ThunderShirt Review For Big Dogs

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I know that a few people have been anxiously waiting for me to post an update on how the ThunderShirt is working for Sherman and while we haven’t had THAT many storms with much thunder since I bought it, I wanted to provide some feedback for you.

Some people weren’t familiar with what a ThunderShirt was so here’s a quick explanation:

The ThunderShirt is a wrap that is designed to provide gentle, constant pressure to your dog’s body.

It hugs your dog’s torso to apply constant, gentle pressure. The chest strap keeps this dog anxiety wrap in place without restricting your dog’s breathing or movement. The straps are adjustable so you can create the best fit for your dog’s size and body type. Once in place, the ThunderShirt’s gentle pressure produces a calming effect on the nervous system, helping to relieve dog separation anxiety and reduce many stress-related behaviors in most dogs.

The ThunderShirt can be used to help your pet with dog separation anxiety, travel stress, fear of thunder and other loud noises, and other canine anxieties.

ThunderShirt is designed to be safe to leave on  big dogs for extended periods of time when appropriate for the situation or issue. When properly sized and properly put on with a comfortably snug fit, your dog should be very comfortable. If your dog will be wearing a ThunderShirt for more than one hour at a time, the company recommends removing the wrap every one to two hours during the initial periods to check for any signs of irritation points. Irritation points are very rare, but it is best to be cautious.

How The ThunderShirt Work For Sherman?

Since I bought the ThunderShirt we’ve only had 2 thunderstorms. The first storm happened on the day that I bought it so I didn’t get to try it out that day. It’s recommended that when you’re first introducing the ThunderShirt to your dog that you do it slowly.

Don’t just throw the shirt on your dog a few seconds before a storm hits, let them get used to it. Put it on for 5 minutes and take it off. Take them for a walk in it, put it on them before they eat dinner. You don’t want them to associate the wrap with fear, so that’s why I didn’t use it for the storm on the very first day that I introduced to Sherman it.

The XXL ThunderShirt Fit.

The XXL ThunderShirt is meant for big dogs over 110 pounds and it fit Sherman good with room to spare. Sherman weighs about 140 pounds, give or take a few. It also fit Leroy well and he’s a bit taller and weighs 150 pounds, so it’s definitely big dog-friendly.

How Did Sherman Act. The first time I put it on Sherman he showed no signs of being concerned with it. The second time I put it on him he wouldn’t move without some motivation and the third time he was fine. It really doesn’t seem to bother him at all which was surprising to me since Sherman has been known to be a little OCD.

Is The ThunderShirt Too Hot For Dogs In The Summer? 

One of my biggest concerns with the ThunderShirt was that it would be too warm for Sherman to wear in the summer. After watching him that’s no longer a concern. Common sense prevails here. Sherman’s not going to be wearing this outside in a thunderstorm, he’ll be wearing it inside in an air-conditioned house. I’m not going to put it on him right after a walk or after we’ve been outside for a while.

How Does The Thundershirt Work With Thunderstorms?

When I tried it with an actual storm that had loud booms of thunder, Sherman did o.k. His fear didn’t magically disappear but he was definitely not as nervous. He still came and sat by me but his panting was way less than it was with the storm that we had.

My Conclusion. I think it was a good buy and I love that it comes in a true big dog size. I don’t think it’s going to completely take his fear of thunder away but it did take the fear down a few notches. I think it’s a great product to use in conjunction with some other stress relievers like Rescue Remedy,  melatonin, or CBD/Hemp oil.

Where To Buy  The ThunderShirt For Big Dogs:

It looks like ThunderShirts are sold in most retail pet stores but I’m not sure if all stores will carry the XXL for big dogs. I bought mine at our local Pet People store and they were on clearance because the XXL isn’t a big seller. You can also get them directly from ThunderWorks or on Amazon.

Money-back Guarantee. If the ThunderShirt doesn’t work the company offers a 45 day return policy for a full refund.

P.s. I bought the ThunderShirt with my own money and was not compensated. All opinions expressed in this post are mine and mine only.

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