Thundershirts

[ladybug1802]

Aw bless you thanks sooooo much! Have sent you PM but not sure if its got through as its in the Outbox not Sent Messages?

[JudyN]

Have sent you PM but not sure if its got through as its in the Outbox not Sent Messages?

They stay in the Outbox until they've been picked up, so you should be OK

[ladybug1802]

Ah thanks Judy! I didnt know that - have learnt something today!

[Dbqdogtrainer]

I use pressure wraps in my professional practice on a regular basis and am happy to answer any questions anyone has about them. I have written articles on them but apparently it is against to rules to post links. I am a registered nurse as well as a professional dog trainer and have seen pressure used with individuals with autism.

[DianeLDL]

My chihuahua hates having any clothing on at all. I've tried putting on jackets & sweaters for the cold, and he constantly shakes to get it off. We even have trouble getting his harness on. One step in one he chewed in half.

Like Jacksdad said about Jack, I don't believe the thundershirt would help and only add to his stress.

Diane

[DianeLDL]

Interesting, but just the morning on The Weather Channel, Al Roker was interviewing the designer of the thundershirt s and the reasoning. She said if your dog runs into the bathtub or shows signs of fear of thunder, this shirt works like wrapping a baby in tight blankets to giv a sense of comfort and safety.

Diane

[jacksdad]

My chihuahua hates having any clothing on at all. I've tried putting on jackets & sweaters for the cold, and he constantly shakes to get it off. We even have trouble getting his harness on. One step in one he chewed in half.

Like Jacksdad said about Jack, I don't believe the thundershirt would help and only add to his stress.

Diane

you have to work with the dog in front of you. just because dog A seems to have been helped, doesn't mean dog B will respond the same.

I would love to see a really good study on stress levels of dogs with and without the shirt on in the absence of their fear trigger. then when they experience their fear trigger.

My vet and I briefly talked about trying to do our own study, but the cost of the lab work put a halt to it.

[Nettle]

The issue here is that we simians like being held tightly and find it comforting - but dogs in general don't. I am amazed that the thundershirt works at all - and I'd love to know why.

[jacksdad]

The issue here is that we simians like being held tightly and find it comforting - but dogs in general don't. I am amazed that the thundershirt works at all - and I'd love to know why.

want my current guess based on a sample of one? ok, glad you asked

using Jack as my guide in this (again, a sample of one) and other observations ......

it seems pretty well accepted/established that dogs as a rule don't like hugs. BUT I have noticed that dogs do seem to like to press up against people/dogs/cats etc that they consider part of safe social group. pressing up against isn't a hug, but it does provide some pressure on them. example, Jack. when I am laying on the bed watching TV or if he choose to sleep next to me over night, I often find him not just laying next to me, but pressing up against me.

TTouch indicates that dogs seem to have pressure points on their body that when touched/pressed/massaged relax the dog

enter the thundershirt.... a properly fitted thundershirt may simulate that press up against feeling (which out weighs the hug aspect for some dogs) and/or hit some of those pressure point triggering a response that relaxes dogs just a bit.

For dogs that it does work on, I wonder how intense their fear really is.

On the flip side, I am concerned that not all dogs are truly calming down. as brought up...are some of the dogs who are "calm" actually shutdown? they now in addition to their fear now have this thing on them in a "hug" and now you have trigger/stress "stacking". meaning multiple sources of stress piling up.

In Jack's case, since he doesn't like things on him at all..even a collar, and the thundershirt did seem to cause stress with him. The above mentioned possible benefits seemed to be outweighed by the "hug"/confinement aspect. I suspect that there is a distinct possibility that "hug"/restraint aspect (a negative) outweighs the benefit for some dogs and that needs to be kept in mind when suggesting or trying the thundershirt.

I am willing to give some benefit of the doubt that in some cases it does help. But I would be a lot more an "advocate" if we had some better guidelines for candidates and some data backing up that with the right candidate that it does actually reduce stress and anxiety.

[Sabrina]

I am willing to give some benefit of the doubt that in some cases it does help. But I would be a lot more an "advocate" if we had some better guidelines for candidates and some data backing up that with the right candidate that it does actually reduce stress and anxiety.

