The American Beagler Forum

was hunting the other day got a new female just out of starting pen ..it came a clap of thunder and she wasnt the same dog rest of the day.a freind that was with me said he had seen that before i never had..hopefully shes not gun shy too. acts fine in pen and handles ok

I had a male once that was the same way. He wasn't gun shy, just thunder, and never did get over it. He would go berserk in the kennel during a thunder, or lightning storm. Lunging at the fence, etc. I ended up getting rid of him as a three year old because of it. Even if it was just heat lightning, at night he would go nuts. One thing you might try is to shoot a gun, or bang on a steel trash can, etc. at feeding time while she is eating. This will help her to associate loud noises with the positive experience, and may break her of it.

Jake Teter

I have a dog that is terrified of lighting and thunder but she was never gun shy. Loud noise dont bother her, but thunder sure does. I keep her in the house now days and I can tell when its gonna storm because she knows long before. I know of several dogs that do this. I dont have a clue why thunder messes with them when a gun doesnt, but I have seen it happen a lot.

Take care,
Randy

i had a male dog who hated thunder and storms. he would hide in his house and shake but you could shoot a 12 gauge over his head if you wanted while rabbit hunting.

I have a Mt Cur that I have shotgunned a bunch of squirrels over that you can't drag her out of her house if it thundering. And, she can hear thunder far away before you can. I never hunt her in a thunderstorm but I don't hunt any of my other dogs in thunderstorms either. It is not a major problem.

Thunder and lightening cause atmosphere pressure changes. Some dogs are more sensitive to this change than others. I have tried over the years to figure out a way to help the dog through a thunder storm with little success. Most need a dark small space to hide. My one beagle would wedge herself behind the toilet in the basement. Don't expect anything of the dog when that behaviour is going on and don't punish the dog. Calm quiet words and possibly stroking but usually the dog wants to go somewhere and hide. The one out hunting probably didn't know where to hide so was more freaked out than usual. Put her in a covered crate next time a storm rolls through. The advance behaviour is shown in earthquakes and other natural disasters too. Pays to learn to read your dog's behaviour! Carolyn

Carolyn, that is SO true.

My older bitch is terrified of ALL loud noises (even gun shots). When she was a couple of years old, lightening struck a clothes line that was next to the run she was in. She never been able to be hunted since! She gets very stressed during storms and actually will go into a trance-like state when she can't "get" somewhere safe. I have given Rescue Remedy which seems to help her anxiety a little (anything that helps is worth it). I give it at the first signs of a pending event. She ALWAYS lets me know what's happening. Just need to know the behaviors!

hey red you may have to leave him in the kennel when i bring pine mt. scrubby up there sometimes he sounds a little like thunder when he runs
(just a little concerned)

hillbilly

The first beagle I bought was a grade dog and he was thunder shy, and gun shy. He was even shy of his stainless steel food dish. Needless to say this hound was culled.

Jeremy

I got a female that goes completely bonkers when it thunders, but fire a gun she comes lookin for the bunny.

My big red male I just lost at age ten was the same way. You could shoot a gun practically strapped onto his back and it never bothered him. Fireworks didn't bother him. One clap of thunder and he was in my lap or under something. ........bless his heart..*sighs*