ThunderShirt for Dogs, Medium, Heather Gray Classic - Dog Anxiety Relief Calming Vest

This is the third ThunderShirt I have purchased over the last four years. None of the dogs I purchased the shirts for was afraid of thunder, but I have found these shirts to have a calming effect for other anxieties. The first ThunderShirt I ever purchased was a size XL for an elderly 84-pound labrador retriever to help her deal with the anxiety she experienced following a stroke. It also seemed to give some relief from the itching caused by her meds. She really liked wearing it, and would have gladly worn it 24/7, but I didn't think that was a good idea. I was concerned she would get chafing or circulation problems from overuse, so she only got to wear it for a few hours a day. Still, I think it was an important part of the various things we did to increase her comfort until she was ready to leave this world. After she crossed over, the shirt was donated to help rescued dogs in foster care, and it was much appreciated by the foster "mom". The second shirt was a size XS that was purchased for a rescued 11-pound rat terrier who has no issues other than sibling rivalry. He wanted to wear a ThunderShirt because his "sister" was wearing one. It also helps give him a little extra warmth in cool weather, which he really appreciates because he chills easily. And he looks really, really handsome wearing it. The third ThunderShirt was a size XXS purchased a month ago for a 5-pound chihuahua puppy I adopted two months ago. She was found abandoned in a storage container with three other dogs. She was rescued by the county animal control department and given veterinary care until she recovered enough to be adopted. She has issues. Many, many issues. She hadn't been socialized at all and was absolutely terrified of people. She hadn't been potty trained. She was not much more than skin and bones -- you could easily see the outline of every rib. She obviously had been badly abused and she has a leg injury that may never heal completely. She didn't know how to walk on a leash and was terrified to try. She shook with fright for fifteen minutes when shelter staff placed her in my arms. She screamed and screamed and screamed in absolute terror when a very gentle friend of mine tried to pet her. After a month of training and socialization, and lots and lots of love, my chihuahua had gained a whole pound, was starting to get the idea about where to go potty and where not to , and had learned how to use a doggie door! But she was still exhibiting a lot of fear and anxiety, so I got her the ThunderShirt. I forgot to go through the recommended training process to introduce her to the ThunderShirt, but thankfully it turned out to be one of the few things that didn't frighten her. She loves it! It doesn't make all her issues go away, but it definitely seems to reduce her anxiety. She doesn't have very thick fur, so she appreciates wearing any shirt, but this is the only one that helps to calm her. She, too, would love to wear it 24/7, but I won't let her. With lots of love and positive reinforcement and her new Thundershirt, she is getting a little braver. She can't tolerate a leash attached to her collar, but she loves to walk in familiar places with her Bright Mesh Heart Printed Dog Cat Pet Vest Harness and Matching Leash Set in Blue for Dogs Cats (Large) . She will cuddle with me for hours, but she cowers if I move suddenly or use a stern voice. She is afraid of anyone new, except delivery people. They might be bringing Dogswell Nutrisca Dog Food, Salmon and Chickpea, 15-Pound Package or GREENIES Dental Dog Treats, Teenie, Original Flavor, 130 Treats, 36 oz. from Amazon! :-) I wouldn't call the ThunderShirt a miracle, but I would call it an excellent tool for helping dogs with anxiety issues. It is effective, and it is well-made with quality materials. The latest version has three new features that were not on my original two ThunderShirts: a patch for using a calming spray, snaps for attaching a jacket, and some reflective trim to make your dog more visible at night. Unfortunately, I can't use the calming spray because I am sensitive to one of the ingredients. I would love to get the snap-on ThunderShirt Outerwear Raincoat, X-Small , but so far have not been able to locate one in size XXS. I do appreciate the reflective trim because it glows in the beam of my flashlight when I take my puppy out after dark. I will continue to use the ThunderShirt to help reduce my puppy's fear and anxiety. I will be using it when I introduce her to new situations, and I will update this review to report on how that goes. The first photo below shows what the ThunderShirts look like from the front, where they can be adjusted with the velcro that is under the front tab. Of course, the photo also showcases how adorable my dogs look in their (almost) matching ThunderShirts! The second photo clearly shows two of the new features on the chihuahua's ThunderShirt, the patch and the reflective trim at the neck. The rat terrier is wearing the older version of the shirt, which he has had for four years now. He even has his name embroidered on it. The third photo was taken with a flash to show the reflective trim doing its job.

