Product Reviews

Dog Anxiety Wrap: Product Review to Stop the Boom Boom Fear

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air, the cocker hiding ‘neath my chair. Yes, these are the images that beckon to mind in my household this time of year and whenever a thunderstorm is looming.

My name is Carol and I have a dog who is incredibly petrified of loud sounds from outside. My little guy started out without this fear in the world. Innocent and tabula rosa, my little cocker blank slate. Then it changed on a dime, or should I say “quarter” stick.

Dexter needed to relieve himself and last 4th of July at the exact moment he was in front of the house doing his business, a HUGE host of fireworks exploded into the night sky. Bye bye innocence, hello reality. I about thought that he would jump out of his fur and leave track marks trying to get back into the house. All of my cooing and coddling him that it was “okay, baby, it’s okay” only reinforced his behavior. Bad dog mommy. Bad.

It progressed to fear of the loud thunderous storms that make their presence known here in Pennsylvania frequently during the summer months. As a dog writer and heavy traveler with Fido, certainly we needed to nip this in the bud.

So when the folks from The Anxiety Wrap company contacted FIDO Friendly to see if we were interested in a product review, I skeptically thought well, “sure why not.” I wondered though, would it really work? What’s so special about a snug fitting holistic body suit? And won’t Dexter eventually realize putting the shirt on means boom booms are about to hit the night sky?

That’s why I write about product and don’t invent it. That’s left to the good folks at The Anxiety Wrap. Susan Sharpe invented the Anxiety Wrap. She’s trained animals for over 20 years, so she has experience with this sort of thing. That put me at ease.

The process of ordering the Anxiety Wrap was really incredible, and that’s an understatement. The customer care team worked closely with me to ensure an exact fit for my Fido and to explain exactly how to use the Anxiety Wrap, the do’s and don’ts and how to maximize its efficacy.

You can learn more about those specifics here: The Anxiety Wrap

Once you’ve ordered the Anxiety Wrap and have it home, the instructions are very simple and include:

1. Put the Anxiety Wrap on 20 to 30-minutes one time only absence a storm for an introductory period.
2. The next time the Anxiety Wrap is put on the dog it will be for an actual storm. Once the Anxiety Wrap is on the dog STOP all interaction, this means NO talking, NO touching and NO direct eye contact. The dog may follow you around or may not, but do NOT interact with the dog whenever the Anxiety Wrap is on him or her.
3. The reason for no interaction is because a) your interaction may reinforce the very behavior you are wanting to extinguish and b) your interaction will raise the dog’s adrenaline level, which could then override the Anxiety Wrap’s effectiveness.
4. Once the storm has passed and the dog has stopped showing all storm related stress symptoms removed the Anxiety Wrap and you may then calmly interact with your dog.
5. Put the Anxiety Wrap on your dog bi-monthly during the storm season to prevent it from becoming a conditioner for approaching storms.
6. Watch this video on how to properly remove the Anxiety Wrap. There are other informative videos on the site too.

Well, I followed the above. Dexter is accustomed to wearing clothes for warmth and style in the fall and winter months, so he was completely accepting of apparel on his cocker body. In fact, he even hands me each paw to insert in the shirt openings. If your pooch isn’t used to clothes, you just need to be patient and work with them that wearing the shirt is a good thing. Reward them verbally and perhaps with a treat each time. Wear the shirt during calm times. Let them know it’s a good thing.

After the third wearing during non-storm periods, we decided to put it to the real test. A storm was brewing, complete with lighting. We put the shirt on a half hour before the boom booms started. This is an image (left) of the heavy panting and shaking behavior Dexter experiences at these times. He is 5 minutes into the storm in this picture.

After 20 minutes of ignoring Dexter (not an easy feat, mommy instinct kicking in), an amazing thing happened. He lay on his bed in the office and decided to take a nap. DURING THE STORM!!! This couldn’t be, could it? After 2 minutes he woke up, circled and lay back down. See?

We tried the anxiety wrap several times after that experience in different situations. I live near a park that shoots off fireworks in pre-celebration of Independence Day. He shakes at first but within 20 minutes of wearing the shirt, he is behind the chair or couch hiding but calmer. Much much calmer.

Anxiety Wrap has not only lived up to its expectations but far exceeded them and gave me the innocence back that ran through my cocker’s body before the big bad world of boom booms entered. For that, I thank them. Thinking of trying it on your Fido? Go for it and find more info about how and where to purchase and pricing by clicking here: The Anxiety Wrap

Overall Product Review: We give this product 5 out of 5 paws. Let the bombs burst in air, this Fido is unaware. Thank you, Anxiety Wrap!!!

Note: We accept no monetary compensation for reviews. Review is NOT sponsored by Anxiety Wrap and is the sole opinion of the reviewer for FIDO Friendly magazine. We welcome your feedback and comments.

Tags anxiety wrap, dog friendly, dog products, dogs, pet friendly, pets, product review, travel

This entry was posted on Friday, July 2nd, 2010 at 2:40 pm and is filed under Product Reviews. You can leave a response by clicking here.

5 Responses to “Dog Anxiety Wrap: Product Review to Stop the Boom Boom Fear”

Kelly Ladouceur Says:
July 2nd, 2010 at 3:30 pm

I have a dog that is afraid of other dogs and that can be hesitant in new situations. I’ve wanted to try the anxiety wrap, and I think I will now, with your endorsement.

Carol, coddling can NOT reinforce fear. Think about it. If you had a huge tarantula on your arm (assuming you’re afraid of spiders), and somebody was trying to soothe you, would you feel reinforced? Probably not . . . you’d still be afraid. But I doubt you’d go seek out a tarantula, just to get more soothing. The thought that fear can be reinforced has been challenged by such knowledgeable canine behaviorists as Patricia McConnell PhD (http://www.theotherendoftheleash.com) and Jean Donaldson. It is now okay to soothe your dog, without trying to make a huge deal of the scary event. So if Dex needs some TLC, don’t feel guilty, just let those Mommy instincts kick in.
Carol Bryant Says:
July 2nd, 2010 at 10:30 pm

Thanks for the kind words and the updated info, Kelly. What a wonderful cocker mom you are!!!
Mary Haight Says:
July 3rd, 2010 at 2:40 am

Great review, Carol! My dog is similarly afflicted and although I have been using counter-conditioning to change his level of anxiety, I worry about what happens if I’m not home during a storm. Temple Grandin told us a lot about certain anxieties, in people and cattle, that could be quelled by hugging action. This is a really useful item; thanks for your review!
Beth Says:
July 3rd, 2010 at 9:05 am

Good morning,

i just became aquainted with the ‘Anxiety Wrap’ and find the concept very interesting. I have two white shepherds who each have their own fear based anxiety. I am particularly concerned about my 4 year old who has almost all of the symptoms of anxiety listed in your product information.

I have a question about whether the price is refundable if needed? Also, one of my boys is over 100lbs and the other is about 90 pounds. Do you have a wrap that will fit and what is the best way to measure to get the best fit.

Thanks so much!!

Beth
Carol Bryant Says:
July 3rd, 2010 at 9:16 am

Beth, All great questions. I am sure the folks at Anxiety Wrap will help you out on all of those. You can contact them through their website at http://anxietywrap.com/Contact/