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!