Wow, this actually works! After reading some glowing reviews of this product, I was a little skeptical - it sounded too good to be true. But this is the second day my Lab cross has worn his shirt, and I am impressed with how different his behavior is when he has it on. He was a shelter dog and has always been very hyper, with lots of panting, inability to settle down, and licking to the point of creating sores and hot spots (no thunder or other loud noises required). My vet and I have ruled out all kinds of physical causes, and he's still having problems despite careful attention to getting him lots of exercise and positive training for basic obedience and fun behaviors ( e.g., changed work schedules to allow more time in the morning for more exercise). The only time when he would stop the compulsive licking and panting is when I would sit on the floor so he could "lay in my lap" (at 68 pounds, he doesn't fit, but he tries). We had used a soft cone for when we were trying to get a bad sore to heal, which was a little calming, but that was not something he could wear for long periods of time. I didn't want to medicate him, but was running out of other approaches. So when I saw this, I decided to give it a try. Choosing the size was a little tricky. My guy is in the border zone between the L and the XL, so wasn't sure which size to get. Since it is supposed to fit snugly, I decided to try the L size; if that didn't work, I could send it back for the larger size. These things do have a lot of size adjustability built into the design, and this one fit well. The fitting instructions that came with the shirt were easy to follow. I followed their suggestion of introducing the shirt during a period of relative calm, and with some treats. We've had the shirt on and off several times, and he doesn't shy away from it like he did the cone. In fact, he is starting to stick his head through the neck (after getting the chest strap adjusted the first time, we leave that one fastened since he isn't a big fan of the Velcro noises). He stands still for me to fasten the shirt around his body - quite significant considering how hyper he was. Maybe it is my imagination, but he almost seems to breathe a sigh of relief after his shirt is fastened. I noticed a change the first time he had the shirt on. The panting stopped, his demeanor is calmer, and the licking is almost completely gone. So far, he has been wearing the shirt for a few hours at a time, taking it off when we go out to walk or play. It seems like there might be some calming effect that lingers for a while after removing it, but it is too early to really be sure. For now, we'll keep his shirt on more than off, and see how he does (the fit around his front legs and belly allows plenty of room, so there doesn't appear to be any irritation, and he has air-conditioning for when it gets hot). It's still early, but I am optimistic that I will finally have a dog that is able to relax and not continually give himself skin sores with his licking. If this works, the Thundershirt will become a line item in my dog budget.

The vest works great for our ptsd thunder scared dog. Fits her perfectly, seems comfortable, works effectively and keeps her dryer on rainy day outings- I only gave four stars because some of the stitching was shotty and it had a small hole upon arrival that will no doubt grow over time. You can wash it and it’s easy enough to get on her but she is quite submissive.

My chihuahua loves her thundershirt. It fits her perfectly and the velcro is strong. She is a little stiff when wearing it but that is because it is meant to compress. She gets significantly calmer when wearing it. During thunder storms she will run around panting and cry human tears. With this shirt on she stops all of that, she calmly lays down and is relaxed. When I take it out she gets excited.

Had my veterinarian not recommended trying Thundershirt rather than using calming drugs for my border collie Brady, I seriously doubt I would have spent $36 on something so illogical, even with a money back guarantee. Thank you, Dr. Miller. Two weeks previous to Thundershirt's arrival, my wife and I had gone to Outback, unaware of the thunderstorm brewing. It was a dandy, but we'd already ordered and were 25 minutes from home. When we returned, Brady was a hyperventalating, huffing and puffing mess, only somewhat better with our arrival. There were two huge puddles in areas where he usually lies, and we were afraid he'd been so scared that he'd peed. Nope, they were enormous puddles of drool. Jump forward two weeks to T-shirt's arrival. We pulled into our driveway, dreading the upcoming t-storm being signaled by the early rumblings of thunder. Brady refused to leave the safety of the car's backseat. already panting furiously. I looked toward the front door, hoping Thundershirt might have arrived. The Amazon box was there, but the only way to get Brady out of the car was to bounce his retrieval ball on the driveway. Once out, I put on the Thundershirt. He cooperated fully, to my surprise, and then the revelation began. The rains poured, lightning flashed, and thunder boomed for the next four hours. Brady never opened his mouth to pant, not a drop of drool dripped, and he even played ball catch as only a border collie can. True, he was always waiting for the next thunderclap, ears erect, but all the aspects we have come to dread with our 2 and a half year old buddy were pretty much gone. I'm now a Thundershirt believer! I'm finally getting around to adding to my review and change my rating from 5 stars to 3, since I sent the Thundershirt back months ago. Even though the shirt worked wonderfully at first, by the 3rd and 4th thunderstorm I realized that Brady was just not going to gain any comfort from his T-shirt. I'd read that smarter dogs sometimes actually out think themselves and associate the shirt as the cause of the thunder. Brady refuses to explain why he resumed his shaking and drooling after having a calm demeanor with the first and second wearings. The only thing that calms him is toss up his ball repeatedly while he catches and returns it, which gets boring and tiresome after 30 minutes or so. Read my review of the Thunderstorm CD I bought from Amazon in another ill-fated attempt to help him with his mega-anxiety! On the positive side, the manufacturer truly does stand behind their product and promptly issued a full credit when I returned the shirt. If I recall correctly, I think they even paid for the return shipping. The product is certainly worth a try!

