How Do Thunder Shirts Help to Calm a Fearful Dog?

Thunder shirts have been designed to help to calm dogs or cats during what they find to be stressful situations. They give the animal a gentle "hug" which can have an amazing, calming influence over a fearful animal and around 80% of dog owners have confirmed that their pets show a remarkable improvement when they are wearing their thunder shirt.

So how do they work?

The gentle pressure which is exerted from the thunder shirt has a calming influence over anxious dogs and cats - encouraging the nervous system to produce endorphins and other calming hormones to help relieve the stress and anxiety. This technique has been used in human therapy for years so it really makes good sense that it would work for animals too.

The swaddling technique has been used to keep newborn babies calm for centuries with mothers finding that by wrapping their child in a snuggly blanket it will help them to fall into a sound sleep. This is said to replicate the warmth and the pressure which the baby associates with the womb but the truth is it works which is proof enough for thousands of tired parents who have endured far too many sleepless nights.

Thunder Shirt

Some animals have a fear of loud noises, thunderstorms can provoke stress and anxiety but many dog owners have found that their pets have shown real improvement in their ability to stay calm in such situations when they are wearing their thunder shirts.

What training is needed?

In most cases no training is required for the thunder shirt to help your dog to feel calm, relaxed and happy - and a calm, relaxed and happy dog creates a calm, relaxed and happy owner. For many dogs it is enough to simply put the thunder shirt onto the dog to achieve instant results. It may take a little longer to see the desired results in some dogs - perhaps two or even three sessions but stick with it. If your dog is extremely anxious and does not show any signs of improvement it may be necessary to introduce the thunder shirt in conjunction with other training and therapy sessions from a qualified dog therapist.

Thunder Shirt

The thunder shirt really does provide an inexpensive solution to what can be a very real problem for dogs and their owners. If your dog shows signs of stress and anxiety it is definitely this is one item which is definitely worth a try.

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How To Help A Shy, Fearful Dog

Do you have a dog that is shy and fearful? You know the dog I am talking about. It will not approach new people and is very fearful in new situations and environments. I understand this type of problem and I also realize how concerned you are about the fact that your dog is suffering. Here are a few things you might want to try to help the situation.

Obedience Training

Yes the very first thing to do for a shy fearful dog is to do some obedience training. Training can give a shy dog a new level of confidence and a feeling of accomplishment. Since your dog is uneasy in strange places training should be done privately in your home where your dog is very comfortable. In this type of case group training is out of the question.

Limited Socialization

What I mean by limited socialization is to start taking your dog to new places. For example you might go to the parking lot of the local strip mall. Take your dog for a walk around the outer perimeter of the parking lot just to get it used to being in strange new places. As the days go on and the dog gets more and more comfortable in these new surroundings start moving in closer where you might walk in proximity to other people without actually coming into contact with them.

As the sessions continue you should get to a point where you can take your dog on the sidewalk outside of a store while people pass in and out of the stores. You should see your dog getting more and more comfortable as the sessions continue. Please keep in mind that this is a slow process. How slow, depends on your particular dog and the extent of the problem.

I always suggest that this limited socialization should be done 3 times a week and be sure to vary the location.

Thunder Jacket

Thunder Shirt

Something that may help a fearful dog is a Thunder Jacket. They are available at the big box pet stores as well as online. It is a fabric jacket or wrap that goes around your dog snuggly. The effect of a thunder jacket varies widely from dog to dog. Some dogs are immediately helped when wearing the jacket while others get no benefit at all. I always tell my clients to save the receipt and all the packaging so you can return it after you have given it a few day trial if it does not work for your dog.

D.A. P.

Dog Appeasing Pheromone

D.A.P. is a product that you may want to try to help your dog feel more comfortable in stressful situations. It is a pheromone that mimics the smell of a lactating mother dog and supposedly dogs never forget that smell and it relaxes them. It is available as a collar, a spray and also an atomizer that you plug in the wall. Most of my clients prefer the spray. They can use in on a neckerchief around the dogs neck or even on a pillow in the car or other location.

If you have a dog that suffers from shyness and fear give these tips a try. Do not expect instant success. It will take some time so be patient.

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Keeping Your Fearful Dog Calm During Storms

Do you have a dog that shows fear with thunderstorms or maybe even fireworks on 4 July. Watching your dog suffer with anxiety is no fun. There are some things you can do to help your dog during these difficult times. Let's talk about a few of them and see if we can find one that will help your dog.

One of the options it's available is what's called a Thunder Jacket. A thunder jackets actually wraps around your dog's torso. It's important to make sure that it's fairly snug. Thunder Jackets seem to work great with some dogs and have absolutely no effect on other dogs.

Thunder Shirt

Some of my clients have had great results using audio as in an audio CD or recording of thunder, lightning or fireworks to help desensitize their dog. These recordings are commercially available online. Simply go to Google and type in desensitizing your dog to thunder and fireworks CD, you'll find many options to choose from.

The key to these CDs is to start with the volume low and over a period of time raise the volume so that is very loud. Hopefully your dog will become accustomed to the sound and it won't be something that causes fear.

You can also try some herbal remedies and aromas. A product that is used quite often is called rescue remedy and it's a popular treatment for noise phobia. I've had some clients recommend D. A. P. Which is a pheromone from a lactating mother. It is a smell that he remembers from being a puppy and is supposed to calm your dog. Like everything else these remedies work for some dogs and not for others.

Having a place for your dog to go during storms or fireworks can also be a good solution. An example would be his crate in a dark room are simply a place that you can burrow into as if it's his cave.

Of course you can always try to drown out the sound of the fireworks a storm by simply turning up your TV or stereo. This works in some cases

In conclusion hopefully one of these methods will work for your dog. Another option you can certainly consider to help your dog is talking to your veterinarian. Your vet may possibly prescribe a sedative that you can give your dog during these fearful times.

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