Willowlane Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 So what are your thoughts on these products? Do they actually work? I have a dog who gets anxious when ever I leave her alone and go out. She whines, barks and howls constantly and im wondering if one of these might help. Unfortunately leaving her inside for longer than 2hrs is not really an option at the moment when I go out thanks to a new puppy not being toilet trained but even if I leave her inside she still whines, barks etc. I worry about the thunder shirt and getting too hot in summer and I cant use the DAP diffuser as our power points are all behind furniture that cant be moved not to mention she sleeps on the couch anyway and its more outside that is the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 I can only vouch for the products that I use. Have found the Thundershirt extremely effective for calming my very anxious girl. She is fearful of just about everything & very storm phobic. I put the shirt on before going to crowed places as well because she is very apprehensive & it just helps take the edge off. I don't use it in hot weather though. Nor would I leave her it on her unattended. I never leave anything on my dogs when I'm not around. No collar etc. Not worth the risk IMO. She runs up to me as soon as she see's me getting it out as she loves wearing it so that to me is a very positive indication that she must feel some benefit with it on. Have also had success with the Adaptil spray. I spray it on her bedding & also on her collar. She is sleeping regular right through the night now. Previously she would wake & become very agitated up to 6 or 7 times a night. Having said this every dog is different & what works for one may or may not work for another. If you are wondering if a TS may help you could get a kids Tshirt & pop it on her a making sure it fits quite firmly around girth & tie a knot in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashsmum Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 I've found the Thunder Shirt works with Whitney (great dane). It doesn't completely take away her storm anxiety, but certainly lessens it, and if she is stressed generally, I put it on her and it seems to calm her. Harry (greyhound) gets the Thunder shirt put on him for thunderstorms, and he generally goes to sleep once he settles. We tried an Adaptil collar, but it didn't seem to help her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbedWire Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 I have used a thundershirt and I decided it did not really make much difference. I wonder sometimes if they work because when you first use them you are advised to feed the dog and make a positive association for the dog with the thundershirt. I also wonder about the scientific explanation for them because I have read that dogs don't like being cuddled and I assume a thundershirt would feel similar. I wonder sometimes if their success is because the owner believes they will work. I have also tried putting one on a reactive dog while walking and I think it just made the dog uncomfortable. I have not tried the collars. My dog's anxiety has improved since my own anxiety has lessened, but then my dog is not anxious when I am away so that may be a totally different ballgame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Better Late Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 I'm tooing and froing with my Thundershirt at the moment. We've only had it for a couple of weeks and while it was nothing short of incredible in the very beginning, I think it may have stretched a bit as it seems looser and doesn't seem to have too much of an effect. We bought the polo version. Bonnie gets all wiggly and waggly when I bring it out though, I'm just not too sure about whether I want to keep persisting with the polo version or try the original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willowlane Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 Its for a dog who whines and barks and gets stressed when I leave her alone at home. Do you think a thunder shirt would do anything for this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoemonster Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 The thundershirt works well for my thunder/fireworks noise phobic girl, she's still not happy but she can lay down and stop panting with it on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crazydoglady99 Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Yes!! Absolutely they do. DAP collars (I have not used a diffuser) and thundershirts. I have used multiple times on my own dogs and fosters. Some dogs its subtle changes others dramatic difference. Possibly the best investments you will make (IMO) for an anxious dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 ..and you might want to download THIS LINK .the breed doesn't much matter ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravenau1 Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 I find the Thundershirt really effective for my Aussie boy. He isn't badly thunder phobic but would shake really badly, whine and drool a lot. He still shakes a little with the Thundershirt but his recovery time is much, much quicker now. I've used the DAP spray in the past on advice from a Behaviourist we were seeing for my Dobe girl, Astrid. It worked really well to calm her. Unfortunately her issues turned out to have a physical source so it wasn't the solution to our problem, but it did help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HazyWal Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 (edited) The thundershirt is a godsend for Stan. He is very storm phobic but put it on him and he looks like he's sipping a cocktail on a beach in Fiji. Maddie is not storm phobic but absolutely petrified of fireworks and it doesn't work for her at all Edited May 19, 2015 by HazyWal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabbath Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 I've been using an Adaptil collar for a few weeks for separation anxiety with no success. No change at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poocow Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 I've been using an Adaptil collar for a few weeks for separation anxiety with no success. No change at all. I've had an Adaptil collar on my boy for anxiety around people - no change. Ordered a thundershirt so I'll see if that offers any improvement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suziwong66 Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 i bought a Thundershirt about 6 weeks ago...my girl still barks at other dogs like a nutter and carries on like a goose if i leave the car no matter who is left with her. She hasn't gotten any better. I was thinking o trying the Adaptil collar but i'm apprehensive about spending yet more dollars on solutions that don't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 I find they work best in conjunction with a behavioural modification training program. We have used them many times in Dane Rescue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 If your dog is vocalising a lot, they are probably beyond what a TS or Adaptil can do. Either or both might help a little, but I refer cases like that to a veterinary behaviourist. Medication may be your best bet. They do often work well in conjunction with behaviour modification training and medication if necessary, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suziwong66 Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 (edited) I'd be more inclined to consult a reputable behaviourist to modify her behaviour...we've been working to try and desensitise her but it's been a bit hit and miss. It's difficult to control the environment when out and about and i'm always on the look out for other dogs so we can avoid. Even if she hears another dog barking and can't see the dog, she'll bark. In the car today, she was standing between the back seats and looking through the front windscreen while we were at the stop lights at an intersection. A man with a guide dog crossed the road at the other side of the intersection opposite us; she had a bit of a bark but didn't go over thresh-hold. A little later, she saw a dog at the other end of the aisle at Petstock and went over thresh hold immediately; she settled down quickly when out of sight of the dog. I use treats in two ways; first to reward a marked behaviour (in this case, quiet and calm) and to distract her by throwing repeated pieces on the ground. Anyone know of a reputable behaviourist in Adelaide? Edited May 20, 2015 by suziwong66 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westiemum Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 I can only vouch for the products that I use. Have found the Thundershirt extremely effective for calming my very anxious girl. She is fearful of just about everything & very storm phobic. I put the shirt on before going to crowed places as well because she is very apprehensive & it just helps take the edge off. I don't use it in hot weather though. Nor would I leave her it on her unattended. I never leave anything on my dogs when I'm not around. No collar etc. Not worth the risk IMO. She runs up to me as soon as she see's me getting it out as she loves wearing it so that to me is a very positive indication that she must feel some benefit with it on. Have also had success with the Adaptil spray. I spray it on her bedding & also on her collar. She is sleeping regular right through the night now. Previously she would wake & become very agitated up to 6 or 7 times a night. Having said this every dog is different & what works for one may or may not work for another. If you are wondering if a TS may help you could get a kids Tshirt & pop it on her a making sure it fits quite firmly around girth & tie a knot in it. BC has summed it up really nicely. I too find thunder shirts and tight fitting PJs are very effective at calming my old dementing westie boy Mac. While I was house-sitting for about 15 months and had some problems with barking I found the Adaptil Spray worked very well - a couple of sprays on their beds in the morning before I left for work did the trick. I didn't find the collars or diffuser anywhere near as effective and like BC didn't like leaving the Adaptil collars on unattended. Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Crazy Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 (edited) I tried the Adaptil collar with no success. The spray is working well for us too. Edited May 21, 2015 by BC Crazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandiandwe Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 The Adaptil collar helped Brandi quite a bit but it will only calm a dog to the point that it's able to learn. I dont't believe that it's an end in itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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