Rye Miles #13621 Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 Do these things really work ? https://duckduckgo.com/?q=dog thunder vest&iax=images&ia=images&iai=https://media.petsathome.com/wcsstore/pah-cas01/900/30380.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tex Jones, SASS 2263 Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 Not with mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted July 19, 2023 Author Share Posted July 19, 2023 13 minutes ago, Tex Jones, SASS 2263 said: Not with mine. I don’t understand how they would work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 I know at least 4 people that bought those for their dogs, none worked in the least. Wasted their money and now the dogs associate fireworks/thunder with the vest. PT Barnum said it best... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 Posted July 19, 2023 Share Posted July 19, 2023 One of our dogs is absolutely terrified of any loud noise. Thunder storms, fireworks, anything like that. We got her a prescription for Gabapentin. They take a while to work, but if she gets them before the noise starts, she's okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckshot Bear Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 I have to give one of mine 1/2 a valium prescribed by the Vet on nights when there's likely to be fireworks or a bad storm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kloehr Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 No idea on the vest, never tried it. Did go through a phase of doggie downers with one dog, a shelter rescue... Temporary solution. But combined with this temporary solution, started watching Guns Of Navarone (streaming from Netflix or Amazon Prime) during thunderstorms and the night of the 4th (July) and the 1st (January, or near midnight December 31st). My boy laid between he stereo speakers under the influence of his doggie valium... And in later years without the drugs. And it did not need to be war movies, just some loud-ish tv show. The idea is to drown and blend outside noise with inside noise. In later years, he was able to come outside with me on a leash so I could enjoy the fireworks. My joy seemed to help him. In all these steps, I never "comforted" him as this will only enhance a pet's stress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 My daughter bought one for her dog. A pit bull full of energy. When she puts it on him he goes catatonic. He lays right where she puts the vest on him and he will not move. I do believe the poor boy is petrified of the thing. If she gets the vest out and he sees it he lays down and cries. She gave it to goodwill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Snorter Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 You don't want to try and dress a Rhodesian, or even a big Lab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Hair, SASS #29557 Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 They work pretty good on my Cocker Spaniel and on one of my daughter's Dobermans. Better on my Cocker than in the Doberman but it does calm her considerably. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 For our dog Maddie, a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, we give her 1 Benadryl tablet on nights fireworks are planned and when we know a thunderstorm is coming. It really helps her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Snorter Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 Our Rhodesian mostly grown pup figures he doesn't like thunder and lightning and can scare it away so we get some barking, but he isn't terrified like a Lab we had a long time ago, so it is all good. The other boys don't care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 3 hours ago, Pat Riot said: My daughter bought one for her dog. A pit bull full of energy. When she puts it on him he goes catatonic. He lays right where she puts the vest on him and he will not move. Our daughter went through the phase of "dressing" the dogs while a teen. Several of them didn't mind, but my dog would act like he couldn't move when she put anything on him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cypress Sun Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 Funny thing is that my old dog (Alex) absolutely loved fireworks. He was a mix of Dobie and Black Lab, more on the Lab side it seemed. I always had some bottle rockets on hand in a drawer in the garage. If you got near that drawer, he'd go nuts wanting you to shoot some off so he could "chase them". He got so worked up on Independence Day that we had to keep him on a leash when setting off real fireworks. He just loved fireworks but could care less about T-storms as we have them all the time. All a T-storm meant to him was that he had to stay inside and couldn't stalk squirrels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantry Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 It's going to depend on the dog and how the vest is introduced. If you have a dog or dogs who freak out at thunder or fireworks, it is worth a try. I have a second cousin who's dogs were helped by the vests. Supposedly, if it is snug enough, it makes the dog feel like they are being held, which comforts most dogs. However don't wait until a storm or fireworks happens to put it on the dog. Put it on them one day and leave it on for a couple hours or longer depending on the dog, keeping doing that maybe once or twice a month.. Whether it is a thunder vest, life preserver, muzzle, etc, you don't want the dog to automatically associated the item with an event that makes them unhappy. On edit: There are always dog & cat shelters looking for unopened food, and used, but in decent condition dog & cat stuff, be blankets, dog beds, crates, leashes, collars, harnesses and probably some other stuff I've forgotten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted July 20, 2023 Author Share Posted July 20, 2023 The reason I asked is a friend of mine is looking into one for her dog who's scared to death of thunder and especially fireworks. Thanks for the responses, I'll pass it on to her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted July 20, 2023 Share Posted July 20, 2023 My daughter bought one for my dog....who promptly tore it all to pieces. She did the same thing with her winter sweater and booties. She will, however pull her afghan (that my mother made an earlier dog) off the bed, take corner in her mouth and roll up in it until the noise stops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 My short answer . . . . NO!! But I do have a couple of really nice Bridges for sale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.K. Posted July 22, 2023 Share Posted July 22, 2023 It took me about 20 minutes to get the darn thing on my 98 lb pitbull, and it took him less than a minute to rip it off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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