Years back we had a dog, Avery, who went crazy for the whole month of June and half of July. We lived near a park and people would set off fireworks during the summer. It didn’t matter if they were firecrackers or bigger fireworks, he would race around the yard or the house barking at the noises every single time.
Thundershirt received.
We tried to keep him in with the windows shut, the a/c on, sound machines, fans, and even music on, anything we could do to block the noise but no matter what he would still hear it, bark his head off, whine, whimper, and run around. We felt bad for him but we weren’t sure what else to do.
That’s why I am excited about ThunderShirt. While Avery is no longer with us, my sister has a dog, named Maggie, who has always been overly anxious. She is adorable, but sometimes she paces and whimpers, and having people over makes her nervous.
I had heard great things about them over the years and we had high hopes for this ThunderShirt review. I was interested to learn that it’s like the idea of swaddling an infant to calm them down, the Thundershirt’s gentle, consistent pressure has a similar calming effect on dogs and cats. It is the most recommended product for stress and anxiety among veterinarians and animal trainers.
When the ThunderShirt arrived, I went over to my sister’s house that night so we could try it out. There were tips for putting it on so that the pets are comfortable with it. Maggie sniffed at it a bit and then didn’t mind it at all.
We were amazed to see that a few minutes later she was extremely calm. She put her head on my lap and let me pet her while she sat relaxed with her eyes closed. After a little while she laid down on the floor and fell asleep, something she doesn’t usually do when company was over. We were immediately impressed.
The big test however came for Father’s Day. There was to be a big family get together at my sister’s house which typically stressed Maggie out to no end. She would jump on people, run away from them when they tried to pet them, and pace all over the house. Steff put the ThunderShirt on her and what a difference!
She didn’t jump on Kora & Logan when we arrived. She hung out with everyone in the room. And she even let a few people pet her. By the end of the party she started hanging back again and her pacing picked up but it had been a couple of hours and she still was doing really well in comparison to how she acted at parties before her ThunderShirt arrived.
We are all very impressed with the ThunderShirt and recommend it to anyone looking for a way to help their anxious pet. They offer a money back guarantee and free shipping – you can’t beat that! It’s also made of durable and washable fabric.
I was also interested to learn that the 4th of July is the busiest time of year for pet shelters. Dogs and even cats run away from home trying to escape the scary sounds of fireworks. Even if they don’t run away often on the 4th, pets will act out in other ways due to their anxiety including: barking, digging, chewing, or clawing uncontrollably.
Here are some great tips for 4th of July pet safety from Thundershirt:
- Pet ID – Make sure your pet has up-to-date identification in case he/she runs away when scared by noisy fireworks. ID can help your pet be returned to you safely.
- Avoid Fireworks – Don’t take your pet to events that involve fireworks. Your pet is better off being left home if you are going to partake in firework festivities.
- Crate Your Dog – If you regularly crate your dog, he/she may find the crate a place of comfort during fireworks. Make sure his favorite toy is available for further distraction.
- Don’t Leave Pets Outside – Keep pets inside as much as possible during fireworks displays. The insulation of your home will help drown out the noise and make your dog feel more secure.
- Don’t Scold a Scared Pet – This will scare and confuse a dog and reinforce fearful behaviors.
I wish we had had a ThunderShirt for our dog Avery. We’ve been so impressed with how well it’s worked for Maggie it may have relieved a lot of his 4th of July stress and anxiety. The tips above are great to follow to and to keep in mind with 4th of July around the corner. It’s always important to remember these things especially if you have an anxious pet that is stressed even more by fireworks on the 4th.
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