We are constantly surprised by how many people we meet with dogs that suffer from anxiety. Literally millions of dogs in the United States alone suffer from it. We are also constantly amazed by how few veterinarians and dog owners are aware that an effective, inexpensive solution like Thundershirt exists to relieve their dogs’ anxiety or fearfulness. Sedatives and training are by far the most common approaches used to treat anxiety…unfortunately, neither is very effective. They are expensive, time consuming, and often result in very limited improvement. The history of Thundershirt is truly a story of a common problem in need of a simple solution.

How It Started

Thundershirt's founder's dog, Dosi, is a 10-year-old, 50-pound mutt who is very loveable and will make friends with anyone. But Dosi was a nightmare with loud noises… thunderstorms, 4th of July, etc. Even when the skies were clear, her family would know that a thunderstorm was coming by Dosi’s behavior. When a storm was approaching, Dosi’s tail went between the legs and the shakes began. If it was during the night, she would keep her family awake for hours. They visited three different veterinarians over the years to find a remedy. The only suggestion was to sedate Dosi, but even the veterinarians didn’t think drugs were an effective solution. You had to anticipate the storm by 1-2 hours for the sedatives to take effect; not an easy task for storms that arrive in the night. And worse, while sedated, dogs can be very unstable on their legs and become a danger to themselves. Dosi would try to jump off the bed and risked breaking a leg, and she would remain groggy and unstable for a long time after the storms had past. So after a couple of uses, the sedatives were set aside.

But then they heard about an alternative approach to relieving noise anxiety...the unique approach now offered by Thundershirt. It was amazing. With the very first usage, within two minutes, Dosi’s shakes had practically disappeared, and she lay down. And Thundershirt's gentle pressure relieves many other anxieties too. To learn more about how Thundershirt works, see How It Works.

Developing Thundershirt

The development team had five major objectives in developing the Thundershirt:

1. Easy to put on and take off. No one needs to be struggling to manipulate something over a stressed out dog’s head or trying to thread legs through leg holes.
2. Easy to create a snug, comfortable fit. Essential for its effectiveness in treating noise anxiety.
3. Attractive, durable fabric that resists collecting hair. Must be able to machine wash when necessary and last at least the life of the initial user.
4. Attractive looking when worn. Not everyone enjoys dressing up their dogs, but no one wants their dog to look silly!
5. Inexpensive.

After many prototypes, all of the objectives have been achieved with Thundershirt's patent-pending design. And the feedback we’re getting from customers has been terrific!