Thunder/Fireworks

[Peri Kolakowski]

Hi all, we are having a little issue with DJ that I am wondering if anyone else has encountered. DJ has never been afraid of thunder fireworks or loud noises. Bogey has always been terrified and shakes and hides and is a mess during them. Normally DJ defers to Bogey and won't even walk past him without me standing with him. They play like crazy together and are typical brothers. The past month or so, everytime there are fireworks or a thunder boom, DJ starts snarling and growling and barking ferociously at Bogey. 10 minutes later he is kissing Bogey or laying on him like nothing happened. He has never had an aggressive bone in his body before but this is not close to OK. I have spoken to trainers who suggested a behaviorist but they are way to expensive ($700!) and there isn't even a guarantee. I have been grabbing DJ and telling him to go in his crate and he does and even though I never lock the door, when this happens and Al Kolakowski is not home I do and he just lays in there fine and calm. I have to hold Bogey during fireworks and thunder and can't hold them both at the same time (Bogey 75 pounds GSD Mix, DJ 35 pounds ALD. I spoke to my vet and he said fears happen once they mature even though they weren't there before (DJ is 3 now). I need to fix this and I'm at a loss. I'm afraid to leave them home alone together now. Can anyone help?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Can you crate him when you're not home?

[Peri Kolakowski]

DJ is my service dog so he is almost always with me.  We haven't put either of the boyz in their crates with them locked since they were house trained as babies.  Crates are still up because they like them and use them as their safe place.  They go in when they want to be left alone.  I don't want to have to start locking either one in at this point but I might have to if DJ doesn't stop.  I really want to find a way to break the behavior (without spending $700 on a behaviorist that I cannot afford)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I am far from an expert on canine behavior, but I can guess at why DJ is doing this. He knows that when there is thunder or fireworks, Bogey becomes very frightened, and you give him attention and affection. DJ may be bothered by Bogey's fear, and/or he may be jealous of the special attention you give Bogey every time there is thunder, fireworks, etc., so when he is reacting now to that by lashing out at Bogey. Maybe he's trying to prevent him from going to you for attention, or maybe Bogey's fear is setting him off. I don;t know what you can do about that; if he's trying to "protest" Bogey's getting attention & affection from you, that's resource guarding, and a good trainer might be able to give you some ideas on how to deal with it. 

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

 This fear of thunder etc can be a stinker to deal with.  You can try a thundershirt on Bogey and playing  music or the tv fairly loudl  It may or may not work.  If you let them on the bed you can try laying down with both of them.  Sounds like the crate is working for DJ.  Put Bogey's crate next to him and try putting him in there.  All of these are worth a try. Try sitting on the ground with one on each side with the thunder shirt on Bogey. One or more have worked for dogs I know. If you must hold Bogey give DJ pets and treats and don't make a big deal about Bogey being scared.  

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think this is good advice. 

[Peri Kolakowski]

we have a thunder shirt, it does not work :(  We do have them both on the bed, that is when it happens.  When my husband is home we each cuddle one.  The main problem is when he is not home and I have to handle by myself

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I also have two Doodles and one who is very frightened of thunder or fireworks.  Guinness (my guy who is afraid) has developed his own strategy for coping with his fear.  He now goes into our master bathroom and lays in the far corner at the first sign of a storm.  The sound is muffled in there and he seems to feel safer.  I also turn on the TV in the adjoining bedroom  which further blocks the noise.  If we're going to be out during this time of year, they are gated in the bedroom where Guinness has access to his "safe place" and we close windows, put on the air conditioning and turn on the TV.  In the past I had tried holding Guinness or even taking him into bed with us.  I don't think that helped that much and it may have actually made him more fearful because by giving all the "special attention" I was in effect acknowledging that his fear was valid.  I am wondering if there is an interior place in your home where the sound wouldn't be as loud which could serve as Bogey's "safe place" for storms?  One of the things I have noticed with my two Doodles is that if one is displaying overly excited or "unbalanced" behavior the other will try to "correct" until I intervene.  This is especially true when someone comes to visit.  Guinness will sometimes get overly excited and Murphy will bark at him and try to move him away from the visitor.  Of course, I put a stop to that....I'm the only one allowed to correct unwanted behavior but that has to be continually reinforced.  I am wondering if that's some of what is going on with DJ and Bogey.  It also could be that DJ knows that Bogey is going to get your undivided attention when he's afraid and he's "objecting" to that.  You can try taking them both in the room farthest away from the noise and making this time a "game"....play indoor fetch with both of them...sit on the floor so they both have access to you...treat when you see a "state of mind" that is balanced and somewhat calm.  The key would be to treat them equally during this time. This is very similar to what Maryann is suggesting.  For those situations when nobody is going to be home I really think you'll have to separate them.  Is it possible to gate them in separate rooms or even to crate them.  It's very possible that if you are now home this behavior doesn't even occur, but to be safe I would want to keep them separated. 

[Peri Kolakowski]

We have tried everything with Bogey and holding him is all that helps.  DJ gets held by me while Bogey gets held by my husband.  There is nowhere in the house to escape the noise and Bogey just wants to be wherever we are.  We will be keeping them separate until we resolve this when we are not home but DJ is usually with me anyway as he is my service dog

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I think crating with the TV on when you are gone and there is a threat of a storm might be the simplest solution.  You will know that both are safe - so YOU can relax. Bogey might take some comfort in being in his crate. Are you sure that there will be a fight?   My Ned (28 pounds) runs to correct our other dogs when one gets too excited with the grand kids.  He pushes his way in front of the other dog and barks and growls.  This correction is fine with me, but I'm not concerned that there will be a fight. 

My daughter was house/dog sitting this past week and Clancy (our 60 pound doodle) got into a fight with her 75 pound lab over a toy.  Charlie (our 40 pounder) got so excited that he humped Clancy during the fight, Ned ran over and barked and growled at Clancy and the lab.  Ned was not attacked for doing this and it probably would have separated the combatants, but my daughter was outside with them watering the plants and she turned the hose on all 4 dogs which stopped the entire melee. :-} You need to decide what your concerns are - that DJ is barking and growling at Bogey? That Bogey will hurt DJ?  Once you figure that out, I think your response will be appropriate - whatever that is.  Trust your gut.

[Peri Kolakowski]

Nope not sure there will be a fight and actually I doubt it but being they are dogs, the possibility is there and I never believe in taking chances.  The problem is, we still do not know if DJ is reacting to Bogey or the thunder.  We still need to figure that out.  Last night there were fireworks again (ever damn night around here in the summer and sometimes in the winter) and the second they started DJ started is growling and we calmly told him no no no which is what he responds to when barking (a quick nonono like that) and he stopped ran into his crate which is great progress because the first 2 times he did it we sent him there.  He is very smart and this time he went on his own

When we called him to come out, he came and put his head on Bogey and started kissing him which is his usual MO after he barks at him