Table Of Contents
The Theory Behind Thunder Jacket
How to Put a Thunder Jacket on a Dog
The Thunder Jacket or Thunder Shirt wrap for dog anxiety is the #1 seller in dog shirts and dog anxiety products. It is snug and puts pressure on anxiety relief target points. In most cases it gives relief from dog anxiety due to noise, storms and loneliness.
Thunder Jacket, Thunder Vest and Thunder Shirt are manufactured by ThunderWorks, founded by Phil Blizzard. Phil has a dog named Dosi who was incredibly terrified by electrical storms and fireworks. Throughout nighttime tornados in North Carolina, Phil would frequently wake up with this 50-pound dog standing on his upper body…slobbering, panting, unpleasant.
Wishing to strengthen Dosi (as well to get more rest during storms), Phil sought advice from vets and pet training instructors. No one came up with a viable solution. More…
Reviews and Recommendations for Thunder Jackets and Thunder Shirts
ThunderShirt Classic Dog Anxiety Jacket, Grey, 7 Sizes
This is the classic Thunder Jacket or Thunder Shirt for Dogs. It comes in a basic grey with the ThunderShirt logo on the side.
The ThunderShirt comes in 7 sizes. Clicking on any of the links here will take you to the Amazon page for ThunderShirt with Larage (41-64 lbs) selected, but you can pick any size.
The ThunderShirt is of cours patented. It applies constant, gentle pressure. This calms anxiety in most dogs due to noise, fireworks, separation, vet visits, travel, and lots more.
It take no training at all, and is recommended by thousands of trainers and vets. It also can be used with the ThunderLeash, listed below!
MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!!
Thundershirt Dog Anxiety Wrap, Rugby Jacket, Blue, 7 Sizes
How about a little fashion statement for your dog in his or her new Thunder Jacket for Dogs, or Thunder Shirt!
Just like other styles, it is easy to create a comfortable, snug fit – perfect for greatest effectiveness in treating anxiety in dogs, no matter what the cause.
Durable, attractive fabric, resists hair sticking, and it is machine washable.
It will certainly last as long as its initial user.
Seven sizes from XX-Small (less than 12 pounds) up to XX-Large (over 90 pounds) so you can find a size no matter what kind of dog you have.
MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!!
ThunderShirt Polo Dog Anxiety Jacket, Pink, Small
The ThunderShirt is patented. It uses calm, gentle, constant pressure to help with fear, over excitement and design applies gentle, constant pressure to calm anxiety, fear, and dog anxiety.
ThunderShirt, also known as ThunderJacket, provides calming during thunder, fireworks, travel, separation, visits to the vet, and lots more without medication or training. It is wonderful to use for rescue dogs.
ThunderShirt has been shown to be over 80% successful with most dogs. Thousands of trainers and vets recommend ThunderShirt. It even works with ThunderLeash.
Money-back guarantee: ThunderWorks stands behind ThunderShirt. No matter what, if you are not happy, return your product for a full refund of your purchase price.
Scientifically researched: Dr. Temple Grandin and other scientist who study dog behavior scientists found that ThunderShirt and is effective in calming dogs.
MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!!
ThunderShirt Polo Dog Anxiety Jacket, Camo/Orange
This is a different fabric design for those who are into an outdoors look! This model has all the same benefits of the standard ThunderShirt, but with Camouflage pattern with a bold orange stripe.
Availablein seven sizes, you can easily pick the right size by your dog’s weight and the total length of his or her chest. With these two measurements, you can find the size that will fit best.
100% satisfaction guaranteed. If for any reason, even just the wrong size, return for exchange or refund.
Thunder Shirt helps keep your dog calm during thunder, separation, vet visits, firework — just about any anxiety-causing circumstance. No training, and no drugs.
MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!!
The Thunder Jacket for Dogs Story – More…
Phil tried sedatives with Dosi a couple of times, yet the adverse effects were too severe. Trainers could only come up with desensitization training programs that would take a lot of time and seldom work.
