Thunderstorm phobia in dogs: An internet survey of 69 cases

Abstract

To learn more about predispositions for, signs, and progression of canine thunderstorm phobia, a survey for owners was posted on the Internet. Questions addressed signalment, age of onset, behavior during storms, and treatments tried. Sixty-nine responses were received. Herding dogs and herding crossbreeds accounted for the majority of dogs. Seventeen of 41 dogs with a known age of onset began exhibiting thunderstorm phobia <1 year of age. Various characteristic responses of dogs to storms were described. Improved knowledge of the demographics of thunderstorm phobia, its development, and presentation will assist in understanding the genesis and progression of the condition.

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Volume: 37
Issue: 4
Month/Year:
Jul-Aug
2001
Pages: 319-24
Article Author: McCobb
Article Title: Thunderstorm phobia in dogs:
an Internet survey of 69 cases
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Nicholas
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Clinical Sciences
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Thunderstorm Phobia in Dogs:
An Internet Survey of 69 Cases
To learn more about predispositions for, signs, and progression of canine thunderstorm phobia, a
survey for owners was posted on the Internet. Questions addressed
signalment,
age of onset,
behavior during storms, and treatments tried. Sixty-nine responses were received. Herding dogs
and herding crossbreeds accounted for the majority of dogs. Seventeen of 41 dogs with a known
age of onset began exhibiting thunderstorm phobia <1 year of age. Various characteristic
responses of dogs to storms were described. Improved knowledge of the demographics of thun-
derstorm phobia, its development, and presentation will assist in understanding the genesis and
progression
Of
the condition. J Am
Anim
Hosp Assoc
2001 ;37:319-324.
Emily Cornwall McCobb, DVM
Elizabeth A. Brown, DVM
Karen
Damiani
Nicholas H.
Dodman,
BVMS
From
the Clinical Sciences Department,
School
of Veterinary Medicine,
Tufts University,
200 Westboro
Road,
North
Grafton, Massachusetts
01536.
Introduction
Thunderstorm phobia is one of the most common and frustrating pho-
bias seen in dogs, yet surprisingly little research has been conducted on
the subject. This phobia is difficult to treat, though some limited success
has been reported with both traditional behavioral modification tech-
niques and drug
therapies.
1
"
3
If new and more effective treatments for
thunderstorm phobia are to be developed, it will be necessary to under-
stand more about the causes and progression of this refractory condition.
Fear is a natural moiety with both psychological and physiological
manifestations.
3
Phobias are excessive fears that are associated with a
response that is disproportionate to the danger
presented.
1
-
3
Thunder-
storm-phobic dogs exhibit both physical and behavioral signs of their
phobia that worsen as the storm intensifies.
1
Some thunderstorm-phobic
dogs seriously injure themselves in their attempts to escape during
storms
2
and can cause significant damage to furniture, walls, doors, and
other objects in their path. The extreme reactions of phobic dogs to
storms can greatly upset owners, who are distressed by the anxiety suf-
fered by their pets and the damage inflicted on their homes.
Thunder-
storm phobia can adversely affect the owner-pet bond, with seriously
afflicted dogs having to be placed in an alternate home or even eutha-
nized in some instances.
Extreme fear of thunderstorms is just one of many inanimate fears
dogs may develop. Some observers believe the phobia is simply the
result of an innate fear of loud noises
4
and that it may be a genetic trait.
3
It has been observed that many dogs that have thunderstorm phobia also
fear other sharp, percussive noises.
2
Others believe that thunderstorm
phobia is a composite fear that has various acquired elements, as dogs
with thunderstorm phobia appear to react to a number of components of
storms, including the sound of thunder, lightning, and changes in the
level of illumination.
3
In addition, it has been suggested that dogs may
be able to sense atmospheric changes imperceptible to humans, such as
changes in barometric pressure, ionization, static field, and even
JOURNAL of
the American Animal
Hospital Association 319

320
JOURNAL
of the
American Animal Hospital Association
July/August
2001, Vol. 37
odors.
2
-
3
-'
5
It is not known which, if any, of these features
are truly involved in thunderstorm phobia. Some storm-
phobic dogs display a low-level fear response well before
the owner is aware of the storm,
3
supporting the belief that
dogs may react to features of storms that are not apparent to
humans. It is not known why certain dogs develop
thunder-
storm phobia while others do not. Some blame lack of early
habituation,
4
while others believe the problem is exacer-
bated by unintentional reinforcement of fearful responses
by owners.
