A rainy day can bring in romantic nostalgia for you but for a dog, it can be a season of mixed feelings.
Ever wondered why your dog behaved odd or rather hypersensitive during the rain? Why your ever exuberant bundle of joy turned into a melancholic being preferring to remain isolated in some corner of the house as it rained?
Well, the thing is that rains affect dogs in a very different way owing to their heightened senses during the monsoons, and you should learn a few things about pet behaviour to help make it an enjoyable rainy season for your dog.
Let us see how rains affect your dog
Your dog can be bored all the time
All outdoor activities are almost reduced to zero during the monsoons as people hardly wander out themselves and taking along a pet is simply out of question. As a result, your pet dog has to remain indoors most of the time during the monsoons and hence boredom starts to creep in.
You may have noticed your dog siting by the window, the balcony or the door longingly watching things that transpire outside or simply lying down. That is a sign that he is bored out of limits and wants to go outside.
It would be wise to take your dog outside at least a few times in a week. Even a short walk can do wonders to bring your dog of the boredom.
Lack of physical exercise can make your dog uneasy
The monsoons are already associated with laziness for a majority of people and regular exercise or any other form of physical activity takes a backseat. While lack of exercise can mean a time of rest and leisure for humans, for a dog it means a time of uneasiness owing to the inability to go out.
Try to take your dog to the park at least once in a week or for a short run in the backyard. If going out is not an option then you can indulge in short physical activities inside the house to keep your dog physically active.
Anything like throwing an object to fetch, or simply running around from one end of the house to another, can help.
The thunder and pouring of the rains can scare a dog
For many, the thundering clouds and the pouring of rains are mesmerizing sounds, but to the dogs, they could sound like hundreds and thousands of drums beating at a time.
The extreme hearing senses of dogs makes it a scary experience, pushing them into bouts of nervousness. They may begin to frantically pace the room, pant, bark a bit or even hide in corners of the house.
Make sure that you comfort your dog during thunderstorms by either holding him close to you or by putting a comforting blanket around him.
Also read: Do dogs like hugs or cuddles?
Not all dogs like getting drenched in the rain
Most dogs don’t like getting wet in the rain, and you must be aware of it from the way they behave when being taken for a bath. When it rains, everything outside gets wet, the mud, the grass and everything else and dogs may not like getting wet or even step in puddles.
There can be many reasons why they don’t like wetting their paws or coats, but to put it simply, it is more or less similar to how we react to getting drenched in the rain. They are not any different from us.
Dogs have heightened sense of smell during the monsoons
We can smell the wet mud, the grass or flowers in the rain but dogs can smell a whole lot of things and that can be either a good experience or a bad one.
When it rains and everything gets drenched in water, smells are amplified owing to the moisture in the air and hence have a much stronger effect on dogs.
Dogs can either be excited during the rains to be able to smell so many things or be confounded for being unable to identify many different smells they’ve never sniffed before.
Dogs may feel static shocks during thunderstorms
During rains, especially during lightening, dogs may get static shocks in their coats. They may run in search of corners in the house where they are able to block the shocks as they are very unpleasant and unnerving.
You can help by putting some blankets or other clothing on your dog, or even buy custom made jackets made to comfort them.
Well, there you go – now you know how the rain can affect your dog and whether you dog likes the rain or not. So, remember these things and make it a happy experience for both you and our pet dog.
