[yorkietalkjilly]

First of all, don't let her know you are feeling sorry for her - it can validate her feelings and exacerbate her fear as something that you are approving of. It sounds brutal but for dogs, it works better as they aren't psychologically programmed the same as humans are and agreeing with a fearful behavior by soothing a dog can induce the dog to keep it up. I've worked with many fearful dogs and know for certain that trying to soothe a terrified dog only makes matters worse next time. There are better ways to deal with their fear.

I would not dose my dog with a medication with side effects that can be profound in some cases unless I had the vet check her for her health to be sure she doesn't have liver or other problems. My dog was a rescue of sorts at 9 mos. of age and had many fears and terrors but his got much worse when he was ill with symptomatic MVD(a disease of the liver). Prior to and since that time I worked training him to control his impulses and work hard at obedience training - which he DEARLY loves. When a storm would come(and we have many here in Texas), I would get his kibble treats and start obedience training him to do a new or several old tricks. He worked right through the storms most of the time. When he was ill with MVD this spring, he got fearful at times during storms and I was having my own physical problems, often wasn't able to train him during a 40 min. storm. I bought him a Thundershirt, which promptly put him to sleep and he would sleep through the wind and thunder. I even wished I had one! Once he got better from his MVD, he no longer had the fearful reactions other than looking at me when a particularly loud peal of thunder would sound and getting big eyes but then he will start to bark at it and watch it out the window without shaking or wanting to run and hide. Once or twice he's been a bit nervous when I was during a storm this past summer when I wasn't feeling 100% and able to distract him with training or playing and when I put the Thundershirt on him, he would settle right down, usually to sleep.

But distracting the dog, never showing you feel sorry for it for its nerves/fear and keeping it busy is the healthier way to work with a normally fearful dog through a storm. Tibbe and I play tug-o-war, I chase him with his chewie in his mouth and pretend I'm going to get it and train him with treats/praise rewards, toss treats for him to run and get, dance with him and all kinds of things to keep his mind off the sounds and sights of the storm and when I'm up to all of that, it works very well - unless Tibbe is feeling off himself as when he was ill this spring and the couple of times this summer. Getting a dog busy working/playing during fearful times help it work out its stresses rather than focusing in on them.

Some dogs, like humans, are psychologically ill or have brain chemistry changes and do need actual medication to help them handle the fear of a thunderstorm but the vet needs to examine them, test them to rule-out various medical causes such as pain and illness, etc., before they recommend giving the dog medication for fear/anxiety. Usually if the dog is not ill, they will recommend distraction over medication in all but the worst of cases.

Personally, I would never self-medicate my dog without checking with my vet first, though, just in case there is an underlying medical condition that the medication could affect or vice-versa. A drowsy, tranquilized dog can fall off the couch or bed and injure themselves and the side effects of Benadryl can cause several bad reactions so if you can't take her to the vet before the storms tomorrow, start distracting her and playing lots of energetic, fun games just prior to the storms and throughout. Putting a heavy coat or sweater on some dogs soothes them during anxious times. Other dogs feel more secure inside a den-like area such as a covered carrier with only one end open.