Thundershirt

I saw this today - Thundershirts are basically a snug vest which comforts a dog when it is feeling anxious. I've heard really good things about them so thought I'd share it with you here!

http://www.thundershirt.com/



Looks like they could come in handy at New Year when fireworks are being let off all the time!

 

That's really interesting. It makes me think of autism therapy methods which include "hug machines," weighted blankets, etc, because it brings relief. Oh, and maybe very similar to swaddling young babies? I could see how this would help an anxious dog, too.

 

My dog freaks at thunder and vacuum cleaners. Though I don't think this is enough for me to buy the shirt, I bring him in during thunderstorms and that is enough to calm him down. But it looks like a really smart concept. How does it work? Like does it compress around the body like a diver's suit?

 

That looks like a good idea. I wonder how effective it would be. I think everyone who has a dog should take extra precautions during the coming festive season. I just saw this horrifying headline:


More details here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...huge-firework-display-near-rescue-centre.html

 

Victor Leigh, this is so awful. I feel so sorry for dogs who are terrified of fireworks and have to suffer every year . I'm so glad my Homer doesn't care about this kind of noise. But he is always extremely scared when he hears that our neighbour is using a mower so I guess this thundershirt could really come in handy.

 

Does anyone have any experience with thundershirts? I've been thinking about getting my dog one. He's extremely anxious, especially when it comes to strangers, and it's been getting worse. When I hug him he tends to calm down, so I wonder if having a thundershirt on him will relax him enough to allow strangers to pass by the house without him trying to rip through the window. I'm also wondering if that will calm him down during the day since a lot of his energy is clearly caused by getting anxieties out, and ever since he's been unable to get out as often, he has tons of energy.

 

Dogs in Thailand, where I was staying, are not that distressed by fireworks. Maybe it's because exploding bombs and flying bullets are very common in the area where I used to live. In Malaysia, the situation is very different. Just the sound of a car backfiring would make all the street dogs scurrying for cover.

 

This is an interesting product, I wonder how effectively it works. I do know that my dogs don't like thunderstorms, in fact one of them in particular the original Buddy hated them so much he would run through our house, and find a place under the bed to hide. When we found him he would always be shaking in fear. The two dogs we have now also don't like loud noises, so they hate holidays like the forth of July, and New Years Eve because of the fire crackers ans stuff that goes off.