Thundershirt

Sam in her Thundershirt.

Summers in Florida mean guaranteed afternoon thunderstorms. I have had Sam since she was a month old. My guess is, at some point while she was a small puppy, she experienced a terrible thunderstorm and has been terrified of them ever since. I am under the assumption she started out as an outside dog so she must have experienced a storm outside. Who knows? But what I do know is that she is TERRIFIED of thunder and fireworks now. We're talking heavy panting and scratching on walls, doors, whatever as if trying to escape the horror. She paces whatever room she is in and essentially goes nuts when its thundering and lightning or the fourth of July.

I have tried everything to help console her and help her understand that she is safe indoors. Nothing has worked. I have resorted to having to put her in her crate and covering it up with a sheet like some kind of caged bird. Although trying to get her into the crate is a challenge. She fights going in as if you are sending her to her death. So much DRAMA.

Not too long ago a friend turned me on to the Thudershirt. I purchased one as a last resort to help this situation. Interestingly enough, I just recently noticed Thundershirt has been running a lot of commercials on television and an article showed up in my local newspaper this morning detailing the product and its benefits.

I can't say that it has completely resolved the issue, but I have noticed that it does calm her a little when these frequent thunderstorms pass through. As long as I am in the room with her and she is wearing her thundershirt, she seems to be okay. If the storm is really bad, I put her in her thundershirt, in her crate. Only time will tell if this was a worthwhile investment. Maybe the more she wears it...the more comfortable and less scared she'll get. I'll make it a point to blog (or dlog) again as there is progress. If you want to learn more about the Thundershirt visit: Thundershirt.com.