Summer arrives and the Thundershirt makes an appearance.

Did you hear it thunder last night? Chief heard it, oh man did he hear it. Many pets tend to fear thunderstorms to the point of shaking, whimpering, hiding, and worse. As J and I have learned about our dear dog, he doesn't fear it whatsoever. Instead he interprets thunder as an intruder trying to get in the house and since he is trained to protect us from such a threat, thunderstorms are dreadful for us all. 

I used to enjoy thunderstorms. The smell and sound of rainfall, the flashes of lightening and the darkness a storm brings always made me feel safe which sounds ironic but it is what it is. I like the feeling of safety that comes from being warm and dry in my home while the weather rages outside. However, now I know if it storms at night, which it almost always does here in Texas, sleep will take a distant second to Boy's wild barking and running around the house with his hackles up. And he literally runs around in the house - the floor plan of our house is a circle. His mighty "back off or I'll kill you" bark keeps us up until the storm has entirely passed. The thunder is bad enough but just imagine when it hails! 

To find a solution, I researched non-medicated methods of relief for those poor animals who are traumatized by violent weather. I came up with (play Superman music here) "THE THUNDERSHIRT!" 

The Thundershirt is a soft wrap with velcro that you wrap snugly around the body of a dog. This type of swaddling is similar to what comforts newborns when they are tightly wrapped in a blanket. So last night, the Thundershirt was produced and Boy was wrapped. So can you guess what happened? Here's a hint: J and I are exhausted because from 2:30 - 6 a.m. our dog was running around our house in his mighty Thundershirt barking his heart out trying to keep the storm from breaking into our home. I'm not saying the product doesn't work or wouldn't work for many dogs who suffer from fear of thunder. But think twice if your dog is already a super hero that needs no fashionable accessories. 

Nevertheless, summer has arrived without subtlety and we're in line for another round of storms this evening. At this very moment you wouldn't know our pup gets so very fierce. He is sacked out beside me on our couch, his long deer-like legs stretched fully out for maximum comfort. He is safe and sound, relaxed after a long day of playing, walking, and generally just being my best furry buddy. We're happy and we're home.