Are you as annoyed as I am about this whole Fourth-of-July-on-a-Wednesday garbage?
(Source: But You’re Like Really Pretty)
I guess I shouldn’t complain since I have the day off tomorrow.
Every year around the Fourth I’m reminded of how scary it is for dogs and other animals when fireworks (or boom sticks as we call them in my house) go off. Teton will be four this year and he has just now started displaying a fear of boom sticks. When they go off, he shakes like a Tickle Me Elmo and buries his little pathetisad (a hearty mixture of pathetic and sad) face in my armpit.
This year we’re in a new house with his and hers closets and Teton has designated the husband’s closet as a safe place for refuge from the boom sticks.
And he’s been sleeping in the closet since Sunday night.
Had I known that Teton was going to show signs of anxiety and fear due to fireworks, I may have invested in a Thundershirt.
(Source: Thundershirt)
Oh, yes, customizable embroidery is an option, my friends.
The Thundershirt is, in essence, a jacket for your dog that offers “gentle, constant pressure” that “has a dramatic calming effect for most dogs if they are anxious, fearful or over-excited.”
(Source: Thundershirt)
The diagram above shows how the Thundershirt is worn and illustrates the theory that pressure can have a calming effect on a dog’s nervous system, thus alleviating anxiety.
Thundershirt lists a number of issues that it’s use can assist in including anxiety related to separation, fireworks, thunderstorms, travel, barking, and crating.
The best part? Thundershirts are only $39.95 and have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If your dog doesn’t benefit from his or her Thundershirt, the company will refund your money and donate your used Thundershirt to a shelter or rescue in need. How cool is that?
I know it’s not too late to buy Teton a Thundershirt, and if the boom sticks are out of control tonight, it’s possible we’ll head to our local pet store and pick one up for him. With a complete satisfaction guarantee, what is there to lose in giving it a try?
If your dog uses a Thundershirt, feel free to post your experience in the Comments section of today’s post. I’d love to hear some feedback.
Now, here are a few photos of Celebradogs and their famous owners.
(Source: People)
Miley Cyrus and her Alaskan Klee Kai, Floyd, out for a jog in L.A.
(Source: People)
Rawr. Hugh Jackman and French Bulldog Dali taking in the air in New York City.
(Source: People)
Bradley Cooper, his Retriever-Chow mix Charlotte, and the wind, apparently, walking in New York City.
(Source: People)
The sickeningly adorable Kate Middleton and her equally sickeningly adorable Cocker Spaniel puppy, Lupo, at a polo match in England.
(Source: People)
Snowboarder Shaun White and French Bulldog Steve dining out in New York. I kinda want to run my fingers through that hair. No, scratch that. I don’t.
Hey, don’t know if you’re aware, but the Thundershirt is only a recent entrant to the market. The original pressure wrap, The Anxiety Wrap is the only patented pressure wrap and the only pressure wrap that uses both maintained (constant) pressure and acupressure to achieve its therapeutic, calming effect. It is also the only pressure wrap, to my knowledge that has been evaluated in a clinical research study. In a study recently completed at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine veterinarian, Dr. Nicholas Dodman found that The Anxiety Wrap was effective in 89% of the dogs int he study and concluded that The Anxiety Wrap is a “safe and effective treatment for thunderstorm phobia.”
As a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and a Tellington TTouch Practitioner, I highly recommend and use Thundershirt for a variety of issues including noise/thunder anxiety. Linda Tellington-Jones, founder of the TTouch Method has been advocating the use of pressure/body wraps for literally decades. The main reasons I recommend the Thundershirt over other body wraps: it is the easiest to put on and adjust, has no cumbersome extra straps, and, in the vast majority of cases, eases anxieties, relaxes body tension, reduces arousal, etc. and Thundershirt has a 30 day money back guarantee. I use Thundershirt year-round with my own dogs, even in the hot/humid North Carolina summers and have never had an issue with overheating.
The other thing I like is that Thundershirts are now so widely available at retail stores, veterinary offices, and direct from professional trainers, you can take your dog with you to try out which size is the best fit, which takes the guesswork out of determining sizes.
I have written extensively about the TTouch Method and body wraps for the APDT Chronicle of the Dog. You can download the entire series of articles from my website at: http://www.bluedogk9.com/dog-training-resources/.
herdogblog.com 
Hey, don’t know if you’re aware, but the Thundershirt is only a recent entrant to the market. The original pressure wrap, The Anxiety Wrap is the only patented pressure wrap and the only pressure wrap that uses both maintained (constant) pressure and acupressure to achieve its therapeutic, calming effect. It is also the only pressure wrap, to my knowledge that has been evaluated in a clinical research study. In a study recently completed at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine veterinarian, Dr. Nicholas Dodman found that The Anxiety Wrap was effective in 89% of the dogs int he study and concluded that The Anxiety Wrap is a “safe and effective treatment for thunderstorm phobia.”
As a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and a Tellington TTouch Practitioner, I highly recommend and use Thundershirt for a variety of issues including noise/thunder anxiety. Linda Tellington-Jones, founder of the TTouch Method has been advocating the use of pressure/body wraps for literally decades. The main reasons I recommend the Thundershirt over other body wraps: it is the easiest to put on and adjust, has no cumbersome extra straps, and, in the vast majority of cases, eases anxieties, relaxes body tension, reduces arousal, etc. and Thundershirt has a 30 day money back guarantee. I use Thundershirt year-round with my own dogs, even in the hot/humid North Carolina summers and have never had an issue with overheating.
The other thing I like is that Thundershirts are now so widely available at retail stores, veterinary offices, and direct from professional trainers, you can take your dog with you to try out which size is the best fit, which takes the guesswork out of determining sizes.
I have written extensively about the TTouch Method and body wraps for the APDT Chronicle of the Dog. You can download the entire series of articles from my website at: http://www.bluedogk9.com/dog-training-resources/.