Then one day, a family friend suggested wrapping the dog snugly, like swaddling a child, and the Thunder Shirts for Dogs were born! It is a comfy, snug shirt or jacket that calms a dog during a thunderstorm or just about time that causes dog anxiety!
This concept of applying pressure on the body to calm and comfort is similar to the idea created by Temple Grandin to calm to calm cows and actually to calm herself during times of stress. She is autistic, and tended to get nervous and anxious. She developed a “Squeeze Box” to squeeze herself to calm her anxiety. It is a gadget which she developed at the age of 18 as a form of stress comfort therapy.
The Thunder Shirt for Dogs and Thunder Jacket for Dogs has actually had a remarkably calming result on millions of dogs as well as cats all over the world. And ThunderWorks is dedicated to supplying simple, reliable remedies for the most common troubles dealt with by families … anxiousness, over-excitement, drawing, leaping, barking and also a lot more.
In this review, just to keep things simple, we are going to refer to all the ThunderWorks jackets and other apparel as Thunder Jacket for Dogs, or simply Thunder Jacket. Then, as we recommend products, we will use the exact names of the products you want.
The Theory Behind the Thunder Jacket for Dogs
The Thunder Jacket is snug so that it presses on special pressure target points. This is similar to putting a baby in a blanket and hugging it. Vets and dog handlers often recommend using this technique to help dogs that have problems with anxiety. This also sometimes works with fear of noises like loud trucks passing by.
It is important that you get the right size Thunder Jacket or Thundershirt, because you want the garment to fit fairly snug, but not too tight. There are many sizes available for dogs up to 115 pounds. The same goes for small to very large cats.
The basic jacket or shirt is available in heather gray and an orange logo. There are optionalPink and blue models. You can also have the name of your pet embroidered on the shirt for $10.
ThunderWorks says: Real end-user experience with millions of cats and dogs shows that ThunderShirts can help in more than 80% of the cases. ThunderShirt’s has a design that is patented. It applies a constant, gentle pressure on the dog’s body. Applying pressure in order to help anxiety is a common method, and has been so for many years. Before ThunderShirt was released, you did not have a simple way to treat dogs.
Why don’t vets recommend ThunderShirt?
This is an interesting question! There are millions of pets, both cats and dogs, that experience anxiety. This is a safe, simple solution for the problem in most cases. We are trying in this article to provide the information for you so you can make the decision yourself. In a 2011 survey of veterinarians, ThunderShirts were rated as one of the most well-proven remedies for anxiety. Thousands of dog trainers and veterinarians recommend ThunderShirts
How do you train your pet to use ThunderShirt for fear and anxiety problems?
In general, there is no training period for using a ThunderShirt. Simply put the ThunderShirt on your dog and usually you see positive results right away. In some cases, it will require a few times wearing to see results. If you do not see results, like in serious anxiety cases, you may want to talk to a trainer or vet for more information to help get results with ThunderShirt in your specific program for relief.
How long can my pet wear a ThunderShirt?
ThunderShirt is intended to be safe for long amounts of time when used in the right situations. It is the proper size and correctly worn, your dog will most likely be quite comfortable and happy. If your dog will be wearing a Thunder- Shirt for more than one hour at a time, we suggest that you take off the ThunderShirt every hour or two in the beginning to see if there are any points of irritation. This is relatively rare, but caution is the best policy.
Even after your dog gets used to ThunderShirt, you should take it off at least a couple times a day for a half-hour or so.
When the shirt is the correct size and on your dog, “hook fastener” sections should show or rub against the side of your dog. If you see fastener hooks that are causing problems, call the manufacturer.
The straps around the animal’s chest are to be somewhat loose, not cinched up tight. Place two fingers under the neck straps. They should be easy to move when you have the right size.
