I call my dog to me, have him sit and pat him telling him he’s a good boy, that generally calms him down.

Yesterday we had a big storm here and my youngest child (not pet) was terrified ! We closed the windows and tried to distract with music and dance and later put a video on, cuddling up together on the settee. I reckon you do the same with pets

Try and not pay them much attention. If their stress causes positive attention from you, it will make things worse. I recently read about weighted dog jackets that are meant to be very calming, like a big hug

First I try to not fuss and carry on as usual I add cover noise like tv a bit louder close curtains if lightning is an issue and if all else fails sedation chews from petstock

My old dog bella was so terrified of storms that she would hurt herself going crazy at them. The thing that we found worked best was to bring lots of comfy bedding into the shower with water for her too, and put some talk back radio on quite loudly. Something about being comfortable and cozy and the noise from people talking seemed to sooth er and she would be ok. Good luck

The same what you do with your kids ! You stay together, maybe cuddle up under a blanket in each others arms and play or sing soothing music or do something to distract.

Keep the pets inside of course and be with them when it gets loud and thunders,they hate that!

I have my pets inside and there is always background noise whether it be a radio, tv or just a busy house. Don’t react to the noises. As much as it might be tempting to reassure / cuddle the animals when they are scared – this just reinforces the behaviour. A simple – it’s ok should suffice .If they are especially anxious try some rescue remedy drops either orally or in their water. A thunder jacket which works on pressure points also has great results in some animals.

I shut them inside do they don’t take off somewhere in terror. Sometimes I’ll pat and sooth them, other times I just leave them under the bed. I think it’s the tone of the noise that’s scarey for them, so not sure if you can stop them being scared

i know that you are supposed to keep them inside.

Keep them inside. It is astounding a dog can jump when it gets really frightened. Observe your pets to make sure they don’t climb under furniture and get themselves stuck. They will either be easy to retrieve or they may lash out, especially if they hurt themselves. I know I am likely to find my dog under a bed or desk. One night she got frightened, jumped on the bed and landed on top of me. Big dogs aren’t exactly light and she didn’t want to move. By law cats have to be indoors at night, even if you put them in a shed or lock-up carport. They may need physical contact to calm them. I just put one hand on them but don’t make a fuss of them.

Just a word of advice- worst thing you can do is cuddle your pet and tell them that it will be alright while they are feeling anxious- this tells them that the anxiety they are feeling is ok, and can make the situation worse- blinds shut, lights on to distract from the lightning, tv on to cover the noise, and you staying calm works wonders.
For really bad dogs I would also recommend looking into a thundercoat- its a tight fitting coat that gives a dog a secure feeling when they are feeling anxious.

Some pets do need help from the vet for managing stress around storms.

The same as children, comfort!
If you have an outdoor pet, bring them inside, give them something to nibble, & play.
Occupy them so they don’t think about the storm.
If you have children that are also frightened by storms it’s a win win because the children & the pet will occupy each other.
If you prefer to not have the pet running all over the lounge a comfortable bed in the laundry usually works also.

I keep them inside in our room and try to keep them calm. Kids and pets all on the bed!