Got Thunder? Grab Your Shirt!
But, I have found a solution, if you, like many of my doggie friends, are not a Thunder-Fan. You need a THUNDERSHIRT
And for the syle conscious amongst us -it is attractive too, don't you think?
Because you know how curious my Mouse Person is and that we always want to know the what, who and why behind almost everything, we flew away to the ThunderShirt web site place in cyberspace to try to educate ouselves about Dog Anxiety. This is what we learned from the web site:
"Dog anxiety is a surprisingly common problem and includes issues like fear of thunder, fireworks, separation, travel, crating, problem barking and much more. Millions of dogs in the United States suffer from anxiety severe enough that their owners are seeking help. And these anxieties are often very serious problems for their owners… destroyed furniture, damaged homes, personal injury, lost sleep, loss of control, financial strain. These problems frequently cost owners thousands of dollars in veterinarian, trainer, and damaged property bills. Medication is the most common approach used to treat anxiety… unfortunately, drugs are expensive, time consuming, risk negative side effects, and often result in very limited improvement. But there is another solution that is highly effective for most dogs. The history of Thundershirt is truly a story of a common problem in need of a simple solution."
This is Dosi
You know that it is really important to me that the person who invents or discovers or creates a product does it because they had a personal need that they wanted to solve, AND they wanted to share their discovery with others in order to make for happier doggies (or kitties - but I don't know if Thundershirt would work for them ---- I'll have to ask Mr. Phil)
This is Dosi's story --- again from the web-site:
Thundershirt’s founder, Phil Blizzard, has a 10-year-old, 50-pound mutt named Dosi who will make friends with anyone. But Dosi was extremely frightened by loud noises like thunderstorms and fireworks. Even when the skies were clear, Dosi’s behavior would let her family know if a thunderstorm was coming. Her tail would go between the legs and the shakes and panting began. If it was during the night, she would plant herself on Phil’s chest and keep her family awake for hours. They visited three different veterinarians over the years to find a remedy. The only suggestion was to sedate Dosi, but even the veterinarians didn’t think drugs were an effective solution. You have to anticipate the storm by 1-2 hours for the sedatives to take effect; not an easy task for storms that arrive in the night. And worse, while sedated, dogs can be very unstable on their legs and become a danger to themselves. Dosi would try to jump off the bed and risked breaking a leg, and she would remain groggy and unstable for many hours after the storms had past. So after a couple of uses, the sedatives were set aside.
So, obviously, drugs were not a solution! Phil and his friends had to think about a lot of things while they were working out their proposed solution, and here are some of the issues they wanted to make sure they solved:
Easy to put on and take off. (No one needs to be struggling to manipulate something over a stressed out dog’s head or trying to thread legs through leg holes)
Easy to create a snug, comfortable fit.
Essential for its effectiveness in treating noise anxiety.
Attractive, durable fabric that resists collecting hair. (Must be able to machine wash when necessary and last at least the life of the initial user)
Attractive looking when worn. (Not everyone enjoys dressing up their dogs, but no one wants their dog to look silly!)
Inexpensive.
So Thundershirt was born, and for a very large percentage of dogs, Thundershirt’s gentle, constant pressure has a terrific calming effect. This has obvious benefits for most types of anxiety. But Thundershirt is also a very useful tool for managing excitability or hyperactivity with strangers, on the leash, or in a training environment. Thundershirt’s calming effect helps a dog to focus (or refocus) her energies in a more constructive direction, allowing training to be more effective.
Mouse Person and I want to encourage you to fly over to read some endorsements from real live people (and dogs) and then you can make your decision.
I can tell you for sure that many of our clients, here at Everything & The Dog have tried Thundershirts and ALL of them love them. They aren't just for stormy nights, either. Some dogs (like my sister Scarlett) are just afraid of a lot of things and worry a lot about almost everything. I think Scarlett would really benefit from having a Thundershirt of her very own, because let me tell you when she steps on us in the middle of the night because she hears strange noises, it is very annoying and makes it very hard to go back to sleep. Unless if you are Rusty. Rusty can sleep through just about everything.
And another thing that we think is very, very important is GIVING BACK. Mr. Phil Blizzard and his Thundershirt Elves have developed lots of ways to help get a Thundershirt to dogs in need who might benefit by having one of their very own.
If you work with a rescue group, shelter, or some other adoption organization and believe that there is a way that the Thundershirt people can help your cause, please DO NOT BE SHY. You can find a special place on their web-site where you can fill in your request form and they will be sure to try to help you.
Please tell them BOB SENT YOU. Don't let them confuse me with anyone named Robert or Bobby........ Just me - Bob, Blogging PitBull, Boy Reporter, Extra Ordinary.
Love and Licks,
Bob
Categories: Cool Stuff
Tags: Thundershirts blogging pitbull American Pit Bull Terrier
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