ThunderWorks also has a leash product that uses some of the same principles which you are walking your dog. The leash tightens snugly against the dog’s chest if he pulls on the leash. For dogs under 25 lbs, the manufacturer recommends the Small ThunderLeash. For dogs 25 lbs or over, the Large ThunderLeash.
How does the Thunder Jacket for Dogs work?
The idea of how a Thundershirt works is not especially complicated or excessively scientific. It designed to be wrapped around the dog’s body in such a way as to produce mild pressure. It is similar to when we were children and might have enjoyed our parents’ tucking is simple enough.
If you are expecting expecting a complicated scientific explanation of how a ThunderShirt works, forget it. It is simple. It is like when you were put into bed and tucked in when you were a kid. A properly-fitted Thundershirt squeezes you dog, making it feel comfortable and secure.
That’s it. The Thunder Jacket and Thunder Shirt are designed to put mild pressure on your dog, and it makes them feel better.
Who is Temple Grandin?
It is well known that Temple Grandin has studied the use of pressure to help calm animals and humans while she was a teacher of science oif animals at the Fort Collins Colorado State University. One of her studies showed that pigs will calm down when they are put in a trough and pressure is applied from the sides. Her eponymous movie showed many examples of the use of pressure to calm cattle before slaughter. Though this is a kind of gruesome example of the process, it does move the common practice closure to something humane.
In the case of humans, Grandin studied children who were autistic and found that a machine that could apply hugs reduced anxiety and tension. She used the machine on herself with great success!
Using pressure to reduce stress and anxiety has been studied at great length by Temple Grandin while she was an animal science professor the Fort Colling Colorado State University. Splaced in a trough that applied pressure from the sides. She also studied children who had autism, and demonstrated that the same pressure from the sides, acting like a machine applying hugs, reduced anxiety and tension in the same manner.
Temple Grandin reported in her artcle in 1984-1989( that “Touch pressure done deeply”, that type of pressure applied while touching an animal firmly, or holding or hugging the animal, can add stimulation to the skin, including ticking, moving hairs, or light touches.
Whereas the landing of a fly on a cow may cause kicking, firm touch, say from a farmer, usually produces a calming effect. In other words, pressure that is deep relaxes, and light touching tickles and sometimes irritates the nerves.
For a dog, deep, consistent touching and pressure is the type of contact pressure that comes with many kinds of strong touching of the animal, such as hugging, holding, swaddling, or hard petting
Experimentation with children with autism points towards the conclusion that they like tasting, smelling and touching, as opposed to seeing and hearing. (Kootz et al. 1981). Investigations into Autistic children (Kootz et al. 1981)and touch sensations. They like when their arms are wrapped and if snug bandages are placed on their legs and arms. Frequently they prefer heavy blankets, even if too warm.
Temple Grandin reported that she liked to have cushions from the sofa placed on top of her and her siblings to sit on top of them. Such pressure appears to calm muscles.
The hug machine is constructed with two side-boards that are hinged. They form the shape of a V. The control box controls an air compressor and fills pads to squeeze whatever is in the box, a person or an animal. The development and design of the machine can be seen in the movie Temple Grandin.
What Is A Thundershirt For?
This shirt or vest helps to reduce anxiety for dogs. There are many situations where your dog gets anxious. We list here some common symptoms and results of Thundershirt:
- It provides a therapeutic calming result for excited or anxious dogs.
- It helps reduce fear of noises from fireworks, trucks, equipment, thunder, and so on.
- It helps calm your dog if you are traveling or if you are in unfamiliar or new situations.
- It helps when your dog has anxious reactions to other dogs and pets.
- It helps to train your scared, anxious or excited dog, calming her so she can be more responsive to you.
- It helps to solve many other issues, such as jumping, excessive barking, separation anxiety, or not eating.
To sum up, if your dog is too excited or nervous, it is very likely that the Thundershirt will be a solution to help.
How to Put Thunder Shirt on a Dog
Does It Really Work?
