Thundershirt Redesigns Anxiety Solutions

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Oliver Models Thundershirt's Polo

Thunderstorms have continued here in central Florida beyond their normal Summer schedule. Oliver is snoozing peacefully at my feet while a storm powers through with all the noise of a Wizard of Oz twister. Thankfully Oliver has learned to associate his Thundershirt with calm. As soon as he hears the first sign of thunder he gives me eye contact that speaks volumes: "Mom, it's time for my Thundershirt!"

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Front Velcro for Easy Wear

Recently at a pet industry conference I met with one of the representatives for Thundershirt who offered to send Oliver one of the newest designs, complete with his name embroidered on it. Wow! Is this ever cool!

As I prepare this review I'm thinking of the Halloween hoopla that is just around the corner. Trick or Treating kids, fire crackers, and scary faces are just some of the many reasons that your pup may be frightened during Halloween evening. A Thundershirt could very well be your best solution to help your pup calm his nerves.

How does it work? Here's my layman's terms version: With a fit much like a wetsuit, the overlapping Velcro flaps allow the Thundershirt to fit very snugly around your pup's ribcage area, gently encouraging him to slow his breathing. This has the effect of calming your pup, as slower breathing allows for relaxation. I liken it to swaddling a baby. In time, your dog will associate wearing the Thundershirt with that same relaxation response, and he'll more quickly calm himself during anxiety.

Thundershirt initially introduced a classic heather gray version which is the standard for their 'look'. But now, with more and more people using the Thundershirt for social anxiety and car anxiety, for example, dogs are wearing their Thundershirts outside of the house. Thundershirt has responded with more fashionable designs to suit your pup on the go.

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Snug Fit=Calm Oliver

Oliver's new polo Thundershirt is an adorable blue and with his name embroidered in a contrasting orange on the side. You can have this too when you order from their website at this link. The polo comes in blue for boys and pink for girls, but go ahead and be risky;  why not embrace your favorite?!

You can learn more about Thundershirt and how it works at their website, Facebook page and on Twitter. The uses for this product seem to be growing each day. Join the club and let us know what new solution you find with yours.

  Thundershirt has provided a shirt for Oliver to test. This review was done without compensation and the opinions included are my own. 

Emotional Support for Pets: Bonatical Flower Essences Giveaway

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Oliver Waits Permission
 to Eat his Mellowed Out Treat

Animal care professionals say the 10 most common canine behavioral problems are barking, chewing, digging, separation anxiety, inappropriate elimination, begging, chasing, jumping, biting, and aggression.  Many of these behaviors aren’t just superficial naughtiness, but trace their origins to deeper-rooted causes, including fear, defensiveness, protection of property, dominance assertion, anxiety, curiosity, boredom, and/or excess energy. 

© Arenus.com
Mellow Out Goes Down
Easily on a Treat

Flower essences can offer relief to dogs by helping to balance and harmonize emotional and psychological states.  The liquid plant preparations are made by infusing fresh flower blossoms under very specific conditions. They are easy to give and safe for dogs, horses, cats, birds and other small animals, too. Arenus makes 14 different, issue-specific blends of Botanical Animal® Flower Essences, each specifically formulated to deal with a different problem behavior, including these:   

·        Mellow Out ® - to support pets with agitation, anxiety, or nervousness, such as before thunderstorms and fireworks displays

·        In Training^TM  - to improve focus and patience, to help dogs in training

·        Life’s Changes^TM - when moving into a new home or after the loss of a housemate

·        Independence^TM - to assist with separation anxiety, when pet must be left alone

·        Clear Thinking^TM - to help easily distracted animals stay focused on task at hand

·        Angel of Mercy^® - for animals who have been rescued from neglect and abuse


This giveaway will focus on Mellow Out, which we reviewed yesterday. You can enter through Wednesday, June 13 to win a bottle for your pet. If the Rafflecopter entry form below is not in view immediately, simply click on the post title to refresh and it will appear at the bottom. Good luck to you all.


If you'd prefer to take the 'sure thing' route, feel free to order your Mellow Out from their website.

The product for this giveaway is being provided by Arenus as a promotional courtesy. I have not been compensated to review this product or do the giveaway. The comments posted here are my own findings. There is no purchase necessary to enter and the giveaway is available to all North American addresses.

Help Fido Mellow Out with Arenus

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

©AllThingsDogBlog.com
1 Little Bottle=2 Mellow Dogs

© Arenus

Readers tell me frequently about their dog's fear of thunder and fireworks. Others say car rides or Vet visits bring on fearful symptoms. Whatever your pup's anxiety source is, Arenus botanicals has a solution.  I had the opportunity to test out their Mellow Out flower essences on Oliver and Tanner, and I'd like to share some of what I learned.

©AllThingsDogBlog.com
Apply Liquid to Treat

I have to confess that Tanner's only fear is a sudden loud noise--really sudden and really loud! Other than that, he's pretty much fearless. Thankfully. Oliver, like Tanner, has only one anxiety source, thunder and fireworks. Thunderstorm season has begun here in Central Florida and I've been using Mellow Out to soothe Oliver's tension. It's not horrible, mind you, but he does show signs of fear by mild shaking and a desire to remain near me. 

I feel like the Pied Piper when a storm is brewing, with Oliver following me everywhere I go. Enter Mellow Out. When I looked inside this tiny dropper bottle of liquid my first thought was, "Will Oliver willingly allow me to squirt this stuff into his mouth?" It doesn't smell bad to me--not much scent at all--but who knows what he will think.


Just the look of the dropper apparently had him wondering, so I got sneaky with him. I took a yummy baked treat and dropped the solution onto the treat. It soaked into the cookie quickly and I offered it to Oliver. Viola! He ate it like it was his last meal. Yay!


After using the Mellow Out in this way a few times, I've learned that it works best to sooth his mild anxiety when I give him it to him at the first sign of an impending storm. I don't wait till the rain starts or the winds kick up, and especially not until the noisy thunder begins. He gets his Mellow Out-laced treat before things outside get scary and he begins to quiver.


Now that I've discovered this additional treatment for anxiety, I've added it to my arsenal--soothing music combined with Mellow Out actually make for a great team to calm my canine household. 


Finally, I'd like to add one last little tidbit that is very telling. While Tanner is never responsive to thunderstorms, we did have one weather radio report of a sudden and very nasty storm coming recently. Just the siren on that radio is enough to get Oliver worked up. I decided to offer Tanner a treat with his own dose of Mellow Out and sure enough, he snoozed through that storm like a drunken sailor--clueless. It was noisy and long, enough so that Oliver chose to camp out on my lap. But the good news is he wasn't shivering this time. He had his Mellow Out, and I could see it was working.

Join me tomorrow for the opening of a Mellow Out giveaway. We'll be exploring Arenus's website, Facebook page and having some Tweeting fun. Feel free to go ahead and follow their social media sites today, so you'll be ready to hop right in tomorrow. Hope to see you here.


The product for the giveaway mentioned above is being provided by Arenus as a promotional courtesy. I have not been compensated to review this product or do the giveaway. The comments posted here are my own findings. There is no purchase necessary to enter and the giveaway is available to all North American addresses.