ThunderWorks ThunderShirt User manual

Thundershirt Company | www.thundershirt.com
The Best Solution for Dog Anxiety
Thundershirt’s patent-pending design applies a gentle,
constant pressure to a dog’s torso that has a dramatic
calming effect for most dogs. Recommended by
thousands of veterinarians and dog trainers. Over an
80% success rate and with a money-back guarantee.
Completely safe and comfortable for dogs.
Use for:
• Any anxiety, fear or over-excitement issue. Anytime calming
may have a benet, a Thundershirt may have a benet.
• Uses include fear of thunder, reworks, separation anxiety,
travel, general anxiety or fearfulness, reactivity towards
other animals or people, problem barking, problem jumping
and more.
• Also an excellent training tool for at-home training or during multi-dog training classes. Wearing the
Thundershirt will calm your dog. A calmer dog is a more focused dog. A more focused dog will learn
more quickly.
Key Features:
• Over an 80% success rate for a wide variety of issues.
• Recommended by thousands of veterinarians and trainers.
• Very easy to put on and take off. Simply lay Thundershirt on your dog’s back and fasten the
hook and loop closures. No head or leg holes to struggle with.
• Completely comfortable and safe for your dog. Safe to leave your dog unsupervised while
wearing a Thundershirt (e.g. For separation anxiety or storms while you are away).
• Money-Back Guarantee.
• Lightweight and breathable fabric. Overheating is not typically a concern, regardless of how much
fur your dog may have. Dog’s cool themselves primarily through their mouths and paws.
• Machine washable in cold water. Recommend hang drying.
How Does Thundershirt Work?
Thundershirt applies gentle, constant pressure to a dog’s torso and this pressure has a dramatic calming
effect for most dogs. Anxiety experts believe that the pressure may release a calming hormone like
endorphins or oxcytocins, but using pressure is not at all a new idea for relieving anxiety:
• Swaddling infants.
• Dr. Temple Grandin’s work with people with autism.
• Special Needs Teachers using pressure shirts for a wide variety of behavioral disorders.
Thundershirt is just the rst product to make using pressure easy with dogs!
Questions or Feedback for Thundershirt Company? [email protected]

Thundershirt Company | www.thundershirt.com
Sizing: Thundershirt is available in seven sizes for dogs from 3 lbs to 200 lbs. Chest size is the best
measurement to use when tting your dog, but weight may be used if chest size is not available See
the illustration below for how to measure chest size. Refer to the
sizing table on the package for additional information.
When tting a Thundershirt on a male dog, the straps that go
around the stomach area should not cover or push on the genitals
or prepuce. If the Thundershirt rubs against the genitals or
prepuce, irritation may result.
How Common Are Anxiety and Fear Problems for Dogs?
Very! Based on a comprehensive survey of the general dog
population, 29% of all dogs suffer from fear and anxiety problems
– Over 20 million dogs in the United States! Noise anxiety is the most common issue with 17% of all
dogs. Separation anxiety is the next most common with 13% of all dogs. Some interesting facts:
• Dogs suffer from more anxiety and fear issues as they age. Dogs over 8 years old are more than
50% more likely to have an anxiety problem than dogs under 3 years old.
• Female and male dogs are equally likely to have anxiety or fear issues.
• Dogs living in multi-dog households are 50% LESS likely to have anxiety issues than dogs living
in single-dog households.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions:
What training is required for using Thundershirt for anxiety and fear issues?
For many types of anxiety… none! Just follow the simple introduction steps provided with the
instructions for your dog to become accustomed to the Thundershirt. Then simply put the
Thundershirt on before or during the next anxiety-provoking event and you will likely see results with
the very rst usage. In addition, for many dogs, the benets will increase with each following use.
It may take three to ve usages to see maximum results. For more serious anxiety cases for which
a Thundershirt alone does not provide the desired results, we recommend consulting with a qualied
dog trainer for how to integrate Thundershirt into an appropriate training program. Thundershirt’s
calming benets can be an excellent addition to any training program.
How tightly should I wrap the Thundershirt on my dog?
Comfortably snug around the torso and never restrictive around the neck area. The Thundershirt
should not cause any discomfort for your dog, but should apply gentle constant pressure around the
torso. It’s the pressure that provides the calming benet. You can snug up the Thundershirt while
pulling the aps around the torso and as long as you can easily slide your ngers underneath, there
shouldn’t be any issue.
Can I wash and dry Thundershirt? Remove hair from the closure hooks?
Thundershirt is made with durable, washable fabric. When necessary, Thundershirt may be washed
in a regular cycle using regular laundry detergent and warm water. Hang to dry. When washing in a
Measure
“Chest Size”
as illustrated by
red arrow

