Thundershirt - A Dog Anxiety Solution . . . 100% Satisfaction & Money Back Guarantee-- 100% net proceeds fund cancer research/treatment

Whatever the situation that makes your dog anxious, fearful, reactive or over-excited, Thundershirt's gentle, constant pressure can bring calm and focus back to your dog. It is a terrific solution for many types of anxiety including thunder, fireworks, separation, travel, and crate anxieties. And, it can help with eliminating "bad leash manners" such as barking, pulling or showing reactivity towards other animals or people. The company notes that the Thundershirt is 90% effective for noise anxiety and about 75% effective for other types of anxiety.

The Thundershirt is a full body wrap designed to give your dog a gentle, but firm and snug hug during the time when noise anxiety stimuli are present. The physical sensation of wearing Thundershirt distracts dogs from focusing

on their fears. Being wrapped gives dogs a feeling of safety and comfort. Soon after putting on her Thundershirt, your dog will likely settle down and relax. Many dogs will lie down and weather life with little to no further symptoms of noise anxiety.

Thundershirts work without drugs or training, the price less than a single visit to the vets, and just one Thundershirt will treat your dog’s anxiety for a lifetime.

The Thundershirt is comfortable for your dog. Just check out the shirt on this sweet furkid. Washable, soft and stretchy navy blue material with Velcro adjustment, it is so wonderfully easy to use. We particularly love it for dogs who become stressed when they step into a veterinarian's office. Unfortunately, they readily smell the fear from the other animals there and appointment times can become quite taxing.

For a vet visit, we recommend putting the Thundershirt on several minutes before heading to the car. You can leave the Thundershirt on as you go into the vet's office and in some cases, throughout the visit. Some veterinarians are even using their own Thundershirts with dogs that are anxious for treatments like dentals, ear exams/cleanings, and work on paws.

Pressure Wraps & How They Work
Many dogs suffer from behavioral issues and mental conditions that arise from fear and anxiety. Fear of thunderstorms is common and tends to get worse as dogs age. In addition, phobias can become worse with repeated exposures. Thunderstorms and their accompanying electrical energy can disturb dogs on a level most of us cannot perceive. Dogs also have an early audio warning of an approaching storm, storm-phobic dogs reacting long before the sounds are loud. They also detect the smell of the air, which changes when a storm approaches, and the air pressure changes as well.

Dogs with a noise phobia may look anxious during thunderstorms, tremble, hide under the bed or in the bathtub, and be afraid to go out of doors for hours after the storm has passed.

Thundershirt’s patent-pending design is a pressure wrap that applies a gentle, constant pressure on a dog’s torso. The pressure wrap is an approach used to modify the behavior of dogs using a technique called “Controlled Pressure” to help calm the sensory receptors. The wrap applies slight pressure or maintained pressure across a wide area of the body, stimulating the body's receptors to help in transmitting different sensations to different parts of the brain. When a dog receives this new information, his/her awareness and focus can change, resulting in their "letting go" the old sensation and modifying their behavior. When used properly it has been shown to reduce fear of loud noises, shyness, nervousness, car sickness, unnecessary barking, sensitivity to touch, sensitivity to sound, aloofness, emotional upset, hyperactivity, grooming issues and other anxieties. It is a non-drug treatment for dog anxiety and just like slipping on a shirt.

As for WHY Thundershirt's gentle pressure works to calm a dog, no one knows for sure. There are theories, but no scientific studies to prove them. According to Dr. Temple Grandin, pressure has a calming effect on the nervous system. Using pressure to relieve anxiety has been a common practice for years. Suffering from an Autism Spectrum Disorder herself, Dr. Grandin was inspired after seeing cattle being put into a squeeze chute that held them still so that they could get their shots. "When I saw how calm the cattle got from the pressure on their bodies, I built my own squeeze machine, and it calmed my anxiety the same way." From a more scientific perspective, according to neurobiologists, many types of traumas can cause nerve damage, leading to dogs having exaggerated responses to stimuli such as loud noises. Applying constantly maintained pressure with the body wrap provides an unchanging, quieting stimulus that allows the dog to relax.

