Thundershirt problems???

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Desiree
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Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:57 pm

Thundershirt problems???

Post by Desiree »

I have read a couple of threads on here about the thundershirts. I just got one for Zippy since they are supposed to be good for anxiety, hoping it would help along with the other stuff we have been doing. He is fine with it being on, but when I took him out he couldn't jump up into the yard from the sidewalk or run up the stairs. He tried to run up the stairs like he always does and hit face first on the step :( Its like his coordination is off. I can't see how it is hindering his actual physical ability to jump up on things, its more like his judgement is off... Has anyone else who has tried the tundershirt had these problems?
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***Melissa***
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Re: Thundershirt problems???

Post by ***Melissa*** »

I've never used a thundershirt, so I don't really know how it fits or so :?

IF it's not his coordination, could it be that the holes for he's legs are too small / tight? And that it hinders him from moving he's leg fully?
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. ~Ben Williams
Desiree
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Re: Thundershirt problems???

Post by Desiree »

I have looked at the way it fits and it seems ok. I think maybe it just feels weird to him and he doesn't stretch out to make the jump like he normally would maybe. I don't know but it sort of works. I put it on him and can immediately tell a difference.
Desiree
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Re: Thundershirt problems???

Post by Desiree »

ok, so turns out while I could see a difference, as in he relaxed immediately, when he is not stressed out, turns out it doesn't work worth a hoot when he is. He still freaks out when I leave him in a room with the door shut. In fact, this little 6 pound dog managed to pull the baby gate out of the door way with his teeth!!!
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***Melissa***
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Re: Thundershirt problems???

Post by ***Melissa*** »

Could he have seperation anxiety? Then there's other ways to work with that - there are a lot of threads on seperation anxiety on the forum :wink:
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. ~Ben Williams
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Mattie
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Re: Thundershirt problems???

Post by Mattie »

By forcing him to be seperate from you, you are making yourself more rewarding to be with.

He is your dog to do with as you want, you asked for advice and got it, it you chose to ignore the advice then you have to deal with the consequences.
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Desiree
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Re: Thundershirt problems???

Post by Desiree »

Its not really seperation anxiety so much. He just hates being confined to a room or cage period. He will jump the gate to leave the room I am in as well. I can be in the kitchen making dinner and he will jump the gate to leave the kitchen to go run around the house.

I have not ignored the advice. I have read on here until they are house broke to confine them somewhat if you can't watch them. I do allow him to follow me around the house, like I do the others. But when I can not be watching him I try to confine him to the living room with the other dogs. Like when I am taking a shower I cannot watch him. I can keep him in the bathroom with me but he doesn't like that either. I have been trying to do the things I have read and been told. I have done the whole in and out of the room thing and he is fine with that. I know he doesn't like the cage (but is getting better) so I try to not put him in there when I dont absolutely have to. But I don't want him peeing on everything in the house when I can't see him b/c if I don't see it I can't clean it and get rid of the smell, so he doesn't get to just run all over the house yet, which is what he really wants to do.

I only got the thundershirt b/c I thought it might help some and allow me to work on this a little easier if it was caused by anxiety. I am trying to do the best that I can and he is learning a little at a time, and so am I. I have learned alot on this forum and try to follow advice as much as I can. This is a whole new method for me and Zippy and I are learning together.

Sorry if I sound a little snippy, I don't mean too. Its been a rough day today and I tried not to let that come across in writing. Just felt like I needed to let you know I have been trying the best that I can.
Wicket
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Re: Thundershirt problems???

Post by Wicket »

Have you done any previous crate training with him?
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Mattie
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Re: Thundershirt problems???

Post by Mattie »

You are still thinking about what you want and not what Zippy needs, Dolly was very similar to Zippy when she first came, I can't leave her behind a gate, she will jump it, if I leave her in the kitchen she will just onto the counters etc. She wasn't toilet trained properly when she first came either etc. I shut her in with me when I am busy not away from me. When I am having a shower the bathroom door is open the bedroom doors shut and the stairs blocked so she only has the bathroom and landing to be on. As I have done this with all my dogs my other 2 are on the landing as well. They sometimes sleep sometimes play when I am in the shower but they can't do any damage. If the pee it is on the carpet that is easy to clean up, that is my problem not my dog's, I haven't done something that I should have like toilet training him properly or letting him out to toilet before I go in the shower.

When I am in the kitchen she has the run of the kitchen and dining room, sometimes the conservatory, she is were I can hear her, if it goes quiet I go and check, it is like having a baby crawling round.

Just because he can jump the gate doesn't mean he will do it safely every time, one day he may make a mistake and hurt himself, a dog that jumps a gate regularly should not be behind a gate, he can do himself serious harm one day.

The first time I crated Dolly, she had been going in and out happily when I was there, it was a new crate and she destroyed it trying to get out, she succeeded, I was only away 1 hour, I listened to her and never left her in one again.