Edit [11/14/2019]: Returning for feedback. This is great! We haven't had many uses for it since we bought it but every time we have tried it out there was a significant improvement in her temperament. We tried it while the baby was over and she calmed down, and it made car rides go from a quaking mess to laying down and resting on my lap! Very pleased with this product. I honestly didn't expect it to work at all or at least that it'd be placebo, but we actually did one car ride without it and one the next day with it on and the difference was outstanding. -- Original review: We have not encountered an anxiety-inducing situation yet since we bought this jacket, so I will return to this review once we have to let you know how well it works. Until then, I'm leaving 5 stars because I'm just so impressed at how much effort is put into this product for making sure it works for you. From the instructions to the extra information to all the extra resources you can try if it doesn't work, I feel very confident that even if this jacket doesn't work initially, we can work something out in the end. The jacket itself is more of a thin vest material than a shirt-- as it should be. It's a bit confusing to work out how to put it on your pet at first, so try it out on a stuffed animal or around your arm so that you don't freak them out trying to get it on right the first time. My dog was VERY aware that this was clothing for her which she hates, and even after serving treats on it as a plate she would run away and bark at it. I had to grab her and put it on her while I held her so that she could realize it would be okay and not pester her. She say calmly with it on for about 10 minutes until we took it off as recommended. The second time we put it on her she was much less hesitant and let us put it on her without much of a fuss. Hopefully by the time a storm comes she will be happy to put it on. The material itself is very nice and seems high quality. I would not leave your dog alone with this if there is a risk of them chewing it though. It feels too thin to withstand a dog that wants it off. Overall, I'm very happy with this purchase and I hope that it works for her when she needs it. It fit her very snugly (we bought a Small for our ~18lb dog) and she was able to go pee without any problems. Seems like a wonderful product, even more so if it works when she needs help.

This thunder shirt is a life saver for my 8 year old Min Pin! I got it about three weeks ago, tried it on her as soon as I got it to make sure she would like it or not. She immediately fell asleep for two hours… So, last night thunderstorm was coming through- she would run around and cry and try to hide. Well, not this time, took her to potty before storm came through- heard the first crack of thunder and put the shirt on. She was calm. It’s easy to adjust, just measure your puppy PRIOR to ordering- just know the XS is does not go over the puppy’s head like the small. Sizing up your puppy is key, make sure you measure correctly prior to ordering - there is definitely a difference between the XS and the S. The S goes over their head, the XS is ALL Velcro and it’s definitely smaller. I like the material because it’s soft, not thick but not too thin - just right. It’s really easy to use, as soon as you get it out of the package you will be able to see how to put it on your puppy. I do like the soft gray color as well. I think it helped my puppy calm down. Definitely love the product and recommend it! Would definitely buy it again!

