Helpful Tips to Calm Your Dog During a Thunderstorm

It can be heartbreaking to watch: even before the first sound of thunder, seemingly well behaved dogs can have a radical change in their temperament and behavior.  You may see your pet begin to pace, or pant, and become very clingy to you.  Some dogs will look for a dark place to hide like a closet. And some who truly suffer from fear and anxiety of thunderstorms can do damage to walls or carpets trying to claw their way out in a panic. Do you know the story of Marley and Me?  Poor Marley had a severe case of thunderstorm phobia.
The fear of loud sounds such as fireworks and thunder are not uncommon, and shouldn't be ignored.  Most of the time your pet will not simply grow out of the phobia, and its possible it can get worse over their lifetime.
Its hard to put a finger on what triggers dogs to have Thunderstorm phobia's in particular. Aside from the loud rumbling of thunder, it is thought that the change in barometric pressure and the static electricity that we humans are not sensitive too play a major roll in igniting this behavior.
Its the height of the rainy and stormy season in most of the US right now.  Recently our own dog went through a series of days where he was just not himself. He was clingy, panted nonstop and didn't want to come back inside the house after his walks.  This started a few days even before we had heard of a storm in the forecast. I began to look for something to help him, and in doing my research I discovered Nelson Bach Rescue Remedy.
This all natural homeopathic product has five main ingredients that target sensitive pets.  We noticed a big difference in our dog right away, and now we keep a bottle of Bach Rescue Remedy on hand so that we can give him a dose at the moment we notice a change in his behavior. This product is great for Cat Anxiety issues as well.
Another all natural approach to providing your dog support during these fearful moments is the patent-pending Thundershirt.  This amazing product is a pressure wrap that applies gentle, constant pressure on a dog or cats torso.  From real life experiences it has been proven to make a difference which is why there is a money back guarantee. Over 85% of dogs showed significant improvement when wearing the Thundershirt. Cabo Dog Boutique is happy to offer this well-designed and affordable wrap specially made for dogs in four different color options from Classic Gray, Rugby Blue, Red Polo, Rugby Pink and Blue Polo. There is even a Thundershirt for cats to help with your cats stress and anxiety issues.
Adding a Natural anti-anxiety dog supplement to your dogs diet during thunderstorm season can be a very helpful benefit for your dog.  The Peaceful Pooch Calming Supplement has an amazing blend of ingredients such as Melatonin, Valerian, Chamomile and Passion Flower, all of which have been proven to relieve stress and anxiety during anxiety-filled moments such as fireworks, Thunderstorms or separation anxiety. You simply add it to their favorite food daily.

Cabo Dog Boutique is dedicated to helping you with natural solutions for your pet.  Here are the Top Five Helpful Tips from WebMD Pets:

1. Reward calm behavior year-round.
2. Give the dog a safe place where he can go in a storm like a crate.
3. Consider a snug garment.
4.  Desensitize your dog during the winter months by playing a CD of thunder recordings at very low volume so as not to frighten your dog, and give them treats, you can help to build up their acceptance levels for the sound of thunder which is a major trigger for an anxiety or phobic attack.
5. In severe cases, seek medical help from your Veterinarian who may feel a prescription medication is necessary.

Want to see how a Thundershirt can help? View this video of some "Before and After" clips!

Improve Your Dogs To Do List

We all live busy lives with a ton to do each day. But have you ever stopped to wonder about your dogs daily schedule?  If your best friend isn't receiving enough physical and mental stimulation they could fall into a rut. Long days lounging around might sound purely blissful, but the reality is we need to shake things up to prevent boredom or loneliness from setting in. Cabo Dog Boutique has some fun ideas to help you out!
Some common signs of boredom or loneliness in pets that could be a tip that you need to liven things up are as follows:

Couch Potatoes: If your dogs daily routine involves little more than lounging and sleeping, with only meals or quick outings in between, it could be time for a makeover.  Most Couch Potatoes are middle to older aged dogs, but this doesn't mean they don't need new challenges or something special to engage their body and mind.
Clingers: These dogs tend to stick by your side all morning long, then they can be found longingly waiting by the door for your return at the end of the day.  Clingers tend to suffer from bouts of separation anxiety and will turn to destructive behavior as a way of dealing with their anxious tendencies.
Diggers:  This title pretty much says it all!  The digger is the bored dog who seems to have a mission in life to rid the entire yard of the the last bit of landscaping, or dig a hole to China, whichever comes first! Exhibiting this type of destructive behavior is a sure sign your dog needs more to do.
Chewers:  Yes, chewing is natural for dogs and is a great past time and effective way to relieve stress or angst. BUT chewing on the furniture or any of the other no no's is not! Cabo Dog Boutique has a variety of chewing options to offer your dog a safe and suitable option to those new leather shoes or antique furniture.
The idea here is not to feel obligated to supply our dogs with activities every waking moment.  What we are striving for is to keep things fresh and new.  By simply making some subtle changes in their day to day activities, your dog can start to make positive changes in their daily routine.  A helpful outlook while revamping their To Do List is to think like a dog!  Look at things in their everyday environment and think, is this something my dog can enjoy? How can I change something ordinary into extraordinary?
For the Couch Potato, try changing up his walking route and add some small obstacles along the way. Let your dog guide you on the walk, allowing him to decide where he wants to go. Walk up some steps, or take him through a series of stops and turns. Mental stimulation and engagement is the key here.  When your walk is finished, introduce a scent stimulating toy.  These long lasting organic natural Loofa Toys are fantastic.  The natural beef flavoring and Organic Loofa taste great and feel good on their teeth and gums.  Not to mention its a great way to clean and floss their teeth, a win win situation!
For the Clinger, Digger or Chewers looking for something to do, experts advise to introduce a dog puzzle. Cabo Dog Boutique has fun a selection of dog puzzles. These exciting and tricky games let you choose a mildly challenging puzzle or a more complex puzzle, whichever suits your dog best. And they come with a food reward, a definite bonus. Another food reward toy that is top rated for quality and durability is the Tux Dog Toy by Westpaw Designs. Cabo Dog Boutique carries the entire line of these Made in the USA toys. The Tux is a great combination of an extremely durable,stuff-able and toss-able dog toy all at the same time! Crunching toys are also a great way to interest your dog. Water Bottle Crunchers are a super fun way to keep your pet distracted and avoid those unwanted behaviors.  They are a soft cuddly toy stuffed with a removable plastic water mik jug. The sound of the plastic crunching satisfies a dogs desire to hunt and catch prey.  These safe and fun toys are great because you simply refill the plastic bottle with a new one when the time comes!

Summer time toys of engagement are also effective. The Hydro Ball or Hydro Bone combine fun and refreshment in one great experience!  Any Cough Potato, Clinger Digger or Chewer will benefit from this specially designed toy.
Mental stimulation and engagement are critical in your dogs daily To Do List.  We hope these helpful tips are useful!  Woof!