Thundercap - Thoughts, opinions?

AllieMackie

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#1
(I meant this to go in the Training forum, if a mod can migrate it! Oops)

I think it's pretty new on the scene, so in case you haven't seen it:

http://www.thundershirt.com/Product/ThunderCap.aspx?item_guid=8c07f7d3-f09d-4e95-a82e-0ac16d129a20

Has anyone tried this or something similar with their dogs? Finn, being a typical working BC, has the tendency to fixate and get himself tense over the things he fixates on. This is not usually a big problem to keep control of, but has recently been a larger issue than usual while acclimating Marshall's cats to him - Finn and I have been spending weekends there to work on getting everyone used to each other. The cats aren't dog-friendly just yet (no exposure until now) and while Finn isn't aggressive in the least towards them, he does fixate heavily on them because they are New And Exciting and he hasn't had a cat around in a bit. His fixating very much unnerves the cats and creates a negative feedback cycle that doesn't help anyone get along. :p

Lately, I've discovered that combining his Thundershirt with covering his face/eyes with a light blanket or bandana tends to render him much more relaxed (almost to a "dumb" state), and allows me to use it as a training tool to work with him more gradually and thus more successfully on his fixating issues, and to help the cats be calmer near him as well because they can't see his eyes. So far it's been great.

This seems like it'd be very similar to what I'm already doing, save for the cap actually fitting over his face and being built for what I'm making work with bandanas. The coverings I choose are not entirely opaque, just like the cap. It would also allow me to maneuver him around without worrying about the blanket/bandana falling off. :p

Anyone have thoughts or experiences with it or anything similar? Any tips for training in our specific situation are welcome, too!
 

Saeleofu

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#4
Um, I'm pretty sure if I put this on Gavroche he'd turn into a piranha. His favorite game is to cover his face with a blanket and bite whatever touches him for funsies, since, you know, NOBODY could ever guess it's Gavroche under there! :rofl1:

On the other hand, I sort of want something like this for ME. I'm not really comfortable moving about in blackout shades, but something that obscures my vision but lets me see shapes would be great for sensory overload.
 

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