A Dog In My Pocket

[kandahar]

Most of you have been to my place and met this borrowed dog of mine. His name is Pan. He is pretty good security here, even though this is not his home and we are not his owners. He actually belongs to a neighbor but the neighbor is almost never home and if at home, ignores him, so he spends his time here. He thinks he is in charge. The wife wishes he would go away. I'm king of glad he doesn't because he displays a sense of responsibility for her. She doesn't see that but I do.

Whenever there is a rain storm coming, he gets really close to me. If I move, he is in the way. If I am sitting, he gets under my legs. He comes to me long before I am aware of an approaching storm. He hears it early, shows up and is needy, and I know a storm is coming. That is my own early warning system, I guess. When the thunder finally arrives and lightning starts hitting close, he tries to climb into my clothing. I tell the wife that if he could get into my pocket, he would.

I have never seen this behavior in a dog before coming to Chiang Rai. My dogs in the old country could have cared less about storms. They would be out patrolling in a storm just like any other time. But many people here tell me "Thai" dogs are afraid of storms. Are they? Is it just town dogs or all dogs? Do they learn the fear from their owners? This family is afraid of storms and it shows. Would a dog adopt a fear like that?

I notice when I am out on the streets in this town during a storm, dogs are absent. Almost never see a wet dog and yet, in the old country, dogs were as likely as kids to be out playing in the rain. I also wonder if the dogs in other parts of the country are like this. Is it just the northern people that are afraid of these storms and their dogs learning that from them? This borrowed dog brings questions to my mind, often.

[teddysbuttons]

I'm thinking you might be right about Thai dogs being afraid of storms. I live in the city, 4 doors down from a temple, lots of dogs in my neighbourhood, but when it's about to rain, or you heard thunder in the distance, not one to be found. Soon as the storm is over, there they all are, sitting outside the temple as if butter wouldn't melt in their mounths lol :jap:

[bifftastic]

Last time I was at my Thai home I noticed a similar thing. As we have a tiled area in front of our home, we are now a popular spot for some of our friends and family's dogs to hang out. At night we have at least five dogs 'taking care' of us by sleeping there (note to self, buy a gate!). During storms there is one particular dog, an old fella called 'Nak' who, when a storm is on it's way, will start to lower himself and, ears down, will sneak into our house, find himself a corner and sit there looking most perturbed. Once the storm actually hits he starts shaking and is extremely difficult to shift.

Most of the other dogs just hang out under the roof at the front of the house, but yes, I think they're kinda scared of the storms.

As for the wife and kids, they jump out of their skins at the thunder/lightning. Me? I love it, they think I'm strange! Maybe they're right.

[OneZero]

I seem to remember a vet telling me once that some (NOT ALL) dogs have an extreme ear sensitivity to the thunder. Perhaps it actually even hurts their ears.

Edited July 20, 2011 by OneZero

[harsu]

I seem to remember a vet telling me once that some (NOT ALL) dogs have an extreme ear sensitivity to the thunder. Perhaps it actually even hurts their ears.

There are a lot of atmospheric changes that we tend to be unaware of (unless we really concentrate) when a thunderstorm approaches, that dogs seem to remain more sensitive to.

The atmospheric pressure changes, the air becomes ionised - it smells different ly, there is frequently a change in the wind and clouds - even electrostatic disturbances.

All these things get picked up by the animals long before we notice -they're not usually being distracted from the natural world and they have much better hearing and sense of smell than us. Many dogs seem to be disturbed by storms, and other loud noises- hounds and herders are reputed to be amongst the worst affected, but the reaction of owners definately can contribute as dogs will pick up and react to their fears.

And -I suppose - if you are a dog just sitting there, even if you've become aware of these changes, and there is an almighty bang, the earth shakes, you're not going to think - 'Ah, this is related to that other atmospheric phenomenon I saw a few seconds ago- that flash of light that burst upon the night sky in a westerly direction, lets start counting and work out how near the storm is'.

Probably a society that shows fear of storms will end up with dogs that don't like them either.... or maybe Thai dogs don't like getting wet.

My two hounds are completely unconcerned by any phenomenon unless it involves the prospect of food, or is of sufficient speed when it crosses their line of vision that it says to them 'chase me'. Not even a twitch of the ears during the recent earthquake until we dragged them outside by their collars.

[extexthai]

I have seen hunting dogs trained and there is a window when they are puppies, that when exposed to gunfire (and other loud noises) they are not affected in the least as they grow older. They have to not be afraid of it, otherwise, they are useless as far as a hunting dog goes. That time window differs with different breeds, but as they get older if experienced or not...they will react accordingly. And I think most animals do indeed possess that other sense, that we as humans do not....the ability to pick up on things in the impending future...as in odd behavior before earthquakes, tsunamis, etc. Same goes for thunderstorms...As far as just odd behavior goes, we (humans) beat them, daddy eight to the bar on that. And I believe only the very high pitched sounds, as in sirens, hurt their ears...remember the old dog whistles that we can't hear, but when blown could make, at least some of them, howl? I know my dog hates storms....but he loves the water...he will go lay in the small irrigation stream in front of our house when it is hot, but get the hose out....he's out of here right now. He will go about his merry way when it is only raining. Hmmmm.....but he absolutely hates thunder...good thing he doesn't wear pants, eh? Myself, as previously mentioned by another poster....I love thunder and lightning. Although I can do without the extreme windage that is sometimes associated with that kind of weather phenomena. The family cowers right along with the canines when there is a thunderstorm, though. I am the only one enjoying the weather....perhaps proving odd behavior, at least to most folks. And sure can't beat the low cost security dogs afford. Well worth a 10 kg bag of dog food every two months for the two mutts I employ here at my house! And if we can teach them to do things we would prefer them to do, why couldn't they learn fear from our behavior? ett

[Lizard2010]

Well my dog certainly know when it is going to rain or a thunder storm coming.

She gets that close to you she actually pushes her body into you.

They certainly have that sixth sense.