Thundershirts and Anxiety Wraps for Dogs: Reduce your dog’s fears and anxieties

There are many things that can make your dog anxious and an anxious and nervous dog is not a happy dog! Fireworks, thunder, noise from builders, car journeys, heavy traffic and people knocking at the door can put fear into your dog and make them extremely anxious and uncomfortable. It may be because your dog wants to guard you and your family and your home (also their domain), so the pressure is on them to deal with any intruders that come and disrupt things. Or it maybe just plain fear.

These disruptive noisy events can become ‘triggers’ that will cause your dog problems in the future, each time they hear them. These fears and anxieties can become serious behaviour problem for pets and their owners. Anxieties can also cause your dog to bark, whine, howl, urinate, defecate, become aggressive and it can even make them destructive.

Some dog owners have use intense behaviour training and in some cases even resort to giving their dog medications in order to sedate them, helping them to deal with these anxieties and fears. But many pet owners have started to use alternative therapies like massage and pressure wraps and Thundershirts.

The Anxiety Wrap, Thundershirt or thunder jacket is a great way to relieve your dogs stress and fear. Pressure Anxiety Wraps or Thundershirts have actually been around for over 10 years and many dog owners are unaware of their existence and unfamiliar about what these pet garments can actually do.

Thundershirts and Anxiety Wraps have the look of a normal dog coat but use ‘acupressure’ and a gentle constant pressure called ‘Maintained Pressure’ to relieve stress and lessen (and even end) fears in your dog.

Thundershirts are designed just like a dog coat which wraps around your dog’s body and torso. The Thundershirt covers the dogs shoulders, back and chest. Pressure is gently applied to all these areas. Thundershirts are made of a thicker fabric than Anxiety Wraps, with velcro closures on the front of the garment over the dog’s chest as well as around the girth.

The Anxiety Wrap is very much the same as a Thundershirt but has additional butt straps that fit under your dogs tail. These butt straps come into contact with sensitive pressure points on the back legs of your dog adding a little more pressure and helps calm and release tension. It covers your dogs back right up to the tail.

The Anxiety Wrap is made from a stretchy, thin, breathable fabric. It contains elasticated elements which apply pressure to acupressure points and allow the fit to be customised to each individual dog. Velcro closures are located on the aspect of the garment that lies over the dog’s back.

A Thundershirt or Anxiety Wrap can help any fearful, hyperactive, nervous or anxious dog become much more calmer and relaxed. Dogs that suffer from shyness can become much more confident and feel much more secure when wearing the jacket. It can also help keep your dog keep more focused whilst training them, therefore allowing them to learn faster.

The anxiety wrap or thunder-jacket will help lessen and resolve many unwanted behaviours in your dog. For other serious issues, such as aggressive or severe cases of separation anxiety, we suggest you consult a dog trainer who uses gentler methods. But for the duration of this training, we suggest they wear a Thunder Shirt or Anxiety Wrap.

Thunder Shirts come in various sizes, mainly small, medium and large. They are designed just like a dog jacket or coat and are just as easy to fit onto your dog or cat. Just simply lay the coat over your dog’s back and secure with the chest and torso straps. The fasteners are adjustable so they will fit many different body shapes.

The ‘butt straps’ on the Anxiety Wrap are elasticated and easily fitted over your dogs hind legs. These straps can be used in a variety of ways. You can crisscross them, use only one strap and can be used to hold the tail down.

Before putting a ThunderShirt or Anxiety Wrap on your dog for the first time, we recommend offering them a small amount of food, using the actual ThunderShirt or Anxiety Wrap as a ‘serving plate’. Dogs become more comfortable and trusting of something that is associated with food or anything that ‘brings’ them food. They will then associate the new coat with good things. This is an easy little trick to quickly create a positive association between your dog and their Thundershirt or Anxiety Wrap.

The Thunder Shirt is very much like a dog coat and is placed around the dog’s body. The garment applies gentle pressure over as much of your dog’s body as possible. It activates key acupressure points and is extremely comfortable for them to wear. The thunder coat will flex and stretch with your dog’s body movements making it very comfortable for them to run, walk and play in.

The design of the Thunder Shirt allows your dog to urinate and defecate freely and it is also safe to leave on your dog when you’re not at home or you wish your dog to wear it overnight.

