April Showers Bring May Flowers: Dogs and Rain

So many of us have had the opportunity to take our dogs swimming. Whether it be in our pool, a neighbor’s pool, a creek or a river – most dogs seemingly love to swim! Some like to retrieve items out of the water for you, while others just have a natural instinct to sweep their paws around in it. So if this is true, then why do most dogs absolutely fear and despise the rain? We’re here to discuss dogs and rain: 

SMELLS

It’s a fact that water intensifies all smell in its many forms. That holds true with rain as well. Not only does rain hitting the earth stir up all of the wild smells of the planet, but also those not so amazing smells… Perhaps, a car oil from a leak, sidewalk gum, other dog’s doo-dee – it’s all in the sniff. So when it rains, your dog is going crazy trying to figure out where all of these smells are coming from.

POTTY TIME

Dogs have a strange aversion to going out in the rain. To be quite honest, so do most humans. Most of us wouldn’t want to do our business while water is splashing down on us. However, dogs also have a poor association with rain because a majority had a bad first experience with bathing. Bathing is scary as a puppy, and if there was trauma there – which there normally is – your dog will be nervous about getting wet in general.

SOUNDS

If your dog has ever trembled and shivered with even a light rain, it most commonly has nothing to do with the rain drops themselves. First, dogs pick up on the energy of their owner. If owners are scurrying about to close windows, bring in patio furniture, etc. – your pet senses something just isn’t quite right. There are also many other ‘side effects’ that come with rain. These side effects may include: darker skies, hail and the sound of it on the rooftop, or being cold.

As rain is a wonder for grassy lawns, desert plants, gardens and more, it will likely be the case that your pup is always a bit nervous around the sight, sound or feeling of rain. But after hearing all this, can you blame him/her?