Note: I have not been sponsored by the Thundershirt company in any way. Never met them. This is an honest, unbiased review.
I posted to Facebook that I got Thundershirts for my dogs a few days ago, because the (illegal!) fireworks in my neighborhood make life unbearable in my house from 6pm to 1am on 12/31. Many people asked for a report on how the Thundershirts worked for my dogs, and since they are $40 apiece, I’m happy to share.
New Years Eve and the Fourth of July are miserable at my house. I never get to go out and enjoy these holidays, because I’m at home, protecting my dogs from themselves, and protecting my home from the dogs. It is complete, total, effing mayhem and chaos at my home when there are fireworks outside.
This year I invested in Thundershirts. I read the Temple Grandin book. I know how smushing and squeezing the torso can be calming to mammals. I don’t like sedating my dogs with drugs. I invested in two Thundershirts. (I have three dogs, but the third one is deaf enough so that fireworks no longer bother him. Yay for old age!)
In short, the Thundershirts took us from 100% Crazy to 7% Crazy. Totally amazing. Explanation below.
This is 100% Crazy, my experience in previous years: Fireworks start at 6pm. Dogs start whining and pacing. Ten minutes later, dogs are screaming* and wailing, and tearing through the house. Nothing is safe. Anything they can reach is thrown to the floor, and if I’m not watching, torn to shreds. When I say their names, they seem not to hear me. After several hours of this, I am also miserable. My heart is broken for my dogs, and I hate my neighbors. Happy New Year!
*Basenjis scream. It is a terrifying, ungodly sound.
This is 7% Crazy, with the Thundershirts: Fireworks start. Dogs are resting, but alert. Abe is trembling and Tippy is whining a bit, but they are both still. This goes on for six hours, so I’m drinking champagne. At 11:45, the fireworks really start. Abe and Tippy both start pacing, and Abe finds a “safe spot”, huddled next to a wall. (Totally sad! Like homeless, afraid dog!) I get on the floor with them, to start playing a game to distract them. They play along! There is a bit of whining when a really loud M80 or something booms, but I’m able to pull them back into the game right away. We played until 1am.
Summary: Thundershirts are worth their weight in gold. They took my family from seven hours of misery to one hour of playtime, even if the playtime was a bit forced.
I should spell out my preparation for the night. The dogs were given their normal two walks, plus one extra to work off as much extra energy as possible. They were also given their favorite meaty chewie at about 6pm, I think they are cow kneecaps, which occupied them for a couple of hours, and worked off more energy. I put the Thundershirts on my dogs before the fireworks really started, at the same time they got the chewies.
Photos:
Tippy is calm and chewing a cow part.
Ike is too deaf, and was unaware of anything unusual.
There was plenty of this from Abe – standing like a statue and listening. The weird thing on the floor is a cow kneecap.
And even some of this. People with dogs might notice that is eyelids are kind of forced shut, but he’s trying to rest.
All in all, the happiest and calmest New Year’s Eve we’ve had in years!
Wonderful to see that the torso compression transfers from livestock and humans to other mammals. Thanks.
Thank you for sharing! I always wondered if those worked. My coonhound was terribly afraid of thunderstorms, and it made me so sad to see her so scared. I know you are thrilled to have found a remedy for their fear.
Love the Thundershirt! We got one for our dog a few years ago and it makes all the difference between a pleasant celebration and a miserable one.
Dear Staci,
Glad you posted an update about your dogs. Hope Ike is doing well.
I think Basenjis are facinating, beautiful dogs.
Since my household (3 cats) is ruled by a Cairn terrier, adopting a Basenji is not an option.
Thanks,
Nancy
Thank you for sharing Staci. I had a severely noise phobic dog but these did not exist at the time. It was a completely miserable time in our house from September 1st until November 7th(ish) for Halloween + New Years but Canada Day. Plus every time a neighbour started his race car and every time the woodpecker pecked and a roofer nailed shingles and so on (any repetitive sound or loud sound). I’m so glad these work, I have passed on your testimonial to others I know who are experiencing issues with their dogs. Thank you so much for sharing. All the best for 2014!!!
Hugs to the boys!
I bought one for my pup last year. In AZ, we have wild thunderstorms during monsoon in the summer. Chasca would shake and cry. I felt so bad for her. With the Thundershirt, she is calm. She doesn’t like the thunder, but it doesn’t freak her out. I love them!
Hi Staci, we also had to experience noises at night, with sick child waking up and crying… It was a tough New Year’s night.
I love your dogs! Maybe when we are ready, will try to find one in our area.