If I understand correctly, Thundershirts are based on Tellington TTouch body wraps(???) I've never used either body wraps or a Thundershirt with my dog. But I've used basic ttouches with him and he's benefited greatly. The thing is, I've always used ttouch when he's already in some state of relaxation - before a nap, before bed, etc. He'll walk away if I try to use ttouch while he is stressed. So for him, the basic ttouches help him get to a deeper state of relaxation - for example, if his "stress water glass" is 1/4 full, it helps him empty it down to 1/8..... I'm not sure how he'd react to having a body wrap/Thundershirt on while he is in a state of reactivity/stress.

I am amazed that the thundershirt works at all - and I'd love to know why.

Thundershirt has a "How it Works" page: http://www.thundershirt.com/Product/Thu ... 637e&t=how ... if I'm reading it correctly they're saying "we don't know but lots of people say it helps their dogs!"........

Their site has a page about "Anxiety Research" ( http://www.thundershirt.com/AnxietyResearch.aspx ) that links to a pdf file titled "2011 Thundershirt Dog Anxiety Survey: The Dog Anxiety Problem: Size, Scope and Solutions" It is quite a few pages and I haven't read it yet.

[lucyandbella]

The issue here is that we simians like being held tightly and find it comforting - but dogs in general don't. I am amazed that the thundershirt works at all - and I'd love to know why.

Some children with autism don't like to be touched at all either, can't stand it. Yet we have weighted blankets and other devices that squeeze them and it helps calm them down. Its not that they want a hug or like to be touched, its just sensory stimulation. Basically these children and adults have sensory overload and anxiety is reduced by the pressure applied. They are still studying why this works in humans. My mom works with autisitc children and this definitely did not help them all or was done to all of them because not all of them liked it, but one little boy she worked with loved this and would calm right down, he would even ask to be wrapped up tightly during the day if he needed it. I think its very interesting.

From my own experience with the thundershirt I can say that it does help Lucy. She hates fire works and barks and runs full speed around the house. When the shirt is on her she calms down, at first she will still run around and bark but as time goes on she becomes less anxious and though she still reacts to the sound of a firework the reaction is less and I could actually try to distract or work with her. She does not shut down or become more anxious. If I put it on her right now she wouldn't care, in fact on the Fourth of July I make her wear it before the fireworks start and she goes around acting like her normal self. When I take it out she will come up to me to have it put on, she doesn't hide or try to get away or otherwise look distressed that I'm going to put it on her (like she does when I put her car harness on her, she hates that thing).

I saw no improvement when Bella wears it (in regards to stress about people) but she didn't shut down or hate life either.

So I would agree that it works on some dogs not all.

[DianeLDL]

This is an interesting discussion since here in Albuquerque, New Mexico USA, we are now in what is called "monsoon" season with thunderstorms in the evenings and nights and for those in the USA, tonight is fireworks night being the 4th of July (USA Independence Day).

When we first brought Sandy (chihuahua mix) home from the shelter, it was Dec. 20th (2009) and he was already 1year old then. We were letting him sleep at the foot of the bed in his dog bed. New Years Eve, our neighbors (being in the "old West") were shooting off guns in the air. I woke to feel Sandy on my legs on my side of the bed. Put him back to bed only to wake up to the same. After that we moved him to sleep in his crate in another room. He hated it and would go in very reluctantly. My husband who is an insomniac who once he wakes up at 2am won't return to sleep would let Sandy out if the crate to bathroom and then let him sleep in the living room, not in his dog bed, but where he chose my recliner, perhaps because it smelled of me. So, we stopped putting him in his crate at night and let him take over my recliner. (I've since bought myself a new one.)

I refused to let him sleep in my bed!

We did notice that when we put on jackets or sweaters, he would do everything to remove them. With his harness on, it was noticed that he was less excitable and calmer.

When he is at home with us and there is noise even watching TV, I will often wrap him in his favorite blanket on my lap which seems to keep him calm (of course as soon as he sees a dog on TV, he still jumps down and runs to and barks at the TV. So much for the blanket for keeping him quiet.

Now, to last night. We had thunder and my husband wasn't home so it was just Sandy and me. He likes to sleep not only on the recliner, but with his whole body including his head under the blankets. I heard from others who have chihuahuas that they like to sleep with their heads buried in the blanket. I kept checking on him during the storm, but he remained under his blanket sleeping. No reaction to the thunder at all.

Tonight, will be another test with the fireworks including those by the neighbors since fireworks are sold in Albuquerque. (Although considering the extreme drought we are in and the fires in New Mexico, Arizona, etc. I would have thought that fireworks would be banned.

