Susan Bechtel is one very patient and loving dog owner.

Hi guys, just wanted to let you know that this isn’t a review. We haven’t tried it and we are not making any money off of it. We just thought it was a really interesting product. If you have tried it, please leave your thoughts, pro or con, in the comments section.

Thanks!
Kenn, Max & Remy

First, there’s Drake, an active border collie who likes to go running with Susan but also likes leaping the fence and go running on his own. When someone knocks on the door, he barks like a madman and actually begins spinning in a circle, biting at his own tail. He’s lovable, even if he’s a little nuts.

Then, there’s Winnie, a nervous little guy with wiry hair, a bum shoulder that gives him a bit of a limp and a perpetual shake. He finds most of the world a scary place and that makes it difficult for him to learn and follow Susan’s commands.

Susan’s done everything she can to make her dogs comfortable and secure, but she’d really like for their behavior to improve.

Enter the Thundershirt which claims to have the “Best Solution for Dog Anxiety.”

The Thundershirt is, essentially, a tight-fitting, neoprene jacket for dogs. It wraps around the animal’s neck and mid-section and is secured in place with Velcro straps. The wrap creates pressure without restricting the dog’s movement.

“Pressure has a calming effect on the nervous system,” the site says. “Using pressure to relieve anxiety has been a common practice for years. The Thundershirt is like a giant, wearable hug that never ends.”

“Probably the toughest dog to train is a dog that’s afraid of the world,” says Scott MacConachie, a certified dog trainer and owner of K9 Ponderosa in Delaware, Ohio.
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MacConachie tested the Thundershirt on Drake and Winnie as Susan was there to watch.

First, MacConachie gave some basic commands to Winnie without the Thundershirt. The dog was his usual nervous self. Then he strapped the Thundershirt on Winnie. Almost like magic, the dog seemed calmer and obeyed all of MacConachie’s commands.

It was then Drake’s turn and like Winnie before him, Drake’s behavior and demeanor changed as soon as he was strapped into the Thundershirt.

Susan was amazed at both dogs’ responses in the shirt.

And while MacConachie noted that the shirt definitely appeared to make a change in the dogs behavior, the Thundershirt’s own website only claims 80-percent success.

By Elaine Furst For Dog Files