2
Thunderstorm phobia may develop gradually
but can also occur precipitously during a violent storm.
6
In this study, the authors surveyed owners of dogs with
thunderstorm phobia in order to gain a better understanding
of the etiology of thunderstorm phobia and underlying tem-
perament of thunderstorm-phobic dogs. Pet owners are gen-
erally accurate when labeling a pet's behavior as
fearful,
3
and they tend to be aware of the situations that evoke a fear-
ful response and the specific reactions of their pet. For this
reason, the authors were confident that an owner-based sur-
vey would produce valid information. The histories and
owner-reported behaviors of dogs suffering from
thunder-
storm phobia were evaluated to see if any common trends
could be elucidated. Several factors that might contribute to
the development of thunderstorm phobia were examined,
including breed, age, origin, early life history, temperament,
and concurrent behavioral problems of the affected dogs.
Owners were also asked to describe treatments they had
used and the effectiveness of these treatments.
Materials and Methods
A survey was developed to obtain background information
and behavioral histories on dogs with thunderstorm phobia.
In order to locate as many owners of dogs with
thunder-
storm phobia as possible, the survey was posted on the
Internet at the following sites:
all-k.9@angus.mystery.com (a
trainer's discussion list);
clicktrain@gcstation.net (clicker training discussion list);
click-owner®txk9co.com
(dog discussion
list-clicker);
click-1 @txk9cop.metronet.com
(dog discussion list-clicker);
and
ukdogs-1@angus.mystery.com
(United Kingdom dog's
discussion list).
These training sites were chosen because they were known
to draw active discussion lists and therefore would provide
a sizable potential population of dog owners. The survey
was posted in July of 1997, and responses were received
through September of that year. Any owner of a dog with
thunderstorm phobia was invited to respond. Information
was solicited from respondents about dogs they owned or
had owned in the recent past. Responses to the survey ques-
tions were returned to the above web sites or directly to
authors by electronic or regular mail. Respondents were
contacted via electronic mail up to
15
months after the orig-
inal survey in order to clarify responses.
The survey results were entered into a spreadsheet for
analysis.
Results
Sixty-nine completed responses were received for analysis.
Owners of 53 of 69 (77%) dogs were contacted for follow-
up questions at a later date. Due to the difficulty in inter-
preting some of the
owners'
responses (given the narrative
form), the authors report here on a subset of the survey
questions, which elicited clear and unequivocal replies.
Forty-eight of the respondents were from the United States,
four were from Australia, three were from Canada, one was
from the Honduras, one was from South Africa, and one
was from the Netherlands. The country of origin was not
specified for
11
dogs. The average age of the dogs reported
at the time of the study was 7 years. Nine owners each pro-
vided information about a dog that was recently deceased.
Two owners each failed to note the age of their dog. Thirty-
seven (54%) of the 69 thunderstorm-phobic dogs were
female (95% of which were
ovariohysterectomized),
and 32
(46%) of the 69 were male (75% of which were castrated).
The single-largest breed group represented in the present
study was the herding group, which accounted for
19
(40%)
of the 47 purebred dogs evaluated [see Table}. The herding
breeds represented were Australian shepherd (n=5), Ger-
man shepherd dog (n=5), border collie
(n=3),
Shetland
sheepdog
(n=2),
Belgian Tervuren
(n=2),
bearded collie
(n=l),
and rough-coated collie
(n=l).
The next largest breed
group was the hound group. All the hounds were
sighthounds, including nine greyhounds and one saluki. Of
the 22 remaining dogs, 21 were mixed-breed dogs, of
which 14 (67%) were herding crossbreeds and one was a
wolf hybrid. Thirty-two (46%) of 69 dogs were rescued
from a shelter or other rescue organization; four (6%) of the
69 were purchased from a pet store; and 32 (46%) of the 69
were obtained from a breeder or private owner. One owner
failed to note the origin of his dog.
Owners were asked to report the age, if known, at which
time their dog began exhibiting signs of thunderstorm pho-
bia. The age of onset was provided for
41
of the 69 dogs.
The age distribution of these dogs is illustrated in Figure 1.
Seventeen of the 41 (42%) dogs showed signs of
thunder-
storm phobia prior to 1 year of age. Twenty-eight dogs for
which the age of onset was unknown had either been
adopted with the phobia as a pre-existing condition (n=24)
or the owner did not report the age of onset of the dog's
condition (n=4). No owner reported a geriatric onset of
thunderstorm phobia (i.e.,
>10
years).
