When dogs are afraid of storms, what can you do?

Two out of my three dogs are terrified of storms and fireworks; so much so that they pace furiously, shake uncontrollably, and search for the place they feel safest (like wedged between the couch and end-table or sitting on my head).

Instead of each passing year getting better and desensitized, their stress level had reached sad proportions. No amount of comfort or treats made them feel at ease, so I thought, "What can I do?"

Thanks to many searches on the web, Twitter, and Facebook, I finally found something that made a difference -- RESOURCES Canine Anti-Anxiety & Calming Formula tablets, which contain Melatonin, and this new piece of clothing called the Thundershirt®.

What's a Thundershirt®, you ask? According to the company's website, www.thundershirt.com, "with its patent-pending design, Thundershirt’s gentle, constant pressure has a dramatic calming effect for most dogs if they are anxious, fearful or over-excited."

At first I wasn't convinced, but after reading tons of positive reviews, and a little insight from my pal on Twitter, @fearfuldogs, I figured that I didn't have much to lose at this point.

We've had three loud storms since the shirts arrived, and I'm happy to report that both dogs seem more relaxed and are content to lay down and take a nap; it's almost as if they hadn't even noticed the thunder. 


Now, if I could just get all three of them to calm down when ANYONE comes to my house!