Purchase your Thundershirt Today

The effectiveness of pressure wraps is very well tested. Trainers have used them for years with excellent results. Thundershirt is simply the first well designed, easy to fit, inexpensive version. The Thundershirt is a terrific solution for most dogs suffering from anxiety, fearfulness, or over-excitement. And it's an excellent training tool for bringing calm and focus back to your dog while on the leash or during training. To see the Usage Instructions, click here.

The Thundershirt is designed to be very adjustable to fit most any sized dog, from the 3-pound Chihuahuas to 200-pound Mastiffs! However, we are initially only carrying sizes which will fit dogs from 20 to 100 pounds. For sizing, “Chest Size” is the best measurement to use. Simply measure right behind your dog’s front legs where the chest is largest.

Price: $44.95 for Navy Blue or Pink Rugby Style and only $39.95 for the Heather Grey Style.

Helping Animals in Need ― For every shirt sold, the Thundershirt Company donates $1.00 to a worthy animal organization helping dogs in need. Anxiety is a serious problem for millions of dogs. And, dogs that have been rescued by one of the thousands of terrific rescue groups across the country, or turned into one of the thousands of animal shelters have a much higher rate of anxiety issues. Many dogs are turned in or abandoned BECAUSE they suffer from anxiety, their destructive symptoms oftentimes too hard to manage. Thundershirt Company is donating Thundershirts and thousands of Dollars to help these organizations manage their dogs' anxieties and find them good homes.

How To Fit & Introduce
Thundershirt is an excellent treatment for most types of canine anxiety. For many anxieties, we recommend just putting on a Thundershirt and observing the results. You very well may see significant improvement for noise, crate, travel, barking and others with absolutely no training. For more complicated anxiety cases, we recommend using Thundershirt as part of a behavior modification program. One thing is for certain, 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.

Selecting the Correct Size Thundershirt
The most important part to determining the best fit is to get a good chest or girth measurement, as shown by the illustration on the right. Simply measure right behind your dog’s front legs where the chest is largest. If the chest size is not readily available, your dog's weight may be used as a guideline.

Introducing the Thundershirt to Youo Put It On
Before putting Thundershirt on your dog for the first time, we recommend offering a small amount of food to your dog using the Thundershirt as a “plate”. Dogs typically become more comfortable and trusting of something that “brings” them food or anything that they associate with food. So this is an easy little trick to quickly create a positive association with Thundershirt for your dog.

Thundershirt has been developed to be very easy to put on, even if your dog is already in a state of anxiety. Just lay it over your dog’s back and secure with the chest and torso straps. The Velcro fasteners make Thundershirt very adjustable to many different body shapes. See the illustrations and steps below for more information about how to put the Thundershirt on. Also, click here to see detailed illustrations.

It Might Not Be “Just A Noise” to your dog!
When young children hear a scary noise at night, they often run to their parents. The response is usually something like “Don’t worry. It was just thunder.” Or “It was just a noise. Nothing to be frightened of.” Unfortunately, for a dog that is afraid of noise, no amount of explaining or consoling will help. Noise Anxiety is a very real and very common problem for dogs across the country. The estimates vary widely, but somewhere between 5 million and 15 million dogs suffer from noise anxiety severe enough for their owners to seek help. That’s a lot of anxiety! Below is a brief overview of canine noise anxiety including symptoms, causes, and remedies. If your dog suffers from noise anxiety, there are choices available to help relieve her stress. Unfortunately, many veterinarians are not well versed on the different treatments out there and jump to prescribing medications. Make sure you do your research before settling on a plan. But believe me, your dogs aren't alone in their fear and you can help them.

Symptoms ― Noise anxiety can exhibit via many symptoms and severity levels. On the less extreme end of the spectrum, a fear of thunder may just cause some shaking and clinging to an owner. On the other extreme, thunder may cause panicked running, destructive chewing, defecating indoors, or even jumping through a plate glass window! Some owners aren’t even aware that a negative behavior they are seeing is actually caused by noise anxiety. For example, does your dog get upset when you take photographs using a flash? That may be noise anxiety! The flash may remind your dog of lightning and she becomes frightened that a storm may be coming.