The survey dogs were classified into broad temperament
categories based upon owner descriptions of the dogs' per-
sonalities and behavior. Thirty-three (48%) of the 69 dogs
were classified as "stable" in temperament, meaning that
their owners described no behavioral abnormalities apart
from the thunderstorm phobia. Twenty-one (30%) of 69
dogs were classified as "fearful," because their owners indi-
cated that they had other fearful tendencies in addition to
thunderstorm phobia. Nine (13%) of 69 dogs were classi-
fied as "dominant and/or aggressive," and six (9%) of 69
dogs were classified as "reactive" (i.e., overly responsive to
visual or aural stimuli), based on owner descriptions.

July/August
2001, Vol. 37
Thunderstorm Phobia 321
Survey respondents were asked to describe how their
dogs reacted to thunderstorms. Forty-seven (68%) of 69
dogs were reported to exhibit physical signs such as pant-
ing, shaking or trembling, dilated pupils, salivation, and
loss of bladder control, bowel control, or both. Other
behaviors mentioned by owners included attempts to
escape, destructiveness, and running around frantically,
often associated with barking. Twenty-nine (42%) of the 69
survey dogs exhibited "attention-seeking behaviors" at
some phase of most storms. These behaviors included
jumping on or pawing the owners and following them
around the house. Thirty-nine (57%) of 69 dogs hid during
storms, going to a kennel or other small, confined area such as
a corner or closet. Six dogs (included in the previous groups)
exhibited both attention-seeking behavior and hiding at vari-
ous times during storms. Nineteen of the dogs that hid did so
in the bathroom. Other locations preferred by dogs during
storms included a dog bed, the owner's bed, or a couch (n=8);
a "dark place" (n=4); the basement or attic (n=3); and the car
(n=l). Of the 69 dogs, 25 (36%) preferred to stay close to
their owners for at least part of a thunderstorm.
Twenty-six of the survey respondents tried treating their
phobic dog using either behavioral therapy (i.e., desensitiza-
tion with or without counterconditioning), training, prescribed
medications, herbal remedies, or some combination of these
treatments. Only
five
of the owners who tried some form of
therapy reported any improvement with the chosen method.
Discussion
Despite the ever-increasing use of the Internet, there have
been relatively few published studies that have used the
Inter-
net to gather information, and concerns linger about the
effi-
cacy of this medium for data collection. Similar to
random-digit dialing surveys, Internet surveys are limited to
Number of Dogs
Figure
1—Age
of onset for dogs with
thunderstorm phobia (where age could be
determined [41/69]).
Table
Breed Group Classification of the 47 Purebred Dogs With Thunderstorm Phobia,
Using American Kennel Club Breed Groups
Herding
19(40%)
Hound
10(21%)
Nonsporting
8(17%)
Sporting
6(13%)
Working
3 (6%)
Terrier
1
(2%

322
JOURNAL of
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Hospital Association
July/August
2001, Vol. 37
respondents who are not specifically known to the examiners.
In random-digit dialing surveys, the names of respondents
are never known and they are not recontacted. However, in
the present study, the names and Internet addresses of the
respondents were recorded, and 53 of the 69 (77%) respon-
dents were able to be contacted months later for follow-up
questioning as needed to clarify confusing responses. The
ability to follow up with survey respondents via email
addresses (which often remain the same, despite respondent
relocation) may be a particular advantage to using the Inter-
net for data collection. As evidence to support the validity of
data collected by Internet surveys, several findings from the
present study were in close alignment with findings from a
previous study of 30 dogs with thunderstorm phobia, in
which the owners were interviewed in
person.'
The nearly even distributions of sex and neutering status
of the dogs in this survey suggest that, as one might expect,
the biological sex of affected dogs and hormonal factors
play little or no role in the development of thunderstorm
phobia. This result supports the finding of an earlier study
of 30 thunderstorm-phobic dogs, in which an even distribu-
tion of males, castrated males, females, and spayed females
was found in the population
sampled.'
The traditional view has been that there is no breed
predilection for developing fears and phobias in
dogs;
3
however, since temperament is at least partly determined by
breed,
4
it might be anticipated that certain breeds of dogs
would show increased susceptibility to thunderstorm pho-
bia. In one study, German shepherd dogs and golden
retrievers were found to be over-represented among dogs
with various phobias.
