Some of the hardest cases that I work on involve anxiety and
fear. There are many things that can
cause an extreme reaction and the Thundershirt has a wide variety of situations
that it is helpful in. During the time
of the summer fireworks are a common source of anxiety for dogs. It’s no wonder, because the loud noises are
random and startling. I am thankful I
live in the middle of town where it is not legal to set off fireworks.
Using the Thundershirt allows the dog to calm
down so that learning can take place.
Along with the shirt, implementing a training program that gradually
increases the intensity of the stimulus while pairing it with something the dog
enjoys. For example: Using a recording of fireworks or other loud
noises, you can turn down the volume and every time the noise happens the dog receives
a piece of steak. Gradually the volume
is raised as the dog gets comfortable with the noise. After some work the dog will associate loud
noises with steak and not have such a strong fearful reaction.
This sounds very simple when you write it
down but some cases can be more complicated and if you don’t have success
consulting a positive trainer can help you and your dog figure out the best
behavior modification plan. Visit the
Thundershirt website for more information on how it can be used to solve a
variety of behavioral issues.
Reprinted from the Thundershirt
website:
How It Works
With its
patent-pending design, Thundershirt’s gentle, constant pressure has a dramatic
calming effect for most dogs if they are anxious, fearful or over-excited.
Based on surveys completed by over two thousand customers, over 80% of dogs show significant improvement in symptoms when
using Thundershirt. Thundershirt is already helping tens of
thousands of dogs around the world, and is recommended by thousands of
veterinarians and dog trainers.
As for WHY Thundershirt’s gentle pressure works to calm a
dog, experts such as Dr. Temple Grandin believe that pressure has a calming effect on the nervous system. Using
pressure to relieve anxiety has been a common practice for years. For
example:
·
TTouch dog trainers
use pressure to address a wide variety of anxieties.
·
Veterinarians use
pressure to relax cattle when they are administering vaccinations.
·
People with autism use
pressure to relieve their persistent anxiety.
·
Children with certain
behavioral problems use pressure shirts and weighted vests to relax and focus.
·
Parents use swaddling
to calm an inconsolable newborn infant.
Until now, there just
hasn’t been a well-designed, inexpensive pressure wrap commonly used for dog
anxiety. Thundershirt is changing that! Thousands of veterinarians and dog
trainers now recommend Thundershirts for their anxiety cases.
How To Use Thundershirt
Thundershirt is an
excellent treatment for most types of dog anxiety and fear issues. For many
anxieties, we recommend just putting on a Thundershirt and observing the
results (No training!). You very well may see significant improvement for
noise, crate, travel, barking and others with absolutely no training. For more
complicated anxiety cases, we recommend using Thundershirt as part of a
behavior modification program.
One thing is for certain,
for a very large percentage of dogs, Thundershirt’s gentle, constant pressure
has a terrific calming effect. This has obvious benefits for most types of
anxiety. But Thundershirt is also a very useful tool for managing excitability
or hyperactivity with strangers, on the leash, or in a training environment.
Thundershirt’s calming effect helps a dog to focus (or refocus) her energies in
a more constructive direction, allowing training to be more effective.
These videos show what
great results can be achieved with the Thundershirt.
I just found your blog and you handle some important topics. Nice job.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sue! I'm glad you found my blog and hope you'll enjoy reading future posts.
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