Dogs have a fear of thunderstorms which human might classified as a phobia. Dogs reaction to rumblings is either to hide in a dark spot, usually under the house or to frantically escape from the garden and run amuck. One dog would break down doors or scale high fences in panic. There are people who believe that dogs are more sensitive to storms because of the increased electricity in the air and the relatively high concentration of salt in a dog's blood. Salt increases electrical conduction in the body. Dogs fear of thunder and lighting is conditioned, and not inherited or innate.

You cannot wait until a thunderstorm develops in order to modify your dog's behavior. You can purchase a sound track with a realistic thunderstorm sequence and start your desensitisation programme :

1. Teach your dog to 'sit and stay' in the house and reinforce these responses with food
2. Put the music on very low and repeat the sit and stay exercises, making sure that your dog is not stressed by the sound
3. Gradually increase the volume, reinforcing the dog for remaining calm and relaxed. If it becomes agitated, do not reinforce it, but go back and begin with a very low volume
4. Progress to a point where you can go out and leave the tape on