Cheyenne’s Tempest
Cheyenne, like several of our other dogs, is afraid of thunderstorms. A few nights ago, an exceptionally forceful storm rolled through while we were sleeping and lightning struck close to the house multiple times. One struck so close that I heard a sizzle as the lightning flashed, closely followed by a very loud thunderclap. Immediately, Cheyenne’s little head popped up over the side of the bed. I told her to come up, which she did and then she immediately pawed me in the face several times to warn me of the danger close at hand. Thanks Cheyenne, I hadn’t noticed. She trembled and refused to lie down. Every single cell in her body was telling her that danger was near, and to be fair, it was. I kept talking to her calmly, trying to bring her anxiety level down.
If you haven’t figured, I don’t buy into that whole theory that if you comfort your pet when they are scared you will teach them to be more afraid. Sure if she was only unsure, and I made a big deal about it, I might only reinforce her fear. However, she was all ready beyond scared. It would have been heartless to ignore her needs. Besides, research is starting to agree with me on this point. But I will save my argument for another day.
So back to my point. Cheyenne was in a full-blown panic. And because I believe that warrants comforting, I talked to her calmly and told her it was all right. I stroked her face, but she continued to sit there—she had assessed this situation and decided she needed to stay alert. She is a natural watchdog, very aware of her surroundings. She backed up to me and still trembling, sat with her back facing me. She somehow knew the exact direction of the storm and she strategically positioned herself exactly between the storm and me. She proceeded to “watch” the storm.
I am at a loss to explain how unbelievably touching I found this. She was completely terrified, and uncontrollably shaking with fear, but she put my safety and the desire to protect me above her own terror. This literally brings tears to my eyes. The absolute selflessness that dogs possess never ceases to amaze me. But more particularly, I am struck by just how far of a journey Cheyenne and I have taken together. As the storm passed and turned to rain, I told her it was okay to lie down—and she did. In this moment, I realized she trusts me absolutely and I am awe today of this bond that we have forged.