Post Your Pet

[Nirvana]

This works quite well and you can get one on Amazon or at Target.

http://www.thundershirt.com/?utm_expid=16997785-6

[Chocolatl]

Nirvana, we have one! Hasn't worked for him. :-/

[ZenGum]

I thought Rescue Remedy was interesting, so I googled:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bach_flower_remedies

Indicates that three systematic reviews of all research articles found no evidence of effectiveness beyond placebo.


http://voices.yahoo.com/review-dont-...y-2563999.html

is by a naturopath and alternative medicine specialist, and is quite scathing about Rescue Remedy.

I note that RR has brandy in it. Have you tried a tiny drop of brandy in his water bowl? (Warning: I have no idea if alcohol is safe for dogs. And go easy on the booze; getting a hyperactive dog drunk is only slightly less stupid than giving an elephant LSD.)

ETA and for human use, are you just snorting/inhaling a quick puff of atomised alcohol?

[DanaC]

Alcohol is dangerous for dogs. Their tolerances are very very low and it's incredibly easy for them to be ill off it.



Choco: try the DAP stuff. It's safe and works for many dogs.

[Chocolatl]

Dana, we already have, and unfortunately it had no effect on him.

[DanaC]

Oh that's a damn shame.

Maybe a different tack then. The way i got Carrot to be ok about his first bonfire night (major fireworks for about a week either side and on the night itself) was by playing youtube videos of fireworks displays. I'd play them, initially at a low volume then gradually increasing over a few weeks. Whilst I was playing the clips I'd also play with Carrot. The hope being that he would associate those kinds of noises with fun stuff.


Maybe try something similar with storm sounds. Play clips at low volume, playing his favourite games with him as you do, then increase the volume gradually until it is uncomfortabvly loud to your own ears. If you do it slowly over a few weeks it may help. And easy enough to abandon if it isn't working.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by Nirvana

Its not a drug it's made from flower essences.

Like say, opium?

[Chocolatl]

The idea of playing the sound at low volume works really well for a lot of dogs. With Pepper, though, he starts shaking before we humans can even hear the sounds. He also responds to the drop in pressure and the clouds, which aren't things we can replicate at "low volume" or at all. I'm thinking we may need to pull in a pro, but that's not something we can afford right now.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Indicates that three systematic reviews of all research articles found no evidence of effectiveness beyond placebo.

Originally Posted by ZenGum

I note that RR has brandy in it.

Booze isn't placebo, as well all know... Yeah, it's not an actual neurological effect. You put a couple drops under your tongue and there's an immediate numbing and loosening of the salivary glands. Like I said, it wears off quickly. But sometimes it's enough to allow a person who is already trying to stave off momentary stress enough opportunity to regain control. It won't do anything for someone with a genuine panic condition, but then again neither will a big swig of brandy.

[Nirvana]

I don't think dogs are capable of the placebo effect and Rescue Remedy comes in alcohol free.

[Lamplighter]

FWIW, Dana's suggestion about de-sensitizing to sounds while playing
with the dog is similar to training hunting dogs to not be gun-shy.

Another good learning situation is at the dog's feeding time,
while dogs are eager about food and will quickly adjust and ignore sharp sounds.
Starting with simple tapping on a pot, and then over a few days,
building up to dropping pots on the floor, shouting "BANG", and so on really works well,
especially for fire works before the holidays like the (US) 4th of July.

I think dogs hear the rumble of distant thunder before we humans do,
and so playing such sounds during feeding times might be helpful too.

[Perry Winkle]

Originally Posted by Nirvana

I don't think dogs are capable of the placebo effect and Rescue Remedy comes in alcohol free.

No, but they are highly keyed into their human's behavior.

I would imagine the placebo effect can be transitive. Human gets mellower expecting the dog to get mellow. The dog gets mellower because of the change in the human.

Absent a human the dog has no input and thus doesn't change its behavior. I would guess that's what the studies control for, but I didn't read the linked articles.

The dog might also develop a conditioned response so that getting the drops mellows them out just by having been given drops.

[Clodfobble]

As long as the desired effect is achieved...

[footfootfoot]

I taught a roommate's golden retriever to drink beer with me, Fosters actually.

At first the dog was all like WTF? did you put in my bowl dude. The shit is tickle ma nose.

It would polish off half an oil can (Do you get the 24oz cans in Oz?) then burp and fart a lot and slur ever so slightly, maybe a wee bit of staggering happened.

My roommate never found out but did wonder why her dog suddenly started burping from time to time.

I realized I had created a monster when every time I cracked a beer after that the dog would trot into the kitchen and beg. I was in college and on a student budget that barely covered my own beer much less my room mate's dog's beer.

I won't make that mistake again.

[orthodoc]

Horses LOVE beer. It takes a lot to get them drunk, though. Good thing they don't have opposable thumbs, they'd have figured out how to brew by now.