A frightened dog is not a good sight. Fear leaves a lasting impact on the emotional health and well-being of a dog. Such a condition might arise in the form of separation anxiety or due to the loud noise of fireworks. This is where you need to learn how to make a thundershirt for your dog.
The awesome idea of a thundershirt is now adopted by many pet owners. Wrapping your dog as snugly as possible provides her with that much-needed feeling of security. And this goes a long way in keeping her calm even during chaos.
You don’t need to buy a dog anxiety thundershirt when you can create one on your own. So let’s find out how to do that!
How does It Work?
Even gentle pressure contributes to comforting a dog. The thundershirt anxiety wrap method is not any different than when you swaddle an infant. The therapeutic technique also has another name, and it’s known as maintained pressure.
People turn to this method when they want to calm and comfort animals as well as humans. This is when you hit all the appropriate pressure points located across the body.
More often than not, dogs start to feel calm and composed immediately due to this pressure sensation. But it doesn’t mean that they will get used to wearing the wrap instantly. The process might take a while. So it’s better to wrap the thundershirt during less stressful situations. Don’t put it on just before the actual stressful event. It doesn’t work that way.
How to Make a Thundershirt for Your Dog?
Just because your dog is big doesn’t mean he isn’t prone to developing fear. All breeds have a tendency of finding a source of anxiety even in daily activities. Some such situations include taking the dog to the vet or home from the clinic. Dogs also have a fear of plane rides or car rides. Even the mere sound of a doorbell or thunder can frighten your dog.
So at such times, it gets difficult to ease their concerns, doesn’t it? This is when you can rely on a dog anxiety thundershirt. And the most interesting part is that you can learn how to make a thundershirt for your dog in the most customizable and affordable manner.
There are many dog anxiety wrap DIY projects, but the most common one is the ace bandage method. So before we get into the other techniques, let’s discuss how to make the ace bandage wrap for your dog.
How to Make a Dog Anxiety Wrap Ace Bandage Thundershirt?
Now you don’t need an ace bandage for this. You can use a scarf as well. This is considered to be the most common thundershirt strategy. Many pet owners depend on this particular method to calm their stressed out dogs. So let’s learn how to build one.
What you will need:
Ace bandage or scarf
The procedure:
1. Place the bandage
You begin by laying the center portion of the ace bandage or scarf across the dog’s chest. The size of the equipment depends on how big or small your dog is. You can opt for a wide bandage for a large dog and a narrow one for a little dog.
2. Cross the bandage
The second step is to bring both the ends of that bandage together by passing them over the dog’s shoulders. Cross the thing over the shoulder blades before crossing its loose ends under the dog’s stomach.
Then tie these loose ends over the animal’s lower back region. While doing so, please make sure that it’s away from the spine. The goal is to aim for a snug fit. So don’t place constricted pressure. The pressure exerted needs to feel like a warm, gentle hug.
Another important safety factor to keep in mind is this. When performing the procedure, please don’t leave the dog unattended. He might get accidentally entangled in the wrap.
How to Sew a Thundershirt for Your Dog?
The thing about dog products like dog shampoo and even dog thundershirt is that you don’t always need to buy them.
You can just as easily make them yourself as well. So what you see below is a procedure that teaches you how to make a thundershirt for your dog with the sewing technique.
Sewing the thundershirt is a more advanced method than the previous two. And this also means that the thundershirt will last for years to come.
Here’s the video series:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2mgsITRayU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjI87qfJ4Ms&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPpFSq0rySo&feature=youtu.be
Wrapping It Up
Before I conclude, there’s something you ought to know. Fireworks are risky business, isn’t it? Especially when it comes to dogs, the experience can be extremely unpleasant. Dogs don’t enjoy fireworks; they tend to get scared by it. In fact, there have been cases where dogs have run away from their home due to the noise of fireworks.
So the 4th of July might be a fun day for you, but that’s not the case for dogs. Even New Year’s celebrations are terrifying for both big and small canines. At such times, their immediate instinct is to run and find a place to hide.
This is why many pet owners stress the importance of a thundershirt. It is considered to be the most efficient solution to such a problem. And above, I have listed three different methods of how to make a thundershirt for your dog.
But do you know what will work better than a thundershirt? No fireworks. So try to avoid them and encourage people to do so. Let’s make this world a calmer and quieter place to live in for our adorable canine friends.
Have you ever had to deal with a frightened dog during fireworks? How did you manage to calm him or her down?
Please feel free to share your experiences with us below. This way we’ll know how to handle such situations in a much better manner. I hope you found the content useful and informative. Thank you for reading. Have a great day!