7
These two breeds and Labrador
retrievers have been shown in several studies to be susceptible
to fear-related behavior problems and have been implicated as
having anxious temperaments.
6
"
8
The results of the present survey indicate that there may
indeed be a breed predisposition for thunderstorm phobia,
which appeared to be most prevalent among herding breeds
of dogs
[Table 2).
Because the dogs in this study were from
various countries of origin, it is difficult to compare them to
known populations. However, insights about how the breed
distribution of the study dogs might compare to the breed
distribution of an actual population of dogs can be gleaned
by comparing the breed distribution of the study dogs to
that of the United States' dog population, since two-thirds
of the study dogs were from the United States. According to
AKC statistics, breeds from the herding class made up
11%
of the total registrations for
1997.
9
In contrast, 40% of the
purebred dogs in this study were members of the herding
group. Furthermore, 67% of the mixed-breed dogs included
in this study were of herding-breed heritage. One hypothe-
sis to explain a possible increased prevalence of
thunder-
storm phobia among herding dogs is that the phobia could
be related to underlying temperament. Herding dogs are
generally considered to be highly reactive
5
and have been
bred to suppress certain aspects of their predatory drive.
10
Perhaps the interaction between predatory inhibition and
reactivity creates an ambivalence in their responses to
events, which would explain an underlying anxious tem-
perament and, consequently, susceptibility to thunderstorm
phobia. Ten of 19 (53%) herding dogs and eight of 14
(57%) herding crossbreeds were described as fearful by
their owners.
The other breed group well represented in the present
survey was the hounds. Racing greyhounds (eight out of the
nine greyhounds reported were ex-racers) are often under-
socialized and thus might be expected to display anxiety
disorders. However, two of nine (22%) greyhounds were
described as fearful. The total number of greyhounds in this
study is remarkable; however, this result may be attributa-
ble to the fact that the study was circulated among grey-
hound rescue organizations by survey respondents. Sporting
and working breeds were also well represented, comprising
19%
of the 47 purebred thunderstorm-phobic dogs. As pre-
viously discussed, certain breeds in this group, such as
golden retrievers and Labrador retrievers, are included
among breeds that may be prone to anxiety and fear-related
disorders. By comparison, dogs such as terriers are bred for
confidence and tenacity and appear more prone to behav-
ioral conditions such as dominance-aggression rather than
anxiety." Only one terrier was included in the present
study, whereas terriers represented 5% of puppies registered
by the AKC
in
1997.
9
Given the apparent greater prevalence of thunderstorm
phobia among certain anxious breeds of dog, the authors
expected that thunderstorm phobia ought to be most fre-
quently expressed in individual dogs described as anxious
and nervous. Furthermore, the authors expected that thun-
derstorm-phobic dogs might have particular characteristics,
such as tearfulness or reactivity, which might tend to render
them more susceptible to the phobia. In this study, 30% of
69 dogs were described as having fearful personalities by
their owners. However, half of the thunderstorm-phobic
dogs in the study were reported as "stable" in tempera-
ment. Though owners are able to accurately identify obvi-
ous fear-related behavior problems in their animals,
3
they
may be less able to determine more subtle conditions such
as anxiety.
Almost half of the dogs (32 of 69) in the survey were
adopted from a shelter or rescue organization. As before,
United States figures were used for comparison. A recent
survey of pet owners in Indiana found that only about 9%
of owners obtained their dogs from an animal shelter or res-
cue
group.
12
In the United States, the national average for
the percentage of dog owners who obtain their dogs from
shelters is thought to be about
12%
to
15%.
a
The number of
rescued dogs in this study population appears to be consid-
erably higher than that found in the United States' dog pop-
ulation as a whole. However, a possible bias of this study is
that owners of rescue dogs might tend to be attracted to dog
owner and trainer designated web sites, since the owners of
rescue dogs are often active in dog-related activities.
Despite possible biases, it might be expected that thun-
derstorm phobia would be prevalent among rescued dogs,
since they likely would have had aversive experiences early

July/August
2001, Vol. 37
Thunderstorm Phobia 323
in life and missed opportunities for owner-facilitated habit-
uation. Rescued dogs tend to have a higher incidence of
anxiety-related disorders, as evidenced by the high inci-
dence of separation anxiety in dogs that have been adopted
from shelters.
