How do you get your dog to calm down during a storm?

This is not a quick fix, but will require you to work with your dog over time. There are two main points: 1)Do not pay special attention to your dog during the storm, and 2)Distract your dog by giving them something to work on, such as a bone or a Kong filled with peanut butter.

When we try to soothe our dogs by paying more attention to them during a storm, this only reinforces the behavior we're trying to stop. If a dog knows that she will get extra affection if she whines or trembles during a storm, she will continue to exhibit this behavior. In effect, you are rewarding her for her fear by giving her affection. The best thing to do is simply ignore the behavior.

The next step is to give your dog something that will distract her from the storm. You can toss a ball for her, give her a rawhide chew, pull out a special toy that she can only have during bad weather, or give her a food-filled Kong. Not only will this serve to distract your dog from the storm, it will also give her something positive to associate with thunder and lightning. Hopefully, her excitement and interest in a new activity or toy will outweigh her fear of the storm.

Finally, you may want to get a recording of thunder, loud rain, etc., and play this for your dog. You can practice together!