I understand the urge to look at him as a fragile dog not capable of being a dog, but it’s important not to.
My Lab was highly scared of thunderstorms when I got him at 9 years old. I’ve spent a lot of time over the past 2 years desensitizing him to thunderstorms and yes that means he has to go outside and use the bathroom while its raining/during a thunderstorm. Now he is able to go out and pee while its thundering. He has come a long way. He also still sits under our computer desk but doesn’t drool anymore during thunderstorms. When he does something brave during a thunderstorm he is highly rewarded with praise and pets (his favorite).