13
The 32 rescued dogs in this study included
eight rescued greyhounds (one of the nine greyhounds was
obtained as a puppy from a breeder). Since the survey was
circulated among members of a greyhound rescue organiza-
tion, the greyhounds may have artificially inflated the num-
ber of rescued dogs in the study. However, without taking
into account the eight rescued greyhounds, rescued dogs
still comprised 35% of the 69 thunderstorm-phobic dogs, a
percentage that is more than twice the national average of
12% to
15%.
a
This result supports the
authors'
contention
that aversive experiences early in life may predispose dogs
toward underlying anxiety-related problems, including
thunderstorm phobia. Four (6%) of the owners surveyed
obtained their dogs from a pet store. Dogs obtained from
pet stores are also likely to have missed early opportunities
for socialization.
In a previous study of 30 thunderstorm-phobic dogs, the
majority of the phobic dogs evaluated were presented
between the ages of 1 and 5 years.
1
The average age of
onset of thunderstorm phobia was not reported, though the
authors indicated that most of the dogs were over 1 year
when they began exhibiting signs of thunderstorm phobia.
In the authors' study, of the 41 dogs in which the age of
onset was known, over 40% were younger than
1
year when
they began exhibiting signs of the condition. Of the dogs
that had an adult onset (i.e., >1 year) of signs, the majority
were between the ages of 1 and 5 years [Figure
2],
with
only
10%
being over 5 years of age. This data may indicate
that the age of onset of thunderstorm phobia may be related
to the timing of exposure to the first storm. Dogs that began
exhibiting signs of the phobia at an early age may have
been those that were exposed to storms at an early age.
The behavioral profiles the authors received were consis-
tent with traditional descriptions of thunderstorm phobia in
dogs. Specifically, the phobic reactions were triggered by
an aversive stimulus, and the dogs' behavior deteriorated
with continued exposure. About one-third of the owners
could pinpoint a specific incident that triggered the first
episode. Several events were reported as initiating the pho-
bia, including fireworks, moving to an area with severe
storms, Hurricane Andrew, and gunshots. One owner
reported his dog became phobic after observing a friend's
thunderstorm-phobic dog during a storm. Two owners
believed that the phobia occurred after the dogs observed
lightning for the first time. One owner reported that the dog
was never afraid of storms until it was outside when a
chimney was struck by lightning. This type of experience
may fit with the diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress
disorder, a condition that has been recently recognized in
dogs.
14
The lasting effects of adverse experiences may help
explain why thunderstorm phobia is so difficult to treat.
While the reaction of thunderstorm-phobic dogs to
storms is excessive, there is a biological and evolutionary
basis for such fear. The physiological component of fear is
manifested by classical physical signs that are, to some
extent, species
specific.
1
The majority (68%) of the dogs in
this study displayed physical signs such as panting, shak-
ing, dilated pupils, salivation, and loss of bladder control,
bowel control, or both. These are signs of central and auto-
nomic nervous system arousal, which indicate a natural yet
uncontrollable response to the fear-inducing stimulus. The
behavioral component of fear is revealed by the actions of
phobic dogs during storms. Some dogs with phobias seek
human companionship for comfort and reassurance.
1
A
considerable proportion (42%) of the dogs in this study
exhibited "attention-seeking behavior" at some point during
a thunderstorm, and about 36% demonstrated a preference
to be in the vicinity of the owner.
Another common adaptive fear response is hiding, which
was confirmed in over half of the dogs in this study. Hiding
places chosen by the survey dogs included a kennel, closet,
behind the couch, and other small, dark, den-like areas. Of
the 39 dogs that hid during storms, close to half
(19)
hid in
the bathroom. One dog preferred to be in the car. A prefer-
ence for the bathroom seems to be a unique characteristic of
thunderstorm-phobic dogs and may be the result of some
thunderstorm attenuating property of the bathroom that is
not completely understood. The fact that dogs seek such
locations may support some role for changes in static elec-
trical fields (or other property of thunderstorms besides the
noise alone) in the generation of thunderstorm phobia in
some dogs. Other demonstrations of the behavioral compo-
nent of fear, such as frantic barking, destruction, and
attempts to escape, were reported in some dogs.
Thunderstorm phobia is considered a particularly difficult
fear to treat, for several reasons. The composite nature of
this phobia makes it resistant to treatment with systematic
desensitization to a single stimulus (e.g., thunder). With
thunderstorms, it is particularly difficult to completely
reproduce natural conditions.