Causes ― Determining what caused your dog’s noise anxiety may be difficult to pinpoint, if not impossible. If you’re lucky, you may be able to trace the start of your dog’s anxiety to a traumatic incident such as being too close to a fireworks show or too close to a lightning strike and its subsequent thunder clap. But more than likely, it won’t be anything that obvious. Your dog may have a genetic predisposition for noise anxiety. Studies have shown that some breeds have a higher incidence of noise anxiety such as Collies, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds. For some dogs, noise anxiety gradually appears and worsens as they age for no apparent reason. For other dogs, it appears when they are puppies and stays with them.

One thing that most experts agree on, when it comes to noise anxiety, you never want to pet, coddle, or otherwise console dogs when they are exhibiting symptoms. Your dog will most likely interpret your behavior as “You see! I do have something to be worried about!” It’s important for the people around the dog to behave normally during events that trigger the dog’s anxiety. In fact, a possible cause for noise anxiety in the first place is her owner’s nervousness or fear of some kind of noise. Most dogs are very sensitive to their owners’ moods. If her owner has a fear of thunder, she may give her owner the benefit of the doubt!

What your dog is actually experiencing with noise anxiety could also be numerous things. For some, it may be just the noise that bothers them as their hearing is far more sensitive than a person’s, some loud noises causing physical discomfort. But for others, it may not even be the actual noise that frightens the dog. Dogs have a highly developed sense of smell. They may smell a thunderstorm long before they hear any thunder. Dogs are more sensitive to barometric pressure changes than people. Wide swings in pressure may even cause pain in some dogs. Dogs may react to the buildup of static electricity in their fur when thunderstorms approach. Whatever the case may be, there are treatments to consider for giving relief to your dog.

Treatments for Noise Anxiety ― So what are you to do? Different treatments work for different dogs. There is no guarantee that any one alternative is best for your dog. Besides the effectiveness at reducing symptoms, there are other issues to consider when evaluating which treatment may be best for your dog. Some treatments can be very time consuming for the owner (for example, desensitizing). Some treatments can become very expensive and pose risks of side effects (for example, ongoing medications). We suggest that you review the options below. If you are just getting started with treating your dog’s noise anxiety, we recommend beginning with the least expensive and time consuming option (a wrap) and if that doesn’t produce the desired results, continue with the other options. It’s not unusual for a combination of treatments to ultimately be the most effective for a particular dog.

Change the Dog’s Environment These are the “common sense” simple things to try if feasible for your circumstances. Try creating a safe haven for your dog (such as a blanket-covered crate) or finding a location that will reduce the noise level. Try turning on music or the television to help mask the sound of the problem noise. If you know an event is coming (e.g. thunderstorm or fireworks), try giving your dog a lot of exercise beforehand. None of the above typically shows dramatic results, but they can help to reduce symptoms.
Pressure Wraps This is a surprisingly simple and effective treatment for many dogs. But unfortunately, most veterinarians have never even heard of it as a treatment for noise anxiety. A “pressure wrap” is anything that wraps around the dog’s torso and chest to provide a constant, gentle pressure. Why does it work? No one knows for sure but it’s likely a combination of making the dog feel comforted and secure plus distracting the dog from concentrating on whatever it fears. This treatment has been around for years and has been proven very effective for many dogs. You can try to make one yourself out of an appropriately sized t-shirt, but it can be difficult to put on and to get the desired fit. Pressure wraps often show good results with the first usage, however some dogs require 2, 3 or more usages before you see reduced or eliminated symptoms. A pressure wrap is inexpensive, the least time consuming, and has no risk of negative side effects.
Behavior Modification Desensitization is one of the most common behavior modification tried for noise anxiety. In a nutshell, in a controlled environment, you begin by exposing your dog to a low level of the noise that bothers her. As s/he gets accustomed to it, you increase the levels louder and louder over time until s/he learns to tolerate the real deal. Unfortunately, dogs don't always react to the “staged” noise; they can tell the difference between a CD playing a thunderstorm and the real thing.
Medications There are a variety of prescription medications that your veterinarian may suggest. Some are administered on a regular basis for the life of the dog (Paroxetine or Fluoxetine). Some are given only at the time of an anxiety event (valium). Sometimes a combination of drugs are used. Any of these options tend to be relatively expensive. The vet visits alone can run hundreds of dollars over a dog’s life. And you still need to pay for the drugs! Plus all drugs pose the risk of unwanted physical side effects. Make sure you ask your vet about any potential risks with the drug(s) you’re considering. Two serious issues we have with using a sedative like valium: 1. It can take hours for the drug to take full effect, so you have to anticipate the noise event for it to help. That's not too easy when it comes to storms that hit during the night. 2. Your dog will remain groggy for hours after the storm has passed and possibly be a danger to him/herself. If your dog tries to jump off a bed under the influence of valium, s/he may very well break or injure a leg.