This sounds great, Staci. Thanks for taking the time to review these Thundershirts. I wonder if it would help my dog who goes bananas when I leave him alone. I mean, he tears through walls and doors, devours shoes, destroys books, shreds doormats. It’s a real pain if you have to pop out and get something .. because basically you have to clean the whole main floor of anything chewable.
Happy New Year and all the best for 2014!
Thank you and my dog thanks you New year’s was horrible but 4th of July should be better thanks to you!
Always wondered about the Thundershirts. My beloved Boggles is now gone but he was terrified of fireworks and thunderstorms. I had to relocate him to my aunt’s farm for the 4th of July because of the neighbors fireworks (New Year’s was not much of an issue — too cold). He struggled with the thunderstorms but as long as I was close he managed.
Thanks again for the review. So happy to hear that everyone was able to celebrate New Year’s in relative peace.
We live right on the boarder of county where it is legal to shoot of the fire works. (near Fort Worth, TX).. but they started off at 10PM and lasted to about 12:30 AM… Both labs were barking and pacing around. I have thought about the Thunder Shirts! lol I am so showing this to my husband he will love it.
Happy Knitting!!
Oh PS – I watched the Temple Grandin movie (Claire Danes played her in it) It was fantastic about animal behavior. She is an amazing person.
So happy to hear that you and your boys all had a calm New Year. Wonderful to see all 3 boys and Ike looks so healthy and vibrant in his senior years!! This was a real treat for me because I used to follow your flickr site to keep up with Ike, Abe and Tippy. I am not a knitter but check your blog now and then for the occasional pic of the boys and I got to see all 3, YAY, PS: I have a sweet little r/w basenji girl that is completely fearless of everything, my basenji-boy passed last year and was terrified of marching bands but like Ike was extremely hard of hearing for his last 2 years.
Same thing here. Plus we have a crazy neighbor who shoots his gun just about every freakin’ day! Got a Thundershirt for my girl, Gracie and am so happy we did. Doesn’t totally eliminate her anxiety, but way reduces it. I would buy one again in a minute. She almost likes putting it on!
So glad you found something that helps Staci. I wish you and the babies a happy and healthy new year.
The thundershirt is very worth it. I have one for my dog who trembles, drools, and is full of misery when my neighbors shoot off fireworks during holidays and every night they have any leftover. The thundershirt took him from being in a closet, shaking, to lying at my feet, on alert. Reduces the anxiety incredibly. And, with a money back guarantee, you can’t miss. I bought it at Petco and they said if it didn’t work, to bring it back. Highly recommend it.
I also recommend following the instructions of trying it on your dog before there is a need for it, so he doesn’t associate it with feeling anxiety.
We sell Thundershirts at our pet lodge in Minnesota. We also use them is our lodging program to help relax anxious doggies! They do work. Have had many customers report success with the thundershirt, as well.
Have you considered doing a knitting video for a dog coat or shirt? Or maybe felted dog booties (they come in handy when it’s -25 degrees below zero like it was in MPLS this last week).
So glad the thundershirts work! I was going to get one for Deedle, but then she got kind of deaf, and the fireworks no longer seemed to bother her at all. It was very weird! Glad to see Ike is hanging in there. Deedle made it to 17.
Hi Staci,
I too have a Basenji, a nine-year-old girl, Honey. She didn’t used to be so afraid of sounds but now it seems like the fireworks are getting noisier and she just hates it. I may have to try one of the shirts for her. Thanks for all your tutorials I think you just rock.
My two dogs are also terrified of fireworks. I’ve heard of these thunder shirts but thought it was more of a gimick, until reading this. We spend hours with our dogs trembling, pacing, trying to hide, pacing, trembling … you get the picture. I think I’m going to buy one for each of them and try this out next time our neighbours decide to set off the fireworks. It happens here on New Year’s Eve (for hours on end), also on Christmas Eve, Christmas night, Halloween, Thanksgiving and any other time a neighbour feels there may be a reason for fireworks – egad. Thank you. Our Aussies will likely thank you too.
Had the same problem with my Jack Russell Sadie – she is afraid of Thunder, Fireworks and during hunting season – gun shots. She was miserable and tried to climb in or on anything and everything in the house. I decided to try the Thundershirt for her and wish I had invested in it sooner to save Sadie some of the misery she went through before I bought it. I highly recommend this to any dog owner who has animals that get frightened of Thunder, Fireworks, Gun shots or any loud noises. Sadie now can relax and usually sleeps through most of the excitement.