Thundershirt Company | www.thundershirt.com
machine, we recommend fastening the hook and loop fasteners to prevent them from snagging on
your Thundershirt or other items in the wash.
If necessary, to remove dog hair from your Thundershirt’s closure hooks, we recommend using a
standard dog “slicker” brush. A couple of strokes and the hooks will be nearly hair-free.
How long can I leave a Thundershirt on my dog?
Thundershirt is designed to be safe to leave on your dog for extended periods of time when
appropriate for the situation or issue that you are addressing. Thundershirt is made out of light-
weight, breathable fabric, so over-heating is very rarely an issue. It is typically safe to leave a dog
unsupervised while wearing a Thundershirt.
How do I put Thundershirt onto my dog?
We designed Thundershirt to be very easy to put on your dog, even if she is already in a state
of anxiety. Nothing to pull over your dogs head and holes to thread legs through. Simply lay the
Thundershirt over the dog’s back and fasten the adjustable fasteners. Detailed instructions are in the
package and available on the company website.
Are there any special sizing and t considerations for male dogs?
When tting a Thundershirt on a male dog, the straps that go around the stomach area should not
cover or push on the genitals or prepuce. If the Thundershirt rubs against the genitals or prepuce,
irritation may result.
Is overheating a concern when using a Thundershirt?
Except in extreme conditions (e.g. >90 degrees Fahrenheit in the sun), overheating is not typically
a concern when using a Thundershirt. Dogs cool themselves primarily through their mouths and
paws, and a Thundershirt is constructed of a lightweight, breathable fabric. The state of Florida is
one of our biggest markets. But if you feel that overheating might be a problem for your particular
circumstance, please monitor your dog for any signs of overheating such as heavy panting or tongue
hanging out of the mouth. Remove the Thundershirt if you see any signs of overheating.
Suggestions for when a Thundershirt appears to not be working?
Over 80% of dogs respond to Thundershirt’s gentle, constant pressure, but of course that means
some dogs do not. A few questions and suggestions are below to perhaps get better results for
your dog:
• Have you tried making the Thundershirt a little more “snug”? But please note…it should never
be uncomfortable …just “comfortably snug” around the torso and never restrictive around the
neck area. You may be able to increase the snugness around the torso and see improvement.
• Have you tried using a Thundershirt in combination with any other approaches? Thousands
of trainers across the country use Thundershirts as part of training programs. Thundershirt’s
calming effect helps dogs to better focus during training…a more focused dog is a faster learning
dog! Visit our website for suggestions… www.thundershirt.com/howitworks
• Is your dog comfortable in the Thundershirt? Almost all dogs quickly learn to like wearing
a Thundershirt. We hear from customers all the time that their dogs will literally seek out
their Thundershirt during times of stress! But if your dog is showing signs of not liking the
Thundershirt, please take additional steps to help your pup learn to love it. After putting the
Thundershirt on, will your dog eat treats? If he is willing to eat with the Thundershirt on, that is
usually a good sign that he is not too anxious. Try putting on the Thundershirt WITHOUT other
stressors present (e.g. no guests over), and give lots of high value treats and engage in play.

Thundershirt Company | www.thundershirt.com
Will repeated use of a Thundershirt desensitize my dog to its calming effect?
We’ve already helped many tens of thousands of dogs, and we’ve seen very few cases where a
Thundershirt appears to have lost its positive effects over time. In many cases, we’ve actually seen
the opposite. Through the use of Thundershirt over time, many dogs learn to become calm during
the circumstances that previously bothered them! Thundershirt allows many dogs to experience the
problem in a calmer, less fearful state. Over time, this enables some dogs to learn to be less fearful
of the problem situation even without Thundershirt! The underlying symptoms diminish, or in some
cases are eliminated entirely.
Can a Thundershirt help my dog during agility or other competitions?
We have had very good results with dogs that have suffered anxiety problems in agility and other
competitions. Thundershirt’s calming effect can help to get them focused on the tasks at hand.
Symptoms for which we have seen great results include reactivity, fearfulness, distractibility, and
excitability.
Does a Thundershirt work for Cats?
While we haven’t been marketing Thundershirts for cats, we have had hundreds of cat owners use
Thundershirts with great results. Our XXS and XS Thundershirts t many cats. While we can’t quote
specic statistics, we do encourage giving Thundershirt a try.
Couldn’t I just use a tight t-shirt or an ace bandage to apply the pressure?
Yes you could, but there are several major advantages to using a Thundershirt:
1. A Thundershirt is very easy to put on and take off. With Thundershirt, you don’t have to pull
anything over your dog’s head or try to thread legs through leg holes. That can be very difcult
with many dogs, especially if they are already anxious!
2. The gentle, constant pressure is the key to Thundershirt’s success. Our patent-pending design
makes Thundershirt very easy to adjust to get the proper pressure. With t-shirts and ace
bandages, it can be very challenging to maintain the pressure.
3. The Thundershirt can be left on without supervision. It is as safe to wear as the typical dog collar.
A dog shouldn’t be left unsupervised while wearing an ace bandage. And dogs can more easily
get tangled up in t-shirts.
4. And we think a Thundershirt looks better too! But of course, you can judge that for yourself…
For more Information, please visit the following:
• www.thundershirt.com/howitworks
• Trainingcenter.thundershirt.com
• http://www.thundershirt.com/HowItWorks/Videos.aspx