Someone on here recently posted about the calming collar and how amazed they were with the results. They said they'd tried the thunder shirt as well, and it didn't do much.
Here is the link for the calming collar:
Herbal Calming Collars - Calming Collars
A few other things you can try as well...Instead of babying the dog(which is our natural instinct), try acting confident as nothing is wrong and there is nothing to be afraid of...If the dog senses you are upset, because they are upset, they may feed off your energy and make things worse. If you are confident, it may help your pet feel more secure in your confidence.
You can also try redirecting their mind somewhere else...a treat, a toy...something to get their mind out of the "fear" zone.
My dog is afraid of the car and will start shaking immediately when I put him in...but I found out that he really likes putting his head out the window to catch the breeze. So I will let him hang his head out the window for a bit and he soon forgets that he's afraid of the car.