Thundershirt says that they are successful 80% of the time. They say that many thousands of dog trainers, veterinarians, and experts in dog behavior swear by and use the Thundershirt products. Our own investigations have proven this to be true.
Things We Like About The Thundershirt
For starters, this product is simple to use as far as us humans are concerned. It is simple to put on and take off, even when dealing with a hyper dog. What is especially nice is how you do not have to force your dogs legs or head through any holes. It simply wraps around your dogs mid-section and fastens with a hook and loop closure.
We have also found that dogs generally take to the Thundershirt very easily, meaning, there isn’t a training curve to use it. We always recommend you go slow and only put the Thundershirt on if your dog is ready, but in general, most dogs don’t seem to mind when it is put on. There are some instructions included to make sure your dog adapts to the Thundershirt successfully.
What Do Owners Say About The Thunder Jacket for Dogs
The Thunder Shirt or Thunder Jacket for Dogs is very popular. It has 3.8 stars out of 5 on Amazon, with almost 5,000 reviews. This is a fantastic track record for this type of product. Let’s see some reviews:
- Now the amazing part. My dog, Bentley, usually BARKS at JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING. He also suffers from horrible anxiety attacks. I hid some food, and then when he found it, put the Thunder Jacket on. No problem. My husband started using the vacuum, where usually Bentley goes crazy. But this time, he just lay down on his bed and did not even move. Amazing!
- So I bought this for my golden retriever just to try it, and boy it works! He runs to living room if it starts to make thunder and waits so I can put it on him! He really loves it, and I really I love it. Thunder Shirt is a winner!
- Certainly one of the best things about the Thundershirt is that it does not involve drugs. Why give you dog some sort of sedative when very possibly, all you have to do is put on a shirt, jacket or vest? You will find out very quickly if the Thundershirt works for your dog, and 80% of the time, according to manufacturer information, it will.
- Thundershirt has a 100% satisfaction return policy. And of course Amazon protects you for 30 days anyway. So for the possible small price of a return fee you get to find out if it will work for you.
On the other hand…
It turns out that, assuming a dog is nervous or tense, that the Thundershirt type of treatment only works about 80% of the time. So that means that there is a possibility that you will get all your hopes up for a successful outcome, but will find no positive results to using a Thundershirt.
It is also possible that the reason your dog is stressed or upset is a matter of proper training, or his living environment. A wonderful article by The Whole Dog Journal discusses many health or external circumstances we might not think of that can lead to stress for your pet. Examples are: too much exercise, not enough sleep or relaxation, and digestive problems.
In addition, some pet owners may be stressing their dogs out, not realizing it, and turn to the Thundershirt for a solution. Since it is not a phychological issue causing the problem, the Thuncershirt does not work.
In any case, since a Thundershirt contains no drugs and does not involve any training or special treatment, the only thing that could go wrong is that it may not work for you. It will either work right away, or relatively quickly, or not. If not, you can always send it back for a refund.
A Video of ThunderShirt, Before and After
Strangers arriving at the house also introduce extra variables that can cause nervousness for dogs. The result of all of these can be hiding, running away, barking, destruction of toys (favorite or not) or fear.
I am currently hosting two dogs from my sister-in-law. They get fearful from time to time because it is new for them to be in the house. I find that if I hold each for perhaps 30 seconds, squeezing, from time to time, they calm down for the time being, and keep this calm for a few mintues. At least until they get back to worrying!
Is this calming effect due simply to the hugginy? The pressure wraps are what one might call a happiness hug for the little dogs. Just like for people, this can create a happiness effect of calm. Mothers hug and swaddle their babies to calm them. Is it the same?
According to the instructions from Thundershirts, the jackets and coats are designed to fit tight or snug, but they should not restrict the dogs movement or pull on the skin. They should hug, but not be uncomfortable. Thundershirt has at least seven sizes
To make sure that the garment is properly sized, slip your first few fingers underneath, they says Phil Blizzard. The Thundershirt fits snugly on the body, and it attaches easily with fasteners.
