Weather going to the dogs?
-
- April
- 27
I woke up in the middle of the night with a dog on my head.
Granted, he’s only a 18-pound Shih Tzu, but you still can’t sleep with a dog on your head.
Roosevelt, the canine in question, needed comfort because of the storm. I needed sleep, but he was having none of it. Whining and moving about, he couldn’t seem to get close enough to his humans to feel safe.
It made me think about the storms we’ve endured in the last couple of weeks and the ones we’re no doubt going to get – and soon if the recent past is any indication.
A year or more ago, I talked to a couple of animal trainers and vets about what to do for our pets during storms.
Here are some tips on pet care during storms, from Steve Diller of The Center for Animal Behavior and Canine Training in Elmsford:
· Stay patient. Don’t overdiscipline or show anger at unusual behavior.
· Don’t confine the animal more than usual.
· Maintain normal food and watering schedules.
· Play with the animal, but don’t coddle it. Let the animal think you’re unaffected by the storm’s noises.
· Use anti-anxiety medicines, prescription or holistic, ahead of the storm if possible.
So, the next time lightening and thunder send your pet into your lap or underneath it, treat it like a game. They’re pretty perceptive, our domesticated friends, and they’ll pick up on whatever you’re feeling.
Gratuitous photo of Roosevelt included: I get paid in tail wags every time I plug his modeling career.
This entry was posted
on Friday, April 27th, 2007 at 12:16 pm by Greg Clary.
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Journal News staff writer Greg Clary writes Earth Watch, reporting on environmental issues in the lower Hudson region. Clary has been a reporter, editor and columnist at the Journal News since 1988 and has covered police and courts, transportation, municipal government, development and the environment in the Lower Hudson Valley, among other topics. 
Laura Incalcaterra covers the environment, open space and zoning and planning issues for The Journal News. A Boston College graduate, Laura grew up in Rockland, attended East Ramapo schools and has worked for The Journal News since 1993. Laura has written features and covered North Rockland, crime, government and a host of other issues.
Mike Risinit covers Patterson and Kent in Putnam County, as well as environmental topics touching on the Hudson River and the Great Swamp. Risinit has been a reporter at The Journal News since 1998.
i was amazed that with the rolling thunder that woke me up at 3+ am didnt affect my dog. a beagle. hmm i guesss the lightening wasnt close enough for him to hear the sizzle or the crack of thunder. but the rolling thunder and teh sky opening woke me up. ggrrr