SPRING WEATHER

Since mid-day yesterday the weather bureau has been predicting "severe" thunderstorms, hail, wind, possible tornadoes for our area starting late this afternoon.
Cooper is terrified of thunderstorms. Lightning included.
I have a Thundershirt, you guys remember that?

Well, alas, it didn't do much when he had four legs and I doubt it will be any different with three. I will try it, but my experience is that it is close to useless. Unlike a Basset, Cooper has the nervous system somewhat similar to  oh...maybe a Gazelle. Once his adrenalin is up, it stays. His eyes go wide, his mouth gapes, he trembles, and he DROOOOOOLS.
Also, like a jungle animal, he knows hours and hours in advance when a storm is coming. The pacing and restlessness usually start about three hours in advance.
Benadryl makes him drowsy but only for a moment. Then the eyelids snap open and his heart rate accelerates and like the Gazelle, he stands at attention, every sense tuned to the approaching end of the world.

Cooper comforting Dad during a storm

He has, at this moment, in fact, retreated to a crate. He is rarely crated. I have started crating him during storms and throwing a blanket over the crate because I simply cannot deal with him. He goes from me to Dad to me to Dad and that means jumping over a 3 foot high gate with only one front leg that is healthy. A slip, a broken leg, and I have a really critical problem.
I bought some Melatonin today.
I called the Vet to be sure it would be ok to give a dog with cancer. She thinks it is useless for a dog with a nervous system like a Gazelle.
She was supposed to call me back and I suppose she will when she has time, but maybe not.

Cooper has learned to anticipate the next step. Just as obedience dogs do a go-out before they're sent, Cooper understands the sequence of storms.
Wind brings rain. Rain brings lightning. Lightning means Thunder. Thunder means the End Of The World As We Know It, and is aimed directly at him. The older he gets the more he anticipates and the more positive he is that the Thunder is his personal nemesis, out to get him.

I have empathy. As a child I was terrified of lightning.

Sooo. Wish us luck. Not that I wish bad luck on anyone else but I really hope the storms miss us. By a lot. By many many many miles.

                      Mr Cooper wishing everyone a peaceful night.