(items) It targets various acupressure points on your dog’s body and aids in the calming effect from the light pressure of the garment. It’s like a big gentle hug for your dog!(item) It comes in contact with sensitive pressure points on the back legs with the “butt straps” to help calm and release tension in your dog.(item) The Thunder Shirt will provide minimal disruption and discomfort to your dog while still providing just the right amount of pressure to affect the nervous system.(item) The design of the anxiety coat allows your dog to freely urinate and defecate.(item) You can vary the amount of gentle, constant pressure through the various elastic bands. The thunder coat and it’s pressure can be customised to meet your dog’s individual needs. [/fcsblock]

These type of dog garments and their function have also even been studied by experts. Nicole Cottam and Dr. Nicholas Dodman of the prestigious Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine recently conducted a Clinical Research Study with dogs who suffered from thunderstorm fear.

The Anxiety Wrap was found to be 89% effective and deemed a “safe and effective treatment for canine thunderstorm phobia.”

When a baby cries it gets swaddled. When a toddler cries they get hugged. In fact all humans feel very secure being held in another persons arms and given a cuddle. For humans a hug releases endorphins that promotes relief from pain and a sense of calm and well-being.

It acts pretty much the same for dogs. These Thundershirts and Anxiety Wraps apply a gentle hugging, a constant gentle pressure that has a dramatic calming effect for dogs and cats if they are anxious, fearful or over excited.

Based on surveys completed by over two thousand customers, over 80% of dogs and cats show significant improvement in symptoms when using Thundershirts and Anxiety Wraps. Thundershirts and Anxiety Wraps are already helping hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats around the world and are recommended by thousands of veterinarians and trainers world wide.

This type of anxiety therapy is also instant and doesn’t need any intensive training or medication. There are no side effects and no frequent visits to the vets. You simply fit them with the Thundershirt or Anxiety Wrap and remove it when the noisy event has passed.

These garments help dogs and their families improve their quality of life for many different anxiety, fear and over-excitement issues. Whether you have a rescue dog, a shelter dog, a senior dog or even a new puppy, Thundershirts and Anxiety Wraps can really work to improve your dog’s life and yours.

Take a look at the video below and see the difference in Tess before and after she is wearing the Anxiety Wrap.

These stress busting Thundershirts and Anxiety Wraps are great for when your dog is travelling in a dog stroller or bicycle trailer. They will help your dog feel much more calm and relaxed when they may encounter strange noises like other dogs or obtrusive traffic noises.

Your dog may become over excited when you take them out in their stroller or trailer so these calming coats can help them to relax them more. Nobody wants an over zealous bundle of energy frolicking around inside the stroller!

Your dog should always be trailer or stroller trained before you venture outside for the first time. Read our article on ‘How to train your dog to use a pet stroller, carrier or cycle trailer’.

You may find that a Thundershirt or Anxiety Wrap is a useful garment for them to wear inside a dog stroller particularly if they are shy, nervous or jumpy at the unusual sounds around them. You may find that they relax more and have a restful ride rather than being anxious or over excited.

The great thing about these coats is that they can be removed as easily as they are fitted on to your dog. You can keep it stored in the pet stroller compartment if ever you should need it. It will always be at hand if your dog needs some help getting some peace, calm and relaxation. It’s a great dog accessory to take with you if you plan of travelling long distances or taking your dog on vacation.

Yes, even cats can benefit from wearing a Thundershirt or anxiety wrap. Cats also suffer from fears of thunderstorms, fireworks, calling visitors and other loud noises. Both the Thundershirts and anxiety wraps come in smaller sizes so they will fit your cat perfectly.

Cats can also benefit from wearing a thundercoat or anxiety wrap when they are attending vet visits. Many cats get extremely nervous when they are suddenly transported inside a cat carrier and find themselves at the vets being prodded and poked.

You will be turning your cat into a calm brave ‘Thundercat!’ – (Sorry about that! Just had to get it out at some point!)

Obtaining a Thundershirt or anxiety wrap for your pet is a really good and practical idea. All dogs and cats suffer from anxieties and fears many times during their lives, some even encounter anxiety on a daily basis. A Thundershirt or anxiety wrap will not only last you a lifetime but will help your dog acclimatise to their fears and hopefully eradicate them in time.

Some fears and anxieties actually become more fequent when a dog becomes much older. As their senses become less reliable, they may become disorientated and worried more, especially when left alone or confronted with loud bangs like fireworks and storms.

A survey was done in the States of dogs who sufferred from various anxiety attacks. A tenth of owners with dogs suffering from anxiety issues have spent an average of $1,170 (around £800) on those issues. Over $560 (around £364) on damaged property. Over $675 (around £430) on veterinarian visits and over $275 (around £179) on medications. That’s a lot of money when a small coat, costing around £40 could do the trick!

It’s always good idea to check out what other pet owners have discovered when their pets have been fitted with a Thundershirt or Anxiety Wrap. The following reviews are from dog and cat owners who have breeds of all shapes and sizes.