In conclusion, you don’t have to let your dog just suffer through noise anxiety. There are treatments to try and some do not require a big commitment by you, either in time or money. At a minimum, try mixing up the environment and using a pressure wrap. In combination, that may be all you need for your little “puppy” to weather the storms symptom free!

Testimonials & Endorsements
Thundershirt is a proven solution for dog anxiety. In fact, 400 veterinarians nationwide are recommending the Thundershirt to their patients. See below to see what dog owners, veterinarians, trainers and others have to say about Thundershirt.

From Veterinarians . . .
“We’ve been using Thundershirt at my clinic, and the feedback from our clients is very positive. Thundershirt is a good alternative solution to try versus medications. And it will definitely Do no harm.” ― Dr. Donald Heagren, DVM, Cornwallis Road Animal Hospital, Durham, North Carolina.

“Overwhelmingly, Thundershirt has been a success with our initial cases for thunderstorms and fireworks.” ― Dr. Mark Guise, DVM, Lockwillow Avenue Animal Hospital, Harrisburg, PA.

“I have used Thundershirt with my own dog and have seen a real improvement with her fear of thunderstorms and other loud noises. I am now recommending Thundershirt to my clients with good results.” ― Dr. Joanne Baldwin, DVM, Cardinal Animal Hospital, Richmond, VA.

From Trainers . . .
“In my experience as a Certified Pet Dog Trainer and dog owner, the Thundershirt can dramatically relieve a dog’s noise related anxieties associated with thunderstorms, fireworks, etc. The even, gentle pressure of the Thundershirt can refocus the dog to a more relaxed, calmer state. Using the Thundershirt to relieve the symptoms of noise anxiety is a good alternative to medications and at $36, it’s a terrific value.” ― Jenn Merritt, CPDT, Efland, NC, www.bluedogk9.com

“As a Physical Therapist and Tellington TTouch Instructor, I frequently teach about the effectiveness of pressure wraps to reduce anxiety and fear responses in dogs. The Thundershirt is the perfect tool for calming dogs who suffer from noise phobia, anxiety, and other fear related issues. My personal experience using the Thundershirt with my own dogs has been very positive, and I happen to live in Oklahoma where storms are both frequent and dramatic! Thank you for providing this valuable product to help dogs cope with these environmental stressors.” ― Kathy Cascade, PT, International TTouch Instructor, www.sanedogtraining.com

From Kennel & Retail Businesses . . .
“I’m the owner of Sunny Acres Pet Resort, a full-service day care, boarding, training and grooming facility. Noise and other anxieties are serious problems for many of our dogs, especially during the long North Carolina thunderstorm season. Thundershirt has been a terrific solution. We see the results first-hand and our clients are thrilled too. We carry inventory in our retail area and they are selling fast!” ― Donna Easterlin, Owner, Sunny Acres Pet Resort, Durham, NC.

