thunder.
You all got letters about what we will be talking about and I think the best way to start is to tell about your particular fear and how you cope with it. I will be glad to start.
My name is Stella, and when I was just two years old, I got kicked out of my home on a nice summer day. I thought it would be fun to be on the run and so I just took off and went quite a long way. I found a stream to drink from and just kept going. Then the clouds came up, and the wind, and I had never been out in it before. The thunder and lightning started and that made me very scared, the rain came pouring down and I got soaking wet! What a mess! I ran to a house and cried to be let in, and a nice lady took care of me, rubbed me dry and gave me some food. But she also called the dogcatcher and after the rain quit, I fell asleep, and I woke to a knock on the door. A man came in and put a collar on me and a leash and put me in his truck. That started 3 months in the animal shelter! That was my first fear of storms and it hasn't changed much. I got adopted by my Mom after 3 months and she was so sorry for me to be scared of storms, that she bought me a storm jacket which helps just a little. She lets me come up on her bed when it storms and talks to me nicely and that helps too. But I still shake and shiver over it.
Now you guys tell your stories, won't you? Be sure and read the comments for each dog's "story"!
and after all eight of you are done, we will have a Guest Barker.
Stella
Let me intro our guest Speaker, Grandpa Johnson, who wants to just talk you you a little. Grandpa has a whole lifetime of experience with all kinds of dogs and can share a little of that with you.
Hello Pups! Hope I didn't wake you up from a nap. I have a whole lifetime of experience with dogs and I want to share some things I have learned. 1. Don't be embarrased to be comforted by your Ma or Pa when you are scared. Its common for adults, kids, and all animals to want this when they are frightened. 2. Your pawrents are helping you to try to change your behavior by changing how you feel. 3. Don't be upset if you are the only dog or cat in your home who is afraid of thunder or loud noises. It is your experience of being fearful and NOT the other dogs. Just you. 4. Try each time it thunders to hold off the fear for just a few minutes. You are trying to change your behavior so even a couple of minutes is an improvement. 5. Thunder hasn't hurt you yet and its not going to!
Thanks for inviting me today.
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Thanks for coming today and our next meeting will be the second Saturday in June. Stick around today if you are having a good time, we have doughnut holes added to our eats and they have frosteen on them!
Stella
Howdy Stella Up Over. Now we understand why you are afraid of thunder. It sounds like a very scarey time for you. We have found our cousin Jinx is afraid of thunder too butt have also found if we give her a chewy/rawhide bone she will chew on that and it takes her mind off the boom boom boom. Take care mate. We hope your Thunder Support Group helps everybuddy. No worries, and love, Stella and Rory
ReplyDeleteHiya Stella.
ReplyDeleteI am petrified of thunder and lightning and there is not much peeps can do to help me but let me help myself. When she had her old beloved Katush many moons ago she would let her hide in the closet as that is where she felt safe. So peeps thought best I find a place for myself where I too can feel safe. So my hiding hole is behind the sofa where I snuggle up and stay out of the way till the cost is clear. I also hide there when they let of fireworks. It works for me. Our other rescue Pip is so old now she doesn't really hear that well so she isn't bothered and actually never has been. But you drop something like a baking tray in the kitchen and she is off. That is what she hates. Maybe something to do with her past.
That is my story.
Have a super Saturday.
Best wishes Molly
Hi Stella! CarrieAnne here from Golden Pines. I don't ever get the chance to use the computer, but this time, I do... What a story you have, that I'm glad had a happy ending. Mine does too. I am also afraid of storms. But I've always been afraid of every thing and loud noises too, thunder is the worst. When I was younger I had my sister to comfort me, but she went to live with another family, and her story is one for another day ... Now I just sit under my Mom's feet and she keeps me safe. If she's not here, I have a dark bathroom to stay in. Any place that is dark works, I've not thought of a closet, I'll have to try that at the next storm, and knowing I might have friends in there would make it that much better! :-)
ReplyDeleteHere's to conquering our fears!!!
oh, thelma here. marigold used to be the worst in storms. she would shake uncontrollably and hide under tables and get petrified. i used to pace with her, but she definitely was the worst. when marigold died, i became the one most afraid of storms. i'm still not as bad as marigold, but i hate lightning. mom draws the drapes in the bedroom to try to hide the flashes. sometimes she puts on a light so i can't see the flashes as much and that helps. i'll lay on a bed right next to mom's bed and try to stay quiet - unless the thunder gets sharp. then i'm up and digging holes in the carpeting, pacing between rooms and shaking. my sister, louise, will eventually join me in riling up the other 2 dogs if it gets bad enough. she just does it for excitement, i think. mom doesn't get much sleep on bad thunderstorm nights...