Other Products: Anxiety Wrap and Storm Defender
Other products. On the other hand, the Anxiety Wrap goes on the head and pulls tight with a special attaching strap. There are apparently some acupuncture points that are massaged by the construction of the Wrap that have the extra effect of calming and securing the dog.
The Storm Defender is intended to prevent dogs from feeling static charges during thunderstorms. Storm Defender
“Special garments for dogs will help sometimes for some dogs,” says Temple Grandin. “It doesn’t work every time, so we should not call it a panacea. And sometimes the positive effect goes away after a while. You may want to consider using it for a while, stopping and then using it again.”
Dr. Grandin has said that these pressure garments seem to work well during thunderstorms and when you experience other loud noises in your environment. Thus the name “Thundershirt”! But there are other types of anxiety, such as that due to separation or loneliness that are different. These are more likely to be cured by companionship and socialization.
A ThunderShirt study, published in 2014, published last year in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, compared a metal-lined cape to a placebo cape with no metal lining. The study found the cape reduced anxiety more and more during the study
Depending on your dog and how you use the ThunderShirt, you may have to include training to get a satisfactory result. There is a recommended process for separation anxiety and other situations where you leave toys for dog with treats while you are gone. The authors also suggest ignoring your dog just before you leave and when you return so that the process is calm. Trying to actually calm the dog can backfire and actually make anxiety worse.
Clinical Trials of Pressure Done Deeply
In Jan, 2011, Laura Johannes reported in the Wall Street Journal article, “Putting the Squeeze on Doggie Anxiety.” The bootom line was that Temple Grandin thinks these wraps with pressure are a good method to try for thunderstorms and other noise stresses.
Though not all uses of various capes, vests and shirts were investigated, indications were that in many cases they work!
The anxiousness that some dogs experience frequently also causes stress for the owners. From various field tests, it has been shown that the dogs’ stress is alleviated by tight garments or pressure wraps. The pressure wraps cause the dog to relax and calm down. When the dogs calm, of course the owners relax!
There are not very many official studies published by the scientific community, as opposed to the manufacturer’s themselves. Companies selling pressure wraps insist the dogs are calmed by wearing the garments. In the end, many scientists also say that the wraps so help some dogs to get relieve for anxiety and nervousness.
There are many causes for increased nervousness for a dog. If an owner leaves, there can be worry by the dog about the separation from its owner. A very common cause is thunderstorms or other loud noises. My own white lab, trained in companionship, failed her test because she was scared by garbage trucks passing in the stree.
Strangers arriving at the house also introduce extra variables that can cause nervousness for dogs. The result of all of these can be hiding, running away, barking, destruction of toys (favorite or not) or fear.
I am currently hosting two dogs from my sister-in-law. They get fearful from time to time because it is new for them to be in the house. I find that if I hold each for perhaps 30 seconds, squeezing, from time to time, they calm down for the time being, and keep this calm for a few mintues. At least until they get back to worrying!
Is this calming effect due simply to the hugging? The pressure wraps are what one might call a happiness hug for the little dogs. Just like for people, this can create a happiness effect of calm. Mothers hug and swaddle their babies to calm them. Is it the same?
If your dog has any kind of anxiety issues you should click here now and order a Thunder Shirt today.
Tips on How to Buy a Thundershirt™ or ThunderJacket
- Make sure you have the right size. There are plenty of sizes, so don’t guess on the sizing, and return it for an exchange if you have a problem. They have 11 or more sizes in various styles. Check the styles, and try to get one that will be snug, and not loose.You should be able to figure out the right size from the suggested sizing charts.
- Read all the instructions. There is a lot of information on how the shirts are used. Make sure you read everything!
- Check the online information provided when you click a link on this web page. All these products have great support departments because they want you to be successful!
Product images sourced from Amazon.com
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