What can I do to calm my dog down during thunderstorms?

I, too, found that distration helps. My Malamute used to panic during thunderstorms and during fireworks on the 4th. Early on, I would talk to her and try to calm her down.....never worked...if anything, it made the situation worse and I ended up losing my patience with her. I found that if I turned the volume up on the television or the radio, it would distract her. Just don't leave your television on a local channel covering the fireworks on the 4th. :) I also starting ignoring the behavior (although it was very painful to ignore it, it was the best thing for her). Good luck.

Benadryl should be safe and hopefully it will work. We have a dachshund who hs gotten actual panic attacks (hyperventilation, pounding heart...) during storms her whole life. Our vet eventually prescribed a tiny dose of valium for her to take as soon as she started reacting. This has helped a lot, she just goes to a favorite spot and chills out. Since she will be 16 in a couple of months, there does not appear to have been any long term negative side effects.

I live in Ohio (we have lots of thunderstorms here as well as several tornadoes). If Wiggles gets antsy during a storm, I figure he may know something I don't, so I turn on the weather radio. Almost always, there'll either be a thunderstorm warning or a tornado watch/warning. Like dogs that warn their owners about homes being on fire, there may be a very good reason for your dog's being upset. With "garden variety" rainstorms, Wiggles doesn't even react. Even with storms that are passing at a distance, with the accompanying distant rumbles of thunder, he remains calm. Animals' senses are keener than ours, so there may be good reason for the anxiety.

I think after a week solid of storms and floods here in Indiana I have at least found my answer to this. My dog tries to get inside the wall when he comes. I used to just hold her and talk to her. That didn't work. What works is distraction. And when the power is out like it was today, pick up your guitar and sing a few songs. Whether you can sing or play well, it distracts their hearing and must give them some peace. WHat do I know anyway. Maybe try it or find your own way to distract them. I disagree with drugging, but try not to judge.

I hate to say this, but soothing the dog is the worst thing you can do. All this does is verify to the dog his behavior is ok. In essence, you are rewarding the dog for freaking out over storms. My dog does the same thing and the more I ignored his behavior, the better he got. He's not perfect, but he's not pacing the floor anymore. He lays down quietly by me until the storm has passed. You have to treat this like any other unwanted behavior. If the dog pees in the floor, you don't soothe him afterwards. Same concept.