3
While the sound and light-
ning conditions can be reproduced using technologically
advanced equipment, it is difficult to simulate the more sub-
tle features of storms, such as changes in barometric pres-
sure, which may be very obvious to dogs though not to
humans. Desensitization is also difficult because owners
who live in areas where thunderstorms are common may be
unable to isolate the dog from storms during the desensiti-
zation period. Finally, the aversive experience of a
thunder-
storm can have a marked and lasting impact on a dog, in the
same way trauma in humans can cause complex and linger-
ing psychological effects.
15
The traditional therapy for thunderstorm phobia has been
systematic desensitization with counterconditioning, and
thunderstorm phobia has been used as a model condition
for this therapy.
3
However, in practice, desensitization with
counterconditioning does not work well for severely phobic
dogs.
2
'
b
This technique may be effective when implemented
by behavioral consultants, but it is extremely difficult for
dog owners to carry out. A small number of owners repre-
sented in this survey employed behavioral modification

324
JOURNAL of
the
American
Animal Hospital Association
July/August
2001, Vol. 37
techniques for their dogs with only limited success. One
owner reported success using a clicker to facilitate counter-
conditioning. It may be that the use of the clicker helped
focus the dog sufficiently to distract it from its phobic
response during storms.
An additional option for the treatment of thunderstorm
phobia in dogs may be the use of medication. Only a small
number of the owners in this survey reported employing
pharmacological therapy, including either prescription
drugs or holistic remedies. The results of such treatment
were mixed. Anecdotal evidence suggests a poor response
of thunderstorm phobia to pharmacological treatment. Tra-
ditional pharmacological treatment for thunderstorm phobia
has consisted of the use of low-potency neuroleptics, such
as acepromazine.
16
It has been suggested that high-potency
neuroleptics, such as fluphenazine and perphenazine, could
have advantages in the treatment of thunderstorm phobia, as
they tend to produce less sedation and more of a specific
anti-anxiety effect,
16
but the use of these drugs to treat
thunderstorm phobia has not yet been formally investigated.
One owner in this study reported complete resolution of the
thunderstorm phobia in his dog after the dog was treated
with amitriptyline (a tricyclic antidepressant). Controlled
clinical trials to examine the efficacy of pharmacological
intervention in this disorder are greatly needed.
Successful treatment of thunderstorm phobia must focus
on the motivation behind the behaviors (i.e., anxiety) rather
than the behaviors
themselves.'
If a behavioral modification
treatment plan is implemented, it may be supported by
pharmacological intervention.
16
With the dog's underlying
anxiety reduced through the use of appropriate medications,
the dog may then be more receptive to counterconditioning
during desensitization. The most effective way to treat thun-
derstorm phobia may be to use an anxiolytic medication
that does not interfere with learning in conjunction with a
counterconditioning program.
Conclusion
The results of this study indicate that there may be a breed
predisposition for thunderstorm phobia among herding
breeds. To further confirm this observed trend for
thunder-
storm phobia in herding dogs, it would be useful to exam-
ine the prevalence of thunderstorm phobia in herding dogs
as a group. Rescued dogs were also over-represented in this
study, and, while this may reflect a bias within the study, it
would be useful to examine the prevalence of thunderstorm
phobia among this population of dogs as well. Most owners
that were contacted had been struggling to resolve the thun-
derstorm phobia problem in their dogs for many years. As
is common with this condition, the attempted treatments
produced variable results. The treatments that survey
respondents tried were not conducted in a controlled set-
ting, and thus cannot be used to question the use of tradi-
tional behavioral modification techniques; however, the
respondents' difficulties speak to the great frustration the
average dog owner encounters in trying to deal with this
disorder. All of the owners expressed a desire to know more
about the causes of this condition and a hope that workable
therapies could be found in the future. With the increased
utilization of anxiolytic drugs in veterinary behavioral med-
icine over the last 10 years, there are several alternatives
available for the treatment of anxiety-based conditions in
dogs. It is time to reexamine the traditional treatments used
for thunderstorm phobia; in particular, the use of these
medications to support behavioral modification programs.
The ability of dog owners to apply these new therapies in
the home should be considered in the development of new
protocols. If pharmacological strategies are to be employed,
they should be used to support a behavioral modification
program that is feasible for owners to carry out.
a
Patronek
GJ. Center for Animals and Public Policy, School
of Veterinary
Medicine,
Tufts
University,
North Grafton,
MA
(Personal communica-
tion, May
1998)
" Shull-Selcer E,
personal communication; School of Veterinary Medicine,
Tufts
University,
North Grafton,
MA
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