Instead of thinking about what you want think about what Zippy wants and work round that. If he is peeing then ask yourself why if he is toilet trained, this can be anxiety and probably is if he is only doing it when he is confined away from you. Trying to do housework, cook etc with a dog round you does take more care but you get used to it and really miss them when they are not under your feet.
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Desiree
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Re: Thundershirt problems???

Post by Desiree »

Wicket- He had some serious crate issues when I got him. I do spend alot of time when I am home working on that with him. Getting him to go in it on his own, feeding treats in there, closing the door for a second, working our way up to longer and so on. He has made leaps and bounds of progress there. He now will eat and sleep and play with his Kong when I put him in there. He only has a few mins of barking when I first leave and is then calm. I have videotaped him for several days when I leave and it seems to be that way every day. He never gets put in there for punishment or anything like that, only when I have to go to work.

Mattie- I understand what you are saying about thinking about what I want, not what Zippy needs. I do let him follow me around the house quite a bit. I let him explore on his own while I am watching him. I often bring him in the bathroom with me when I take a shower since to my knowledge he doesn't feel like he needs to pee in there. The peeing problem is that I can take him out and walk him and he will pee 6-7 times outside, I bring him in and 2 mins later I see him lift his leg and pee (just a dribble) on the stove oor table leg. If I see him getting ready to do that I take him back outside. He is shut in the room with me 99% of the time, but even then if he can he will sometimes jump the gate to get to the cat on the other side, or just to go explore, so it isn't always that he is jumping to get to me, sometimes its getting to something else. The times when he has pulled the gate out of the door where times when I left the house to go to the store or library and couldn't take him with me. I had put baby gates all the way up the door knowing he wouldn't be able to jump them and hurt himself. I didn't think he would try to pull them out of the doorway :shock:
I really do want to be able to get him to the point where I can never have to put him in his cage, and where he would be able to be out with the other dogs in the living room during the day when I am gone. I have always locked my other 2 dogs in the living room when I am gone, so they have a big room to play in but can't get into trouble in the rest of the house. I guess maybe I will have to rethink that. It looks like I will have to let them have run of the whole house while Im at work b/c I can't get Zippy to stay in the room with them.
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Horace's Mum
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Re: Thundershirt problems???

Post by Horace's Mum »

Could he be anxious about the other dogs? Maybe he would be happier NOT being left with them. Just thinking out loud here, I can't remember all the details, but it was just the last sentence of your last post made me wonder.
Desiree
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Re: Thundershirt problems???

Post by Desiree »

Good news. Zippy does not have collapsing trachea or heartworms and his heart looks good. Xrays were done today and everything looks normal! :D :D
Im very glad to hear all that, so that narrows it down mostly to allergies. So now I have to cut out as much as I can in our house to find out what it is.

I don't know if he is worried about the other dogs. He seems to play with them ok and they get along. When I watched the video of them from when I was gone, he played and ate some before he went crazy on the gate. I guess I will just start again from the beginning and try again. I just want him to be able to be out of his cage when I am gone. As soon as I know he is potty trained I would like to be able to let him run the house when I am home and stay with the other 2 in the living room while I am at work.

Anyway, now that I know he is healthy except for allergies, I can quit stressing about that and get back to working on the other stuff. I know this is my problem and I have to fix it, not him. So I will try again.
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Mattie
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Re: Thundershirt problems???

Post by Mattie »

I am so pleased Desiree, you have had a very rough few months so hopefully you can now move forward. :D
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Desiree
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Re: Thundershirt problems???

Post by Desiree »

Thank you Mattie. I was very happy to know there is nothing serious wrong. Allergies I can handle :D

As far as his behavior goes, I learned some new things. My husband works out of town and was home over the weekend so he enlightened me on a few things. Zippy is very attached to me. If I go outside Zippy goes and looks for me, but he doesnt really freak out so long as he can go run around the house to check to see if I am there. Once he sees I am not he will still be alert listening and watching for me, but not barking or anything. Now if I try to put the baby gates up while my hubby is in the same room with Zippy and the other dogs and leave he will bark and jump and scratch at the floor trying to get out. But then this am when I left for work everyone was in the living room, and I put the gates up and my hubbby was there and he said Zippy barked for about 10 seconds and then once the door locked he was fine for the rest of the day and didn't even watch for me or go looking. So its not always the same everytime. I have also figured out that if I give Zippy eye contact as I am leaving or going outside with one of the other dogs or taking trash out he will run barking and trying to get out the door with me, but if I just glance out of the corner of my eye to make sure he isn't under my feet, he just stands across the room calmly watching me. So I'm not quite sure what to make out of the sometimes its ok when I leave and sometimes it isn't business. I am going to look thru here some more tomorrow and Im sure I will find lots of advice and hopefully I can make it work.

Also kind of a funny thing. My hubby complained about Zippy when he first saw him about how tiny he was and what a pain he is. But he is now a convert! :D I heard him talking to Zippy in "puupy-voice" when he thought I couldn't hear him and he had to tell me what a great dog he was today while i was at work, like 6 times :D He is a big softie too.
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