Thunderstorms and dogs: what helps and what doesn't

To calm a dog during a thunderstorm, give them a quiet den they already love, stay close if they want you, and offer food or play after each clap of thunder if they can still take it. The longer-term fix is training in the calm months: pairing storm sounds with good things and teaching your dog to relax on cue. Wraps, pheromones and music have weaker evidence. They can be part of a calm room, but none of them replaces the training.

This guide covers why storms are harder than fireworks, what the research says works, where the evidence is thin, and a plan to start before storm season.

Why storms are harder than fireworks

Noise fear is common. In a study of 13,715 pet dogs in Finland, 32% were sensitive to noise, and fear of thunder became more common as dogs got older.¹

When researchers interviewed 383 owners in detail, almost half said their dog showed at least one sign of fear at noises, even though only a quarter had called their dog "fearful" in a general survey. Fear of fireworks, gunshots and thunder often went together, which suggests a fear of one loud noise tends to spread to others.²

If your dog dreads New Year's Eve, you may already have seen that spread. Storms add three problems of their own:

• They aren't just noise. The Merck Veterinary Manual notes that dogs with a fear of thunderstorms might become fearful of rain, wind or changes in air pressure. A recording of thunder can't reproduce all of that.
• You can't schedule them. Storms can come without much warning, and often during some seasons. The forecast helps, but you won't always be home.
• The season is long. Fireworks come a few nights a year. Storms can come every week for months.³⁴

One more thing to know. If an older dog suddenly starts fearing noises it used to ignore, a review for vets says pain or another health problem could be part of the cause. That's a reason to see your vet before storm season, not just a behaviour question.⁴

What helps

A 2023 review of the evidence for vets sorts noise-fear help into two jobs: getting a dog through the noise it can't avoid today, and changing how it feels about the noise over time. Both matter in storm season.⁴

During the storm

• A safe den. Merck calls a safe haven protected from noise "very helpful" for predictable noise like thunderstorms. The catch: your dog has to love the den long before storm season, and entering and leaving has to stay voluntary. A covered crate with the door open, an inside room or a windowless space all work. Closing curtains and blinds cuts the flashes.
• Food and play after each clap. If your dog can still eat or play, make thunder predict something good: a treat or a short game right after each rumble. In a survey of over 1,200 owners about fireworks, feeding and playing during the noise was the one approach linked to the fear improving over time.
• Comfort, if your dog asks for it. Older advice said to ignore a frightened dog. The 2023 review says that isn't advisable: stroking and talking have lowered stress signs in dogs in other stressful situations. Let your dog come to you, and don't hold or restrain them.
• Your vet, for severe fear. If your dog refuses even their favourite food during storms, panics, or tries to escape, talk to your vet. The review found good evidence for several prescription options for noise fears, and a vet can tell you whether one suits your dog.³⁴⁵

Between storms

• Counterconditioning and desensitisation with recordings. Play storm sounds so quietly that your dog doesn't react, pair them with something great, and build up slowly over weeks. More below.
• Relaxation training. Teach your dog to settle on a mat when the house is calm, then practise it in harder moments. Owners rated relaxation training as successful for 69% of dogs in the fireworks survey, close behind counterconditioning at over 70%.⁴⁵

What doesn't help much, or isn't proven

This is where most storm products sit. The evidence below is the honest picture as of September 2026.

Merck also mentions clothing with a metallic fabric that discharges static, and says some dogs benefit. We didn't find a published trial of it, so we can't tell you how often it helps.

Thunder sounds for dogs: practising with recordings

Recordings are the one part of storm training you control. Merck describes the method: play recordings at a volume low enough that your dog shows no fear, and pair them with something good. Vary the volume from session to session, with a slow rise overall, and ideally work out the steps with a trainer or vet.

A few storm-specific points:

• Start in the quiet months. Late winter gives you weeks of practice before the spring storms.
• Stay under the threshold. If your dog stops eating, freezes, or leaves the room, the sound is too loud. Go back a step.
• Use a phone or a room speaker for the thunder, and keep the Music Box for calm music only, so the collar only ever plays good things.
• Be realistic. Merck notes that for thunder and fireworks, sound practice alone seldom fully resolves the fear. A recording has no pressure drop, no rain on the window and no static. It's one part of the plan.

Calming music for dogs during thunderstorms

We make a music box, so here's what we can and can't say.

Music won't drown out thunder, and shouldn't try to. The 2023 review points out that to mask a sound, the masking sound has to be similar to it. That's why it suggests a loud fan or repetitive drum beats for thunder and fireworks, not soft piano. If you want masking, run a fan or a white noise machine in the room.⁴

What calm music can do is make the storm feel like an ordinary evening. Shelter studies have linked classical music to dogs resting more and barking less, though those dogs weren't facing thunder, and the effect was modest. The 2023 review also describes using music as a relaxation signal: play the same music during calm, happy moments until your dog links it with settling, and then it can help your dog settle when things are harder.⁴⁹¹⁰

So use music the way you'd use the den: build the association on calm days, then bring it out when the forecast turns. Start with the calming playlist, and read what music did and didn't do in the studies.

