In my animal communication group on Facebook, members were allowed to ask my Ida any question they could think of. Some of them were about fear and Ida gave us some interesting insights that I would like to share and illuminate with you. If you are not yet a member of my group, I invite you to join.

Question: Dear Ida, I always wonder how you can support dogs who are afraid of thunderstorms and fireworks. What do you need to understand that you are not really in danger?

Ida: Oh that’s not so easy. It’s often a fear that you can’t reach with your mind, so explanations don’t necessarily help there. We are already influenced by the fright of the first bang or thunder and often can’t even think straight. Our instincts take over and tell us to run away or hide. When I am scared, it helps me when Tanja understands me, when I am allowed to behave in a way that helps me. If you are there and stand by our side without feeling sorry for us, then that strengthens us. Sometimes distraction can also help, remembering things together, pointing to something else. But if it’s a real panic, then we might need a remedy or a scent so that our body can calm down again.

Even though her answer referred to fireworks, many animals have told me about their fears in this way. Usually the instincts take over and when we tell them that they don’t need to be afraid, it doesn’t come across at all. Because their body and their instincts clearly signal to them that there is still danger. 
It helps many animals if we see this fear and the feared threat as real for our animal and accept their fear. Because anything else leads to tension, which usually makes it even worse. Feel for yourself when you feel something and someone else tells you that you shouldn’t feel it. You feel misunderstood, sad, maybe even defiant, but the feeling is still there. 
Therefore accept your animal in its fear, stand by its side with understanding and see what helps it or her. This can sometimes be a touch to signal that you are by their side. It can also be distraction. Most of the time, your understanding and support already helps your animal a lot. When it feels and knows that you really see it and are with it in this situation.
And when the moment is over, you can analyse the situation. Do this consciously together with your animal. Even if you have not learned animal communication. Share your thoughts out loud with your animal and think about what exactly is the trigger and what exactly scares your animal. Even in the case of fireworks, this can vary from animal to animal. You will probably intuitively feel what it is with your animal. Trust your connection.
And only when you know what exactly is scaring your animal can you come up with logical explanations why it is not as bad as it feels for your animal.  

I hope that you will be able to take away some of the fears.

Love and Light for you and your animals
Tanja