Do ThunderShirts Really Work?

The ThunderShirt is touted by many as the perfect anxiety solution for dogs. It is designed to wrap around your dog’s mid-section providing a sense of safety and security that keeps your pet calm. In this article, we take a look at everything you ever wanted to know about the ThunderShirt , and how it works to put your dog at ease. Let’s delve right in.....

What is the ThunderShirt ?

The ThunderShirt is an anxiety vest used to help dogs relieve their stress, phobia and any other pet anxiety. It is made from durable and washable material that compresses the same way spandex does. It is the most preferred choice of treatment because of its non-medicinal, non-aggressive approach to relieving anxiety in dogs as opposed to sedative medication.

What is the Theory Behind the ThunderShirt ?

The whole concept behind the ThunderShirt is really simple. There is no magic associated with this anxiety vest. It basically works around the concept of swaddling. Just as swaddling a small baby can help them feel more comfortable and secure, compression can help calm down an anxious dog.

The ThunderShirt is designed such that it gently wraps around your dog’s mid-section to make it feel more secure. The gentle pressure applied by the shirt has a relaxing effect that helps approximately 3 out of 4 dogs relieve their anxiety.

The idea of using gentle pressure to create a calming effect has been used in humans as well. A good example is the pressure shirts and vests used by special needs teachers to help children with learning difficulties maintain focus and concentration.

Instance 1

Classic

Easy to create a snug, comfortable fit which is essential for its effectiveness in treating noise anxiety

Sport

The patented ThunderShirt design applies gentle, constant pressure to calm anxiety, fear, and over excitement

Polo

Calms during fireworks, thunder, separation, travel, vet visits, and much more with no training at all

What You’ll Love About the ThunderShirt

For beginners, the ThunderShirt is simple and easy to use even when dealing with a really anxious dog. What is especially great is the fact that you do not have to force it through your dog’s head or legs. It simply wraps around the dog’s middle body and loops around it. The best part is that dogs generally get used to it very fast. Plus, there isn’t a learning curve to use it.

Why Try the ThunderShirt ?

Here are some of the top reasons why you should try out the ThunderShirt

It makes over-anxious dogs feel more comfortable and secure
It assists in calming dogs during stressful situations such as when getting acquainted with new environments
It helps reduce the fear your pet has when it hears loud noises such as thunderstorms
It makes your dog feel more secure around other dogs
It is one of the best aids to training an overly anxious dog to help it calm down and be more cooperative
It solves issues such as excessive jumping or barking, and any other issues related to anxiety

In short, if your dog is overly scared, excited or anxious, the ThunderShirt may help relieve its anxiety by making it feel more safe and secure.

Does the ThunderShirt Really Work?

Well, ThunderShirt claims that 80% of their customers found that they experienced an improvement in symptoms displayed by their dogs. They have also acknowledged that thousands of dog trainers and veterinarians recommend and use their product. But unfortunately, every 1 out of 4 people (statistically speaking) will find that the ThunderShirt doesn’t work for them.

Why Doesn’t the ThunderShirt Help all Dogs?

As mentioned above, the ThunderShirt doesn’t work for all dogs. 80 percent of dogs suffering from anxiety will benefit from this shirt. Some dogs will also benefit from the ThunderShirt when used in conjunction with other therapy methods such as behavioral training. However, there’s a small percentage of dogs that do not show any positive response with ThunderShirts .

This is because many things contribute to anxiety in pets and there’s no one single way to calm down all types of anxiety. While compression works for a large percentage of dogs, this isn’t always the case. The ThunderShirt alone is not enough to calm down every type of anxiety. Some dogs may require a multi-faceted therapy approach to make them feel more comfortable and secure.

If you are thinking of getting a ThunderShirt for your dog, here are a few tips to help you increase your chances of success:

Do not wait until your dog is anxious. Start using the vest before your dog becomes anxious, for example before a storm rolls in or before fireworks start. As soon as the noises kick in, snug it up on your dog’s body as instructed.
Let your dog wear the vest during mealtimes and when going for walks. This will help your dog associate the vest to good things and good times.
When putting the vest on your dog, try and be very gentle. You can even give it treats as you snug the vest on its body.
After removing the vest, leave it where the dog can see so that it gets used to it

Our Verdict

The ThunderShirt easily gets a 5-star rating. It’s simply one of the best products in the pet industry. The best thing about it is the fact that it’s effective for a wide range of pets irrespective of breed. And if you have many pets, ThunderShirt works for all of them making it a very economical solution for people with more than one dog.