A storm-season plan

Late winter: get ready

1. See your vet if last season was hard. Panic, escape attempts, or hours to recover all justify a visit before the first storm, not during it. The same goes for an older dog who has only recently started to fear noise.
2. Build or refresh the den. Meals and chews there, door always open.
3. Start recordings at a whisper, paired with food, a few minutes a day.
4. Teach a settle on a mat, then practise it during the recording sessions.
5. Pick one calm soundtrack and play it at relaxed, happy times, so it means "rest" before it ever means "storm".

When storms are forecast

• Walk your dog before the storm arrives.
• Close the blinds and curtains. Put a fan or white noise on in the den room if you want masking.
• Charge the Music Box. A full charge takes about 1 hour and plays for almost a full day.
• Settle your dog in the den with a chew before the first rumble, and start the calm music.

If a storm might hit while you're out

• Check the forecast before you leave. If your dog panics in storms, arrange for someone to be home, or ask a sitter or neighbour to drop in.
• Leave your dog with access to the den, not shut in a room they can't leave.
• If your dog already knows the Music Box means rest, clip it on before you go.

During and after

• Treat or play after each clap, if your dog will take it.
• Let your dog hide. Offer comfort if they come to you.
• Afterwards, note how long your dog took to recover. If it's hours rather than minutes, or getting worse through the season, take those notes to your vet.⁴⁵

Where the Barkwoo Music Box fits

A frightened dog doesn't stay where you set them up. Some head for the bathtub, some wedge behind the sofa. A speaker in the living room stays in the living room.

The Barkwoo Music Box clips onto any standard collar and plays calming music from there, so the familiar soundtrack goes wherever your dog does. One button starts the preloaded playlist, with no phone, WiFi or app. It's drug-free and lightweight, and it runs for almost a full day on one charge.

It's a comfort and a routine, not a treatment. Pair it with the plan above.

Quick answers

Why is my dog scared of thunder? Fear of loud noises is the most common behaviour problem in dogs, and a fear of one loud noise often spreads to others, like fireworks and gunshots. Storms can also bring rain, wind and pressure changes that dogs learn to fear too.

How do I calm my dog during a thunderstorm? A den they already love, closed curtains, food or play after each clap if they'll take it, and comfort if they come to you. For severe fear, talk to your vet.

Should I comfort my dog during a storm? Yes, if your dog seeks you out. A 2023 review for vets says ignoring a frightened dog is not advisable. Don't hold or restrain a dog who wants to hide.

Do thunder shirts and anxiety wraps work? The evidence is weak. A 2024 systematic review found minimal benefit in most studies, with no harm. Some owners find them useful. Get your dog used to one on calm days first.

Does music help dogs during thunderstorms? Calm music can be part of a familiar, comfortable room, and shelter studies link classical music to more resting. It won't mask thunder or treat the fear. For masking, a fan works better.

When should I call the vet? If your dog panics, tries to escape, won't eat even favourite treats in a storm, takes hours to recover, or starts fearing noise suddenly in older age.

References

1. Salonen, M., Sulkama, S., Mikkola, S., et al. (2020). Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs. Scientific Reports, 10, 2962. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-59837-z ↩︎
2. Blackwell, E.J., Bradshaw, J.W.S. & Casey, R.A. (2013). Fear responses to noises in domestic dogs: prevalence, risk factors and co-occurrence with other fear related behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 145(1–2), 15–25. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2012.12.004 ↩︎
3. Borns-Weil, S. (2025). Behavior problems of dogs. Merck Veterinary Manual. merckvetmanual.com ↩︎
4. Riemer, S. (2023). Therapy and prevention of noise fears in dogs: a review of the current evidence for practitioners. Animals, 13(23), 3664. doi:10.3390/ani13233664 ↩︎
5. Riemer, S. (2020). Effectiveness of treatments for firework fears in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 37, 61–70. doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2020.04.005 ↩︎
6. Mathis, S., Schoolfield, S., Gross, P., Gruen, M. & Dorman, D.C. (2024). A systematic review of the efficacy of compression wraps as an anxiolytic in domesticated dogs. Animals, 14(23), 3445. doi:10.3390/ani14233445 ↩︎
7. Landsberg, G.M., Beck, A., Lopez, A., et al. (2015). Dog-appeasing pheromone collars reduce sound-induced fear and anxiety in beagle dogs: a placebo-controlled study. Veterinary Record, 177, 260. doi:10.1136/vr.103172 ↩︎
8. Frank, D., Beauchamp, G. & Palestrini, C. (2010). Systematic review of the use of pheromones for treatment of undesirable behavior in cats and dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 236(12), 1308–1316. doi:10.2460/javma.236.12.1308 ↩︎
9. Wells, D.L., Graham, L. & Hepper, P.G. (2002). The influence of auditory stimulation on the behaviour of dogs housed in a rescue shelter. Animal Welfare, 11, 385–393. doi:10.1017/S0962728600025112 ↩︎
10. Lindig, A.M., McGreevy, P.D. & Crean, A.J. (2020). Musical dogs: a review of the influence of auditory enrichment on canine health and behavior. Animals, 10(1), 127. doi:10.3390/ani10010127 ↩︎

Studies described through the 2024 review above: Cottam, N., Dodman, N.H. & Ha, J.C. (2013), Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 8(3), 154–161, doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2012.09.001; Pekkin, A.-M., et al. (2016), Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 185, 86–94, doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2016.09.003.