ThunderShirt
So, after everyone's ordeals this month and the reviews that I have read online, I decided to get Nola a ThunderShirt.
It arrived this afternoon, so I thought we would give it a try. Nola is an overall anxious dog. She recovers quickly, but there are some instances where her anxiety really takes over her. (When she is around large dogs or my nephew.)
It came with very easy instructions and the material is SUPER soft. I let Nola sniff it (and yes, it make her anxious... new item in the house and all). We played some treat games with it so that she could get used to it before I put it on her.
Putting it on was a little bit of an ordeal... However, now that I know how to do it, I can get it on and off of her quickly with no fuss at all. In order to get a good snug fit, I had to put it on twice. The second time, Nola was much more agreeable, so I think that helped, as well.
And presto...
She was a little confused. I have never dressed her in anything other than collars and harnesses, so the confusion was a bit understandable. It took her a few minutes to realize she could still walk (I had to lure her with cheese). And it took a few more minutes for her to realize she could still sit and lay down.
But it really was like a switch had been flipped. She was much calmer than normal and WAY less anxious. She did not even flinch when Bella jumped off the bed and started barking at the front door (neighbor walking down the street... she could see him from the bedroom window). She is just calmly laying beside my chair.
And while this is definitely not a miracle product, and the real test is yet to be performed (I will go down and see my nephew in a couple of weeks), I really do think that there is something to the ThunderShirt.
It arrived this afternoon, so I thought we would give it a try. Nola is an overall anxious dog. She recovers quickly, but there are some instances where her anxiety really takes over her. (When she is around large dogs or my nephew.)
It came with very easy instructions and the material is SUPER soft. I let Nola sniff it (and yes, it make her anxious... new item in the house and all). We played some treat games with it so that she could get used to it before I put it on her.
Putting it on was a little bit of an ordeal... However, now that I know how to do it, I can get it on and off of her quickly with no fuss at all. In order to get a good snug fit, I had to put it on twice. The second time, Nola was much more agreeable, so I think that helped, as well.
And presto...
She was a little confused. I have never dressed her in anything other than collars and harnesses, so the confusion was a bit understandable. It took her a few minutes to realize she could still walk (I had to lure her with cheese). And it took a few more minutes for her to realize she could still sit and lay down.
But it really was like a switch had been flipped. She was much calmer than normal and WAY less anxious. She did not even flinch when Bella jumped off the bed and started barking at the front door (neighbor walking down the street... she could see him from the bedroom window). She is just calmly laying beside my chair.
And while this is definitely not a miracle product, and the real test is yet to be performed (I will go down and see my nephew in a couple of weeks), I really do think that there is something to the ThunderShirt.
Comments
It's great to hear that she didn't react to the neighbors. Did you cross post on the Shiba side? I'm sure some of the owners on there would like to hear about it.
And yeah, I cross posted over there as well. I figured my silly little Shiba is not the only one that is a little anxious.
@ayk - Ann, it is definitely great to have. You never know when it will come in handy.
Jesse
Jesse
The vacuum cleaner is no longer the scariest monster in the world! :-D
So early today, I vacuumed, but I forgot about the ThunderShirt... So Nola did her usual freak out and hide under the bed.
So this evening, I figured I would let her wear the ThunderShirt for a bit and then bring out the vacuum. There was barely a reaction. She acknowledged that it was there and stayed away from it, but she did not run and hide under the bed. She stayed within sight of it and just watched. After I ran the vacuum for about 2 minutes or so, I turned it off and gave her some yummy treats. It was AWESOME!
Oh, I really hope this works with my nephew!
We didn't do anything to test his anxiety, but he did calm down. He's been on my butt since the accident following me everywhere and tonight he got up on the couch and went to sleep with it on. Usually he will only sleep on the couch with me there and him on my lap, but I'm in the recliner and he's happy to be by himself. I even left the house to see what he would do and he just kept sleeping on there. This is really cool. I can't wait to put it on and drive somewhere. lol.
We will visit the crash site in the future with it on. Not sure about walking yet. I'll give it a couple of days.
It really was amazing to watch the change in Nola's nervousness when I put it on her. I really wish I had gotten her one sooner... But I guess better late than never!
Don't get me wrong, I love my Koda Bear. He's my heart, but a little distance was nice last night. I missed my independent Kai.
So for anyone with a nervous or anxious dog, get one of these... Nola seems so much more at ease! (Wow, I feel like an infomercial...)
It's been kinda warm the past couple of days, and I'm wondering if the Thundershirt fabric breathes or if the dog can get too warm in it?
Cheers
A.
Even still, I would give it a try. It has worked wonders for Nola.