Okay, where was a Thundershirt when I needed one?
Where was a Thundershirt when my fraidy-cat dog, Winston, was still alive and freaking out every time a thunderstorm boomed into the area? Or every July 4th when popping fireworks turned my dog into a quivering blob of canine craziness?
What in the world is a Thundershirt, you ask? Probably a gold mine for its inventors, that’s what. It’s one of those “duh” inventions that cause us to slap our foreheads and say, “Duh – why didn’t I think of that?” You know, like the Snuggie and Topsy Turvy tomato planter.
The Thundershirt is, as the name implies, a shirt you put on a dog who is driven bonkers by loud noises. If this thing lives up to its hype, the inventor ought to receive a Nobel Prize.
Aye, there’s the rub. According to a TV news consumer report, the Thundershirt doesn’t always work.
The news folks tested the shirt on three neurotic Upstate South Carolina dogs. It didn’t help the cowardly bulldog or the incessantly yapping, incredibly annoying chihuahua at all. Another nervous mutt with serious obsessive-compulsive issues did experience a little relief, but all in all, the report took quite a bit of marketing thunder out of the shirt.
Nevertheless, I’m sure I would have bought one if Winston were still with us. I was desperate enough to try about anything, so exasperating and torturous were his phobic responses to storms.
Test results notwithstanding, the science behind the Thundershirt is apparently not without merit. Researchers have proven that gentle, constant physical pressure applied to the body can have a calming effect on the nervous systems of both animals and humans.
You may have read or heard about Dr. Temple Grandin, a scientist and expert in animal behavior and the subject of an Emmy Award-winning movie last year. Grandin, who is autistic, invented a device called a “squeeze machine” to help her deal with the tormenting sensory overload that often afflicts those who suffer from autism. Grandin’s device gently applied pressure to her body and helped calm her racing mind.
The Thundershirt is essentially a wearable squeeze machine for dogs.
But I’m guessing a squeeze machine or Thundershirt wouldn’t really work for me. After all, wearing Spanx, pantyhose or tight jeans never, ever makes me feel better.
Besides, I don’t want to climb in a squeeze machine or put on a Great Dane-sized Thundershirt every time life gets scary or overwhelming. That’s why I’m thankful God has provided some solid promises to calm my fears.
Borrowing from the actual Thundershirt marketing website, here are a few:
For “fear of fireworks/thunder”:
For “separation anxiety”: “I will never leave you nor forsake you …” (Hebrews 13:5c)
For “travel anxiety”:
For “crate training”:
For “problem barking”: “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
For “hyperactivity”: “(John 14:27a)
For “leashing pulling”:
Life in this world is so consistently dicey that temporary fixes just don’t cut it. Thundershirts and squeeze boxes aren’t enough.
We need the peace of God that wraps around our hearts and reminds us that an omnipotent, loving God is in control. No matter what things look like, He is in control. And, in the end, for those who trust in Him, everything is going to be okay.