“We’ve heard nothing but positive feedback from customers who've purchased Thundershirts. After so many storms in the past few weeks, we've been hearing more success stories from happy customers, some of them are even approaching other customers who are considering buying a Thundershirt and recommending it even before we can do it ourselves! We have spent years looking for an easy treatment for anxious or fearful dogs and I love having a solution that works so well and is reasonably priced.” ― Mo Morelli, Owner, Phydeaux, Chapel Hill, NC

From Dog Parent dealing with Noise Anxiety . . .
“Dear Thundershirt, First, I want to thank you for donating Thundershirts to SPCA International's Operation Baghdad Pups Program. Your generosity and interest in this program is most appreciated. Second, my puppy, Tarmiyah, received one of these Thundershirts. It works great for my little girl. She is named after the Iraqi town in which she was rescued. The loud noises from the gunfire and bombings scared her there. When she arrived at my home in the USA, her fear of loud noises came with her. Thunderstorms, fireworks, and my vacuum cleaner now frighten her. She was receptive to the Thundershirt when I fitted her with it, and within minutes, she was calm. Last night there was a severe thunderstorm in my area. When I put on her Thundershirt, she didn't try to hide behind my legs or curl up on my lap. She just laid on her part of the sofa and remained relaxed and calm. This is great idea you came up with. Thank you again!” ― Rebecca

From Dog Parent dealing with Reactive Barking . . .
“Thundershirt has an amazing effect on our two Shi Tsu’s…Elli and Emma. Anytime visitors come to our home, they will bark nearly non-stop with Elli being the “ring leader”. Most times, we would have to confine them in a back room until our guests left. But Thundershirt has had an almost immediate effect…within seconds after putting it on, Elli is much more relaxed and the barking quickly subsides. She’s happy with her tail wagging and she’s able to be a polite and QUIET member of the group!” ― BB, Durham, NC

From Dog Parent dealing with Separation Anxiety . . .
“My Yorkie, Rufus, would be so keyed up with separation anxiety that he would then suffer from serious diarrhea. After thorough vet examination found no medical issues, so my veterinarian suggested that this must be separation anxiety. We inherited him 8 months ago after the passing of a parent who was with him all the time. Anyway, I put the Thundershirt on him in the morning at 6 AM when I leave the house, and he rests peacefully with no panting, shaking, pacing or panicking. At noon when the dog walker comes, she removes it. She takes him for a walk and around 4pm when I come home, Rufus is a happy calm dog. In the middle of the night, if it starts to rain, thunder, or there is street noise and he starts to get unsettled, pace, pant, bark, I simply reach for one of his three Thundershirts (I keep one next to the bed), put it on Rufus and he settles right down within a minute and falls back to sleep. I can do all this in the dark without turning on lights and waking up my husband. It is truly a miracle for all three of us and we cannot thank you enough.” ― MM, Baltimore, MD

From Dog Parent dealing with Travel Anxiety . . .
“Several months ago, Sammy became frantic while riding in our motor home and nothing I did calmed him down (he had previously been a great rider, while all 3 of my other Bostons showed signs of mild anxiety). I purchased a Thundershirt for Sammy, as well as some herbs from my vet. Gave the herbs to all 4 dogs and put the Thundershirt on Sammy as well. He was almost back to his normal self! During the latter part of the trip one of the other dogs became more anxious, so we transferred the Thundershirt to him and he calmed down, while Sammy remained calm! I'm now awaiting the arrival of the 3 other Thundershirts that I ordered for my other dogs!” ― WW, Polk City, FL

From Dog Parent dealing with Surgery/ Procedure Anxiety . . .
“When my 6-year-old German Shepherd had surgery for a benign cyst in August she was very stressed. She is a long coated dog and when they shaved the area, even the air touching her skin upset her. She started to pant, shake, sniff and lick the area. I thought of the Thundershirt we use for thunder anxiety and put in on her. It was amazing how calm she became immediately. I called and had another Thundershirt overnighted to me. The surgery was the following day. For ten days I kept her in the Thundershirts . Anytime I took it off she became stressed again. I don't know how I would have gotten through that time without the security she found in her Thundershirt.” ― LA, Wheatley Heights, NY

From Dog Parent dealing with Obsessive/ Compulsive Behaviors . . .
“The navy base in Lemoore, CA recommended that we try Thundershirt. Our breed has obsessive compulsive disorder and was constantly running in a circle and chasing tail, even with medications. But with her Thundershirt on, it is greatly reduced and we couldn't believe the difference! She even likes us to put it on her now. She wears it most of the day. We don't have to have it on her while she is sleeping or while going for a walk or run outside. This has been such a blessing! When we take it off, she starts spinning again.” ― DR, Lemoore, CA