New research from Penn State suggests that consoling your dog does little to relieve their anxiety during a thunderstorm.  Science Daily reports:

Thunderstorm-anxious dogs not only suffer classic signs of fear — including pacing, whining and hiding during a storm — but also show a 207 percent spike in the production of cortisol, a hormone also produced by humans during stress. The researchers took saliva samples from the dogs used in the study before and after exposure to a recorded thunderstorm, and measured the cortisol levels in each sample. Dogs that lived in multi-dog households had significantly less overall change in cortisol levels compared to dogs that lived in single-dog households. This corresponds to a less extreme reaction to thunderstorms in dogs from the multi-dog households.

So how can you help your boxer?

Here are 3 practical tips to help your boxer with anxiety during a thunderstorm.

1. Keep your household (including yourself) calm.  Make sure that your boxer is kept inside in a safe place (bed, crate, room).
2. Many boxer owners have raved about “The Thundershirt“.  It might be worth a try.
3. Visit your veterinarian to discuss medication and the impact the anxiety might be having on your boxer.