ReplyDeleteWell I have been afraid of Storms fur as long as I have been alive. My special place to go is Downstairs in the Bedroom... UNDER the Bed.. I stay there fur HOURS.. before DURING and even After a storm. THIS is very embarrassing to tell, butt since I am among FURENDS here... let me tell you that ONE TIME My Sister Lori and her Hubby were staying here... IN MY SAFE ROOM... and they SHUT THE DOOR. In the night A storm came up.. I tried to get in and COULDN'T. I was SOOOOOO scared that I Pooped. I just couldn't help it. THAT is how very much afraid I am of storms. Even my Thunder Shirt has not helped me much with this. I am so glad to be a pawt of your support group. I feel better knowing that I am not alone and that no buddy will make fun of me.. even about the having Poop scared outta me. THANKS SO MUCH. THIS is a grrrreat Closet fur our meetings.
ReplyDeleteStella here:
ReplyDeleteThank you four for telling your stories, and we should have four more members coming. While you are waiting, we have water bowls for you, salmon treats, apple cookies, and some chews for you to enjoy. Please help yourselves.
Frankie Furter is right, no one will make fun of anyone or what they say here today. We all suffer from the same problem and want to overcome it someday.
Hi Stella, Ciara doesn't like the noise of the thunder, but Mom says she is just sensitive to loud noises. Thunder and Lightning aren't afraid of it at all. In fact, they would both stay out in the pouring rain if Mom let them.
ReplyDeleteNow Mr. Phantom is a whole different story. He is actually bothered by the storms days BEFORE they come. He seems to sense their approach even if they are hundreds of miles away. He gets very quiet, stays in his crate, refuses to eat, and eventually gets sick to his tummy. When the actual storms arrive, he is just fine. Mom wonders if he gets migraines because of the changes in the air pressures. This is definitely not his time of the year as our area can be plagued for the next several months by severe t-storms.
So we are all very glad to be able to come here and share with you and our other pals.
Woos - Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning
Stella, What a nice for thing for you to do. I hope all of you who needs help gets lots of benefits from this support group. I bark a bit at the thunder, but I is not ascared of it. But we doesn't get that much anyway.
ReplyDelete~lickies, Ludo
hello stella its dennis the vizsla dog hay can i joyn yore thunder support groop??? i wood like to reeserv a spot at the verry bak of the kloset pleez!!! thank yoo ok bye
ReplyDeleteHi Dennis,
DeleteWe would be more than happy for you to come to our June 8th meeting. It will be at the same place and the closet does look inviting, doesn't it. Remember though, the farther back you are in the closet, the farther away the treats are. Give that some thought. We will send out a notice, so you don't miss this meeting.
Cheers,
Stella
I can relate. People think cause I'm big I don't ever get afraid. Wrong! I have a cozy nest in the garage but when those big booms start I bark and scratch on the kitchen door till the boss lets me in. At 2 a.m. hes kinda grumpy but.... Anyway I go in the closet by his bed and he talks nice to me .... I'm ok in there...:)
ReplyDeleteyour friend,
Baron
Hi Baron,
ReplyDeleteOne thing that is nice is to find out how many other dogs have this fear. Big, small, it doesn't matter, it can happen to any dog. We hope you check in at our next meeting June 8th, and we will have more info and more treats.
If you feel you don't need so much help, maybe you can help another dog, and that would be a priceless gift.
Your pal,
Stella
Chet here, Stella - if I were closer I'd for sure attend your thunder support group. Thunder or lightning makes no difference to me. The Roommate fitted me out with a thundershirt, but it didn't help much. I still had to wake her in the middle of the night pawing at her head and panting. She's real calm and sometimes puts me in the bathroom where there's only one window. But lately the best thing that she's done is to get me some very mild Woodstock drugs to calm me down. Only side effect is that I want a tie-dyed thunder shirt!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your group and I'll check back for your good advise and pray for the summer drought. Chet
Stella, you are doing an important service! I admire you for sharing and reaching out - and creating this event!
ReplyDeleteIf you need a human to sit and read a story to you all, just let me know. I know a couple good stories that we share when the thunder and monsoons start here...
Mom says we can post about our fears on our blog. She just has to get up the energy to help us.
ReplyDeleteBailey, Lola, Mackenzie and Sebastian
I left the Support Group meeting so empowered and hopeful, but then tonight (Tuesday) I was sitting in the living room and CRASH! BOOM! CRACK! out of a clear blue sky and sounding like it was just outside the house! I ran to find momma and crawled against her shaking and shivering. I would not let her stop petting me. It was SO very scary. I guess I am a Support Group failure, huh?
ReplyDeleteHi dear Siku Marie:
DeleteA support group is not an easy, quick fix. A support group is defined as a group with common experiences and concerns who provide emotional and moral support for one another. So we have just begun our journey together. We have just begun to know each other, to speak of our experiences and fears, and to look forward to the day we might overcome them. We hope you will come back to our next meeting, and the one after that. Together we might overcome, or at least be less frightened of the thunder. I think it will work better to do that together.
Your pal, Stella