Scared Dog? Try Putting Him In A Thundershirt
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) - If you have a very anxious dog who is fearful of thunderstorms or loud noises or who freaks when visitors come to the house, that can be a handful for anyone to deal with.
That's exactly what led Phil Blizzard to invent the Thundershirt.
"One night, I woke up with my 50-pound dog on my chest during a thunderstorm and we decided we'd give it a shot with an old t-shirt and some packing tape," Blizzard told WCBS 880's Pat Farnack. "We wrestled it on our dog and she looked G-d awful, but worked like a charm. So we started doing research into why this works and Thundershirt evolved out of that."
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Pat Farnack with Phil Blizzard
The Thundershirt sort of swaddles or hugs the dog, and calms him or her right down.
"It's a very lightweight, breathable, cotton material with some Spandex for stretch. It's durable and machine washable. We do emphasize that this is lightweight and this comfortably snug pressure. This is a very positive thing for the dogs. It's not restrictive. I'd say most dogs like having them on," says Blizzard.
Blizzard said the Thundershirt goes on the dog " from just in front of the back legs forward."
"Most dogs - you'll see results within the first few minutes. If they're already in an anxious state, you put it on and you'll see some of the symptoms diminish almost immediately. For some dogs, it takes two or three usages to see maximum benefit. But, by and large, most of them, you'll know within the first 5 to 10 minutes," Blizzard said.
The Thundershirt is supposed to work on all breeds -- from the 3-pound chihuahua all the way up to a 200-pound mastiff.
