I hate to drag up an old thread but our recent experience with our Mal, Bailey, in a kennel while we were on vacation a couple of weeks ago reminded me of an excellent thread I saw about Thundershirts.

http://leerburg.com/webboard/thread.php?topic_id=33180&page=1

We use an excellent kennel to board our dogs when we're away. As good as they are, though, Bailey is a nervous wreck the first day or so until she settles down. While she goes readily with the kennel owners to her unit, she will pace like crazy and spring off each wall, back and forth for hours. Once, she even hurt one of her paws and we had to get her treated for a resulting infection. So, needless to say, even though it's necessary, we're always on edge over how she does in the kennel during our trips, especially on her first couple of days.

OK, this last time, we took her to the kennel wearing a Thundershirt. For the first time in almost three years, about 7 stays, she only paced for the first few hours and then settled right down for the rest of the week. There was none of the springing off the walls at any time. They took the Thundershirt off after the first day and she was the model dog the remainder of her stay.

So, I'm left wondering, was that an isolated incident and just a coincidence along with having the Thundershirt on, did the Thundershirt really help her to relax in that stressful setting sooner than she normally would have, or is she just getting better used to going to the kennel with age? We leave for another vacation in a couple of months so it will be interesting to see how it goes again. In any case, she will definitely go with the Thundershirt.

My thought is, it can't hurt her as long as it's worn properly. My only concern is her tearing it off and ingesting fabric. Please ask your boarding facility to keep an eye out for that problem.

If it works for her, great! The foster dog has since gone to his new home after being neutered, but he's still wearing a thundershirt (bought one for him) and it's obvious it helps him.

Have you tried to work through this anxiety through training?

Do you visit this kennel at other times, when you are not boarding?

If this is something you do semi-annually, I would think it worth the time to have the dog learn to relax there.

JMHO

On Topic.... I'm glad the Thundershirt helped

 Quote: SamanthaTopper

My thought is, it can't hurt her as long as it's worn properly. My only concern is her tearing it off and ingesting fabric. Please ask your boarding facility to keep an eye out for that problem.

From our experience, little as it is, and from the kennel owners, she doesn't seem at all reactive to having the shirt on. I hadn't considered the possibility of her chewing or picking at the fabric. This last time using it, the shirt came off after the first day. We'll definitely keep an eye out for her doing that. Thanks, Sam.

 Quote: David Winners

Have you tried to work through this anxiety through training?

Do you visit this kennel at other times, when you are not boarding?

If this is something you do semi-annually, I would think it worth the time to have the dog learn to relax there.

JMHO

On Topic.... I'm glad the Thundershirt helped

Thanks for the comments, David. We hadn't done anything at the kennel to train her but I hadn't considered it either. Kind of like with our other dogs in the same situation, we've been banking on repeated experiences at the kennel desensitizing her over time. She has gotten better and each time, I feel a little better about leaving her. It's probably more the problem with me worrying about and missing her. I need to remember she's just a dog and eventually she settles down and she does fine.

Now that you mention it, there's nothing to lose by simply taking her there for a short happy visit, like we do on occasion with the vet. We could mark her just going into the cage and doing a simple down, leave for a couple of minutes, then get her and head home.

That said, the kennel is great. They take extra effort with the dogs in their care so it's easy for the dogs to settle down. It's a family business and all the family members get involved with the dogs, to include individual play and exercise times in a large fenced yard.

I was just surprised we saw a difference the first time using the Thundershirt. Like you said, if that's what helped her settle down faster, that's great. Still, we might try to do as you suggested and work with her at the kennel. Good suggestion. Thanks!

 Quote: Greg Meyer

Now that you mention it, there's nothing to lose by simply taking her there for a short happy visit, like we do on occasion with the vet. We could mark her just going into the cage and doing a simple down, leave for a couple of minutes, then get her and head home.

Rinse and repeat until the kennel is just another place. It's what I would do if I were me.

It's what I'd do too. Desensitizing to anxiety triggers is never a bad idea, IMO.