Cooper's Thundershirt came today. I tore it open and put it on him, and like every other shirt he owns it looked like a half shirt. Eh, it fits. It was fairly tight and fit like a glove around his chest. They say it's the constant soft pressure that is soothing to the dog.
Cooper is very afraid of thunder. When there are storms here he goes and hides in a dark corner and shakes. He doesn't react to his favorite toy, bully stick, treats, soft music or anything. Nothing has helped thus far.
I was a little disappointed at first because it really seems like just a heavy shirt. But since I spent $36 on it I sure was going to give it a try. And this evening was the perfect time since storms were on their way. At the first sound of thunder I put it on him and continued playing fetch with him. Slowly, the thunder got louder and louder and lightening started beaming. Cooper had absolutely no reaction to the storm. The lights even flickered on and off and still Cooper was fine. I'm certain he heard the thunder because he glanced at the window at every boom.
An hour later at the end of the storm we took the Thundershirt off. I am in complete shock. It worked. It actually worked.
We are expecting intense storms tonight and there are warnings all over tv. I'm going to have Cooper sleep in his Thundershirt. A few weeks ago we had a storm in the middle of the night and I sat with a flashlight cuddling Cooper in the corner.
I'll report back tomorrow.
Here's the link if you want to take a look:
Thundershirt | The Best Dog Anxiety Treatment
It's also supposed to help problem barking so I'll let Max try it on one of our walks this week.