Thunder Shirt, Schmunder Shirt

    • Gold Top Dog

    Thunder Shirt, Schmunder Shirt

    When I adopted Chip several years ago, his contract should have come with a disclaimer stating that he could escape from anything, anywhere, at any time. He can break out of his crate (even though we've cable tied everything but the door), climb the fence, and as of this morning, let himself out of the garage. We've had bad weather here the last couple of days, and Chip is scared of thunder. If he's crated in the garage during a storm, he's guaranteed to break out of his crate and spin in circles in the garage until someone gets home. If he's in the house during a storm, he's mostly okay as long as he can attach himself to me like Velcro. So I bought him a Thunder Shirt after several people I know swore by it. I put it on him yesterday when he was inside, and I didn't notice much of a difference. He took a nap, which he would have done with or without the shirt. When Brett left for work this morning, he crated everyone in the garage as usual since he knew I also would be leaving soon. So this was the Thunder Shirt's first big chance to prove it's worth in my household, and it failed lol. As I'm getting dressed, my neighbor calls to tell me that the regular garage door (as opposed to the folding metal one) is open and that one of my dogs is parading up and down the back yard, leaving a trail of garbage behind. I'm not sure how this skinny wiggle worm 1. broke out of his crate since all the latches were shut when I looked in the garage to see who was missing and 2. flung open the door to let himself out. That is the one door that does not open up into the fenced portion of the yard. And despite being scared of storms, he ran around in the rain like a fool dragging trash through the yard, Thunder Shirt and all. I've often wanted to add a fence to that little area, but how much good will that do when he climbs the stupid thing anyway? So if anyone has suggestions for a crate-breaking, door-busting, storm-fearing, shirt-wearing fool, I'm all ears.
    • Gold Top Dog
    I'm fairly convinced the Thunder Shirt is a fad treatment, and it requires association with good things in order to actually work. Medicating him during storms, at least temporarily perhaps? What would he do if you just didn't crate him during storms and you weren't home. Although, I think if you didn't crate him, he'd soon start to figure out that not being crated means a storm is coming.
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    • Gold Top Dog
    Jen is 100% correct. The Thunder shirt first needs to be associated with fun, happy, good things. That said, Bugsy figured out the second or third time he wore it in a storm that it means a storm is coming so it made things worse.

    My favorite thing to use is valerian root, totally safe and it calms them BUT it takes 30 minutes or so to kick in. I just buy the brand they have at Walmart which works better than some good brand I had previously. Our vet gave us Xanax which I tried last summer after our house was hit for the second time by lightning. B was cabbaged during storms after that. The xanaxhelped but not really any more than two valerian capsules (human dose is 3 and he is essentially human sized).

    Fwiw he was worse when I tried to contain him - he isn't destructive or have pee/poop issues when he freaks. He just cowers and shakes. I am hoping that he's a bit better this year and that we don't have a third lightning strike :(

    So far we've had mild storms and he's done we'll

    • Gold Top Dog
    Thankfully, he hasn't demolished anything or pooped/peed when he's escaped from his crate. He just gets super hyped. I get the feeling Grey's gonna end up with the Thunder Shirt just because he likes shirts. He'll probably wear that sucker with pride.
    • Gold Top Dog
    The Thunder Shirt also has to be put on properly -- it must be t-i-g-h-t!!!!!!!! It's the same principle that swaddling a tiny baby can help keep them calm. It's not magic -- it has to be used with some training and done properly, but as Karen says it's awfully easy then for the dog to associate the shirt with "oh no -- if I have THIS on then SOMETHING is coming!!"