The only times when Sandy has tried to get into our bedroom and was definitely showing fear of noise was when the smoke detectors needed new batteries and were creating a weird sound. Once they were taken cared of, he went back to his bed. The other instance was when our refrigerator died. It made weird noises until replaced. At that time, we brought a chair, put his dog bed on it and let him sleep in our bedroom facing us. And he had no problems going back to his recliner bed in the living room once the noise was fixed.

So, yes he is calmer and more obedient when we put on his harness to walk him, but obviously he doesn't seem to get upset over thunder or fireworks. We will see tonight.

By the way, I notice that Victoria sells the thundershirt along with calming music CDs in the shop on her website. So, she must believe that the thundershirt helps some dogs or she wouldn't be selling them.

Diane

[DianeLDL]

Well I was wrong about the fireworks. They began in earnest at 9pm just when I was taking Sandy out for his last bathroom of the evening. There were fireworks exploding in the sky above, I believe from a nearby park as well as the get meal neighbors shooting off not only fireworks but small caliber guns. Sandy was in my arms with his leash on. When I put him down, he dragged me to the backdoor wanting in. A few minutes later, I tried again, but same result. He was so frightened I sat with him wrapped in his favorite blankie. I brought him in our bedroom hoping that seeing my husband would be comforting. Finally, we went back got the living room where he sleeps, but wouldn't go to bed. Instead he and I sat him my husband's large recliner with the TV on to try to distract him and drown out the noise.

Suddenly, a sign from God. The thunderstorm passed right over us causing the end of the fireworks. He seemed calmer with the thunder and rain. Once the storm had passed over us, I was able to get him outside to urinate. Boy, he had been holding it in until he just had to go.

Today, he has been reluctant to go out in our backyard, almost as if expecting more fireworks, my husband took him with him to the gym where he could get him to a park. All day, he went to various parks, but I could see he seemed more cautious and not his usual self. This evening, he was very reluctant to leave our patio to bathroom although there weren't any fireworks, but noise from the rowdy neighbors. It wasn't until he heard another dog outside barking, the for some reason he felt it was okay to go out. Although his last bathroom break, he urinated right next to the patio.

Finally got him into bed, and sure enough the neighbors set off a string of fireworks. I went to check on Sandy and his head was popped up on hyper vigilant alert. I petted him, kissed home and talked softly with him and he out his head back under the covers.

It was a horrible night for all three of us, Sandy, my husband and myself. The noise has stopped across the street. If it hadn't, I would have called the police for noise violations.

So, it seems that the fireworks were worse this year than last year, and althought the fireworks got him worked up, he is so used to the thunderstorms now, that it was a godsend to stop the fireworks. So, whereas most people were upset with the thunderstorm, it was our saving grace.

Perhaps next year, we will spend the fourth in Maine where they aren't so rowdy, and our home is in more country area with a half acre of land and forests nearby.

(And my poor husband had just had a sleep study for apnea done the night before the fourth. Needless to say, he is now sleeping soundly as I need to get to do now.)

I don't think the thundershirt would have helped as he doesn't like clothes like Jack.

Hope all of your dogs in the US did okay last night.

Diane

[Fundog]

Interesting, but just the morning on The Weather Channel, Al Roker was interviewing the designer of the thundershirt s and the reasoning. She said if your dog runs into the bathtub or shows signs of fear of thunder, this shirt works like wrapping a baby in tight blankets to giv a sense of comfort and safety.

Diane

After yesterday's experiment with my Dottie Monster, I decided to re-visit this thread. Dottie does indeed wedge herself into the smallest corner of the bathroom, or in the far recess of a closet, curled up and shaking whenever there is a storm passing through. Sometimes the boys will go and drape a towel over her, hoping it will give her added comfort.

So yesterday we put a little t-shirt on her, from our son's toddler days. I don't think it made her change her mind about storms, but it did bring her out of the closet! She even went outside to go potty a couple of times! An additional thing that helped her too, was we took her for a walk. Yep, a walk in the thing she fears most. And her tail came out from under bum, whereas before, her tail had been tightly tucked under her bum. We left the t-shirt on her all evening, and I only took it off her later in the night, when I thought she might be too hot.

Anyway... all I know is, before the t-shirt, Dottie was hiding in the closet, shaking with fear. With the t-shirt on, she came out of the closet and joined the family. In this particular case, Dottie is the type of dog who benefits from some very *light* wrapping.

[Nettle]

Really interesting feedback - thank you and good for Dottie!