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Most dog owners know or at least have heard that dogs have very sensitive hearing, much more so than we humans. Some noises can cause your dog to suffer from what is called canine noise anxiety. This can be brought on by many things such as thunderstorms, backfiring car exhausts, heavy crowd noise and especially this time of year, fireworks.
The anxiety wrap, or the Thundershirt, offers dogs fireworks help.
By wrapping the dogs torso, a gentle, constant pressure is applied to the dog, bringing a sense of security and a calming effect. The wrap has been used widely with helping horses to remain or become calm.
While their are other methods of calming fearful pets, such as crating for a den like effect and medications and behavior modification, these can be time consuming and in some cases quite expensive compared to the use of the anxiety wrap. Many dog owners see immediate results with the thunder-shirt method, however, is some cases depending on the severity of the problem, two or three applications may be needed.
The manufacturers are so confident that a money back guarantee is offered if you don't get the results you need.
How do you know if your dog is suffering from canine anxiety?
Dogs communicate primarily through body language, it's a natural instinct. When your pet becomes filled with fear or anxiety they may exhibit some of the following signs.
- Sudden heavy panting and drooling
- Eliminating indoors frequently
- Howling, Barking, or Whining excessive
- Hiding, Becoming very clingy, sudden shaking or trembling
- Uninterested in eating
- Racing or Frantic running.
- Excessive scratching or licking
These symptoms could appear long before the offending event actually takes place. Remember dogs have heightened senses compare to us. Becoming aware of your dogs actions can be very beneficial to you being prepared to ease his or her fears especially if you have plans to celebrate the fourth in a big way.
Common Canine Anxieties and Why
No one knows for sure the root causes of the fears and anxieties many canines suffer from on a daily basis. While in some cases you may be able to identify an initial traumatic experience your dog has suffered and conclude that may be the reason, most experts agree that it is usually found in genetics. Some breeds of dog seemingly tend to be more susceptible to certain forms of anxieties than other breeds. In addition to canine noise anxiety, there are some other common forms such as separation anxiety and travel anxiety.
Some dogs have fears related to going to the vet, or groomers, when meeting strangers and/or other dogs, some are even fearful of their crate, making your crate training efforts even more challenging.
Living with a pet that suffers from any form of anxiety can be both frustrating and heartbreaking to say the least. A dog having to live with it, is no picnic either. In some extreme case it can be debilitating and even cause your pet to physically harm itself or others.
So if your dog is or has suffered from canine noise anxiety or any other form you may want to give the body wrap method a try this 4th of July and perhaps you and your pooch will have a more peaceful celebration. Such that it can be with all those firecrackers going off.
I had no idea about some of that. Thank you Johnney. It was very interesting
Great article Johnney, interesting that the possible causes of anxiety may be rooted in genetics.
Thanks for the read and comment Penny. A lot of experts and ethical breeders feel that inbreeding which is rampant in puppy mills and backyard breeders may be a determining factor in passing on and even strengthening these fears and anxieties. The primary reason we did not breed our English Mastiff, ( the brindle dog in the picture above) is because she is very people shy and we did not want to perpetuate that trait in future generations.
I've never heard of this before. How interesting. Anything that helps a pet in these situations is wonderful. Our last dog would go frantic and run out in the rain (I never got that?!!) but our current dog curls up in bed and stays calm and dry. I think he's a bit deaf and maybe that helps but whatever, it's nice to know your dog is relaxed!
As a Certified Pet Dog Trainer and a TTouch Practitioner, I use and recommend the Thundershirt for a range of health and behavioral issues including noise anxiety and storm/fireworks related phobias. Thundershirt is affordable and easy to find in local pet stores. The simple design is easy for clients to use and adjust and Thundershirt has a high success rate (both with my clients, and with my own dogs). The body wrap technique was originally developed by founder of TTouch Linda Tellington-Jones decades ago. Dog trainers, veterinarians, and TTouch practitioners worldwide use and recommend Thundershirts, and they are even available on the ttouch website.
I just saw an ad for Thundershirts on television. What a wonderful idea. Every dog in my family has suffered from a fear of thunder and fireworks. One of these shirts would have benefited them. I used to cancel engagements when a storm was predicted. Didn't want to leave my pup home alone in a storm. Thank you.
Well written article, thanks for the tips. My Labradors are from the gun dog breed so not too troubled with bangs, thunder however is another story, they hate it. This is something to consider.
This sounds a wonderful aid to assist ones pets overcome their anxieties... thanks for the heads up on this I will certainly look into it for mine as we near the fireworks season.. mine hate the bangs etc and normally crawl under my legs, this I will not stop but still anything that might reduce that anxiety ... thanks Bud..
Please note that the original, patented Anxiety Wrap® is not the same as the Thundershirt. The Anxiety Wrap® was the first, and is the only patented pressure wrap. It was invented by certified professional dog trainer and T-Touch Practitioner, Susan Sharpe in 2001 after experimentation with over 90 different prototypes. The Thundershirt came out in 2009. The original Anxiety Wrap® is the only pressure wrap to use maintained pressure and acupressure to achieve behavioral calm. It is a much higher quality, better fitting wrap consisting of a lightweight, stretchy fabric and adjustable elements, including adjustable and detachable calming straps which help release tension by targeting acupressure points and bringing overall awareness to the dog's hindquarters. In a recent clinical research study conducted by Dr. Nicholas Dodman the Anxiety Wrap® was found to be effective in 89% of dogs with thunderstorm phobia. This statistic exceeds the self-reported statistic of 80% effectiveness advertised by the Thundershirt Co. based on surveys of their own customers.
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