TWHS Reviews Thundershirt

My life has gone to the dogs. Or should I say one dog in particular named Zora, a 6.2 lb., long-legged Min Pin pup. Who knew something so small could have so much energy?

From howling like a wolf when I leave the house, to talking back to us through the bars of her crate (translation: Puppy Jail, where she serves time on a daily basis for violations), she is a miniature ball of combustive energy.

Seeing how Cesar Millan is not on my speed dial, the folks at Thundershirt sent me a polo shirt in pink for review. Heralded as the answer for anxiety in dogs for issues like thunderstorms, separation anxiety, crate training and loud noises. Think of it as a fabric hug.  I figured it was a quick fix and alternative for my over-the-top pup, as she has already been spoiled by my husband with too much lap time.

My husband and I saw the perfect opportunity to try out the Thundershirt; at Zora's first puppy bath at PetSmart.  As we expected, she shook like a leaf when we handed her over to the staff.  I was hoping it would be a video experience, but we weren't allowed to participate, and were told to come back in an hour.

When we returned, she was still shaking, and had been quite the tiny monster to the staff, growling and being a little diva.  Yup, she was stressed!  No better time than that moment to slip the adjustable velcro-accented polo shirt onto her squeaky-clean body.  The result?  You be the judge:

Unlike harnesses and collars we have placed on her, she did not try to rip the polo shirt off. She liked the Thundershirt so much that she morphed into a little model, posing for the camera when she awoke (something I had never been able to do with her before; most of the pictures of her are a blur of her backside, she moves so fast!).

As for the separation anxiety, I tested that out on Saturday. Placing her in the crate, I grabbed my keys and went out the front door, closing it behind me. In her 3 months of life, she has already learned keys mean GO, and no sooner did I walk down the walkway and to the end of the house did I hear her release the wolf howl.

Oh, well; time will tell with the thunderstorms.  And she continues to let us know in her diva banter how she feels from the confines of her Puppy Jail.