Thundershirt, Is It Worth The Price?


So working in the dog industry I had heard about the Thundershirt on many separate occasions, but the question I had was does it actually work? Having a anxiety prone dog can be miserable, and it wasn't until I got my Border Collie/Husky mix, that I really experienced having a dog with such extreme anxiety. Overall Carter is an absolute amazing dog, but he suffers serious anxiety when it comes to lighting storms, riding in the car, fireworks, and cooking lamb. (I'll explain that in a later blog post) So when given the opportunity to try out a new product that is guaranteed to work or your money back, I decided I had to try it out.

Carter relaxing on the couch during a storm.

When I first introduced Carter to the Thudershirt, I started off by doing what the directions said, by presenting him with the shirt by using it as a plate for a treat. Once he got use to seeing the Thundershirt, I started using it in everyday situations so he would get accustom to it. Carter eats on a pretty regular schedule, every night once everyone is in the house. So for the first week after I got Carter the shirt I had him wear it every night when he ate his dinner. This way he got use to wearing the shirt while doing something the didn't cause him any anxiety.

What is the Thundershirt?
The shirt is basically a compression shirt, that when applied correctly on your pooch is tight. The compression shirt works by naturally calming the dog, the same technique is used for children with autism.

Did the Thundershirt actually work?

Carter in the car durning a thunderstorm, in his Thundershirt.

Absolutely. For Carter the shirt is a miracle worker, I have never found something that has been so effective. When a storm use to hit usually hits Carter is usually on the kitchen counter panting and stressing out. Now when it's storming outside Carter is safely sleep on the couch or his bed, showing no signs of anxiety. The shirt works amazing. I actually took Carter on a car ride to the airport the other night, while it was storming out (two stressors for Carter), but luckily I put his Thundershirt on before the storm had started, and by the time I got him to the car, he climbed in and fell asleep in the back seat, honestly amazing.

Any problems with the Thundershirt?
The shirt is amazing but there are a few things you should know about it. One, it's best to put the shirt on before the event that triggers your pooches anxiety starts. I always keep an eye on the weather to see if it's going to storm that way I know if I'm going to need to get the Thundershirt ready. I've realized that if you get the shirt on before the dogs is anxiety high, it's so much more beneficial. While the shirt does work if your put it on your dog after their anxiety has started, I find it takes Carter much longer to calm down. Two, Carter seems to hate the shirt when I put it on him. While this is the only other minor problem that I have found with the shirt, it breaks my heart when he looks up at me with his sad eyes. I do think he finds it uncomfortable because he usually refuses to get comfortable or lay down for the first five minutes. The good thing is once he makes it through the first five minutes it doesn't seem to really bother him anymore.

Overall, to me the Thundershirt is a miracle worker. Carter shows almost no signs of anxiety if I get the shirt on him in a decent amount of time. I highly recommend this shirt to anyone that had an anxiety prone dog. Plus their money back guarantee makes the whole thing risk free, but believe me you are going to love it. The Thundershirt is one of the most worthwhile dog product I have ever bought.

Love and Paws,