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Post by maryellen on Apr 21, 2011 15:37:45 GMT -5
finally got rufus a thundershirt for when we get tstorms up here which can be really severe.. tried it on and it fit perfectly. i am a bad mommy for not getting it for him sooner:(
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Post by suziriot on Apr 21, 2011 15:54:58 GMT -5
I'm sure he'll be a much happier pup during thunderstorms. It works really well for Dharma.
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Post by bubsy on Apr 21, 2011 16:02:00 GMT -5
Let us know how it works, thinking about getting one for Murphy.
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Post by maryellen on Apr 21, 2011 16:02:46 GMT -5
ill let you know erin. i think it will work (hoping it will)
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Post by catstina on Apr 21, 2011 16:10:15 GMT -5
I've heard good things about it, hope it works for Rufus!
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Post by melonie on Apr 21, 2011 16:43:51 GMT -5
I saw an ad on tv the other day for them, and an ad in a magazine today. I tried to remember the free shipping code so I could post it, but I guess the stress of sitting in the dentists chair erased it from my memory!
When I finally get to bring Rhett home I may have to get one of these.
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Post by maryellen on May 5, 2011 8:51:42 GMT -5
ok rufus has worn the thundershirt a few times and it seems to be helping. normally when he senses the storm he retreats to the bedroom and hides, the last few we had he stayed sleeping on the bed when i went to sleep which is a huge thing, as normally with a tstorm he is hiding and refuses to be on the bed.
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Post by bubsy on May 5, 2011 18:28:17 GMT -5
Glad to hear that it is working. Maybe I will try one for Murphy. I've found now that the only thing that helps Murphy during a storm is to put him in his crate. Otherwise, he paces throughout the house...in the bathroom, out of the bathroom, on the bed, off the bed...back and forth. He just made his own "crate" recently too, in my room i have a desk w/no chair underneath...but I have a laundry basket in front of it, the wall behind it, a dresser to the left of it...he gets right under the desk, wedged b/w the wall, basket, and dresser. It's so crazy how when he was never phased by storms when he was younger :-(
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Post by michele5611 on May 5, 2011 20:20:55 GMT -5
Poor Murphy and Rufus.
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Post by pittilove29 on May 8, 2011 3:52:20 GMT -5
My mother got one for her Golden Retriever that has all kinds of anxiety. He stresses over thunder storms, new people, and crying children just to name a few. During thunder storms he would cry, whine, pant, and lock himself in the bathroom. Now he just sits in the living room panting a bit and can actually fall asleep during the storms now. My mother has a dog grooming business in her house, so lots of new people come every day. He used to bark and not stop until many minutes after they left. Now, he'll bark when they arrive and when he's told to go lay down he listens for the most part. My brother lives with my mother right now so his 5 year old daughter is there a lot. Before when she would cry He would whine, pace, and bark which doesn't help the situation any. Now he just goes to check on her and then goes and lays down. He's still stressed, but not as "outspoken" as he was before the thundershirt. I don't believe their claims that it will stop dog aggression, or a few of their other out there claims. It works great for certain anxieties though.
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Post by sugar on Jul 14, 2011 13:01:44 GMT -5
Ok, so I purchased a thundershirt for Chubby and it came in today (its large, hope it fits him!). My question is whats the best way to go about introducing him to it and should I train him that good things happen (lots of cuddles and special treats) when he has it on BEFORE a thunderstorm happens?
Also considering asking the vet for some sort of anti-axiety pill to give to Chubby during thrunderstorms (and only then!) because I've never encountered a dog whose thunderstorm phobia was so bad (crying,pacing,super-needy, urinating on himself...etc) and I've noticed that its just getting worse and worse with every storm. (I'm taking him to the vet anyway tomorrow because all week his poop has been strained and the little that comes out is pretty mucusy and yesterday I saw a little blood in it).
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Post by RealPitBull on Jul 14, 2011 13:40:35 GMT -5
Yes, condition him to it now and couple it with things he loves (special treats, walks, food time, play, etc). I haven't really heard of a dog needing to be specifically conditioned to wearing it, he's worn coats and things so it's not like he's never had "clothes" on.
The shirt is meant to fit snug, so the only thing I'd suggest is maybe fit it loosely at first, then tighten it as long as he seems ok. Most dogs seem to find it automatically comforting, though.
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Post by sugar on Jul 14, 2011 13:48:38 GMT -5
Chubby likes having clothes on so that not my issue, I guess i just want to do something that helps him associated that everytime I put on this "special vest" then something awesome is going to happen, even if its a little scary outside from the thunder and lightening.
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Post by suziriot on Jul 14, 2011 14:35:00 GMT -5
Chubby likes having clothes on so that not my issue, I guess i just want to do something that helps him associated that everytime I put on this "special vest" then something awesome is going to happen, even if its a little scary outside from the thunder and lightening. I would start out by putting it on him at completely random times, and of course reinforcing with positive conditioning as you and Mary already said. Just let him hang out in it for 20-30 minutes at a time. During thunderstorms, do you restrict him at all? Make sure that he can go anywhere he wants to in the house. If he wants to hide in the tub or the closet, let him. Poor Chubs. Dharma's thunderstorm anxiety has improved by leaps and bounds (partly due to the thundershirt), but fireworks are a nightmare for her. We had her on xanax for the week leading up to July 4th and I think it made a huge difference, once we got her on the right dosage. |
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Post by sugar on Jul 14, 2011 14:46:01 GMT -5
He has full access to the apt and went no one is home (like when there is a storm while we are at work) I usually find him in the bathroom with his blanket (that he carried there). But for some reason if there is a storm and we are home he just paces and paces for hours and can't seem to calm himself down. I've tried putting his blanket in the bathroom with the door open but he just paces in and out. And the issue is all this pacing and the accompanying *clickclickclick* his nails make at 3am is libel to get us kicked out of the apt!
There is nothing it seems that I can do to ease his discomfort and it makes me sad to see him in such a panic, and then it makes the bf pissed if Chubs pees on the floor/carpet/whatever because he's in just such a panic. Normally he is a very mellow dog, but Thunderstorm-Chubby is a new breed or freakout dog
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Post by loverocksalot on Jul 14, 2011 15:33:48 GMT -5
Will he take really high value treats during a thunderstorm? I have given Rocky things like Bully Sticks and this makes him feel much better about scary noises. I have even tossed treats each time a sound he dislikes occurs and this has lessened his fear. He actually did real well this 4th of July as last year I rewarded him every time a firework went off.
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