get older. He'd been a kennel dog his whole life before I got him at 8 years of age.

 

[WiscTiger]

Tracy, I believe that as some dogs get older their hearing changes, it might have something to go with certain tones.

When my first GSD got around that 10 years old, sounds he liked before like our old plow truck (he always rode shotgun while dad was plowing the yard) made hime crawl under my desk.

Val

 

[CherryCola]

Cherry's not bothered by any of these noises.. I can't think of any noises that scare her

 

[mjbgsd]

Cody isn't fond of fireworks but he's not terrified of them. After a while of the fireworks going it's like he gets bored of them. Thunderstorms don't scare him either. I think Isa might be a little nervous around gun like noises but I'm not sure because she reacts to gun shots for a split second like what was that and then lays back down and sleeps. Fireworks don't bug her because she just slept through them.

 

[artisgsd]

Vath...

You may be interested in this recent discussion: http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubb...true#Post734944

 

[DSudd]

Rocky isnt scared of anything, fireworks, thunder, or any other loud noise. Like Morgan he will try to get them, or jump and smell the air after they go off.

 

[TrackingPuppy]

Sena and Mariah are not concerned about noises, man made or otherwise. Roxi is a different dog.

If Roxi is outside thunder, fireworks, gunshots, all deep booming noises upset her. She will climb on the bistro table looking in the window letting us know there is something going on and she wants IN. On the occasions we have not been home, she has climbed the fence and lay behind the front porch swing awaiting our return.

Last night there was a good thunderstorm going on, so DH broke down, and allowed Roxi got to sleep in the bedroom.