**Skip to the end for our fool proof way to solve separation anxiety (hint: it's not this shirt)** I have a dog with separation anxiety. When she was a puppy, she would poop, destroy things, and bark. Luckily, the first two have stopped, but she still barks and howls the whole time we're gone. We have tried it all--kongs with frozen treats, chew toys, hiding treats everywhere for her to find, exercising her for hours before we leave, leaving the tv on, confining her to her crate or small rooms, ignoring her 30 mins before we leave and upon return, etc. Friends kept telling us to try the thundershirt. I was skeptical, but figured we might as well try. We also bought a webcam and hooked it up to skype so we could watch her (and talk to her! but she never listened to our "quiet" command or soothing voices). The positive: it fit her well. She's a 45 lb beagle/rhodesian ridgeback mix and the large fits her nicely. Easy to put on and off once you get the hang of it. Nice and snug. The negative: it did nothing. She barked her head off with the same intensity with and without it on. She did not calm down. Theories: We have spent a lot of time on research and talking with experts, so I figure I'll share what I've learned if anyone is coming to this review hoping to find a solution for their dog with separation anxiety. Our dog was not abused as a puppy, and most experts suspect she just has very low self-confidence. This leads to her fear of being left alone, among other things (she is also afraid of strangers and objects she has not seen before). Through leaving and gradually increasing the length of time she is alone, we have trained her to a point where she is just fine sleeping in her crate, doesnt mind sleeping in the living room alone overnight, and couldnt care less if we are in the bathroom and she cant get in. BUT - as soon as we exit our actual home, she will start barking. Right now we are practicing leaving and walking outside a window where she can see us and for a few seconds not see us--completely ignoring her. We hope this will relax her and "teach" her that when we leave the house, we are just "right outside"-- even if she cant see us. She still gets way too excited when she sees us though. She has started going to dog socials where 30 people bring their dogs and run around while all the humans walk in a circle and ignore them. It is mainly teaching dogs how to socialize with each other, but we hope our dog "monkey see's and monkey do's" that other dogs are not afraid of strangers so she should not be either--building her confidence. Friends who have dogs are watching her for a few hours while we go out to eat, see a movie, shop, etc. This solves the barking issue and builds her confidence. At first she was very nervous and paced around, but after 5-6 visits, she is now able to enjoy spending time with them, playing with the other dog, cuddling with our friends, and generally forgetting about us being gone. After trying so many different things, we hope confidence-building is the key. Treats and stuffed kongs never worked before we started building her confidence--we could have left a raw steak on the floor and she wouldnt touch it until the moment we returned. Now, she is starting to get the food out of the kong, but stops just a few minutes after we leave. Now, our 100% fool proof solution to fixing separation anxiety (in our case): get another dog! I know this wont apply to everyone, and we actually dont own another dog, but whenever we have babysat another dog and we've left them alone together, our dog becomes a Buddhist monk of peaceful tranquility. The other dog can even be in a crate in the other room and she is totally fine.

I inherited a dog that had never been left alone. I am out for a few hours every day. He howled and cried even though there were 2 other dogs with him. He was not in a crate. The thundershirt is working wonders for him. Cries very little if at all. He is just calmer. Under vet direction, I also give him 2mg of melatonin for his anxiety. These 2 things really helped him.

My dog is about 9 lbs. It fit her very well. It was easy to put on her and is well made.

well made and good fit for medium dog. Basenji cross cattle dog 30 lbs. Velcro at the neck and torso made it easy fit.

My Jack Russell x would get very anxious (stressed and shaking) with thunder storms, when insects were in the house, and when having to go to the vet. Before trying anti-anxiety medication suggested by one of the vets, I thought I would try the thundershirt. It’s worked brilliantly. When she gets anxious, the shirt goes on and it calms her right down. She is no longer frightened going to the vets and, instead of becoming reactive (growling and trying to bite the vet), she is now happy to go to her appointments and the vet can give her her monthly injections without any reactive behaviour. In the vets words, they are now ‘BFF’s’! Thoroughly recommend. It may depend on the dog, but it’s worth a try before having to resort to medication.

The reviews and advertisements are 100% true! My anxious Beagle/Shepherd mix is horrible during storms, and in every day life when his anxiety levels rise. Wearing this shirt for him helps him sleep through thunderstorms. If the noise wakes him, he's not running around the house panting and drooling - he simply raises his head, growls for a moment and curls back up to go back to sleep. During fireworks, he's not running in circles, he's cuddled next to me. This is an amazing product! Last night, I used this shirt on him because I had a rough day at work and knew I would have a restless sleep. All you dog owners out there know that our pets feed off our moods. By putting this shirt on him, he was able to NOT react to my tossing and turning, and as a result, I got a better sleep, even in my stressful mood! The only negative I have is that it seems that the velcro will pull on the shirt material, causing snags, etc. if the velcro isn't carefully applied to the receiving strips. But who cares - the dog doesn't, so I don't :) If I have to buy another next year, I absolutely will!