Pet owners know, having a dog with anxiety is stressful, and trying to find remedies to calm frazzled nerves can be exhausting. We identified the best thunder jackets, so your dog can feel safe and secure during long car rides, trips to the vet, during thunderstorms or when left home alone.
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.Learn more.
Thunder jackets wrap around your dog to provide gentle, constant pressure that helps reduce anxiety. A study, published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior in 2013, reported that an impressive 89 percent of dog owners found that prolonged use of an anxiety wrap reduced anxiety levels in their dogs.
The concept behind this design is meant to mimic a dog’s desire to be close to you when they’re frightened. They seek pressure and warmth to feel secure, which relates to their instinct to be part of a pack, like dogs in the wild.
Shown here is the original ThunderShirt.
One of the most well-known brands of thunder jackets is ThunderShirt. The company evolved from the owner’s own experience with an anxiety-ridden dog named Dosi. “For many years Dosi (and her family) had to suffer though thunderstorms and Fourth of July fireworks,” the story goes. “During one bad storm, they wrestled Dosi into an old t-shirt and used packing tape to create mild pressure. They were amazed – Dosi calmed almost instantly and laid down for the duration of the storm!” Uncover the reasons behind your dog’s fear of fireworks.
The patented ThunderShirt, available in 7 sizes, works by applying gentle, constant pressure.
The Amazon reviews speak highly of the product. “This saved our lives,” says one reviewer. “Literally. We had a very highly anxious rescue dog, and we were having such a difficult time with her. She would bark all the time, itch and bite herself constantly, have accidents on the floor. She was so scared and nothing would relax her. Then we found Thundershirt. It calmed her so much! She went from being scared all the time, to really quieting down, relaxing on the couch and even going to the dog park.”
This thunder jacket from Agon uses three senses (touch, smell and hearing) to calm dog anxiety. The pressure wrap is easy to put on and adjustable, so you can ensure your dog has the right amount of pressure. The jacket also has a built-in speaker with calming and relaxing sounds, and essential oil crystals.
“I had to make sure and write a review for this anti-anxiety dog vest,” says an Amazon reviewer. “We have a 9-year-old golden retriever who has always been afraid of thunder. Terrified to the point of making himself sick. He’s been to the vet where they put him on anxiety meds. Those never worked. We were at our wits’ end when we came across this vest while searching through Amazon.
“The first time we used it we noticed a slight change in his behavior. By the fourth use, we noticed him going into the room where we have it stored. We place it on him and his breathing seems to calm almost immediately. The sounds, scent and swaddling effect is so soothing that it actually puts him at ease and sends him into napping mode.”
The ThunderShirt is also available in a sporty fit. The jacket was designed for comfort, featuring durable fabric that’s breathable and washable and the contrasting trim and reflective logos make for safer nighttime walks.
“Got this in a medium for my (very petite) Pit Bull/Lab mix with noise sensitivity and separation anxiety,” says an Amazon reviewer. “Even though I work in a kennel and am constantly around people’s dogs that these jackets work for, I was still incredibly skeptic because my dog has fits so bad she breaks out in hives and claws herself open.
“But, I’ve been putting it on her every morning since the day it arrived because it works better than anything else I’ve tried. She’s finally comfortable and not running back and forth crying, hiding behind the couch, or digging at her neck when something upsets her. It works perfectly. Thank you, 5 stars.”
Plus, discover a better way to deal with dog hair.
The veterinarian-recommended Comfort Zone Calming Vest features complete comfort compression technology. The full chest fit ensures maximum torso coverage for constant, swaddling-like pressure to help your dog feel calmer.
“My dog is always anxious getting into and riding in the car,” says an Amazon reviewer. “And we love taking her and her fur-sister to the park several times a week. But the trip is always ruined as she always gets anxious and ends up vomiting in the car! I have doggie drop cloths in there to catch it all. But ugh, such a pain!
“Enter: this awesome Comfort Zone vest. I followed the video instructions to measure her chest (vs weight) and she is 22″ around and i got a Medium and got a perfect fit!! It’s totally easy to get on and off and she loves it. We’ve taken her on 3 rides and so far – no sickness! No puke! I was skeptical but so far, so good! Now she’s associating the vest with a fun park trip and gets excited to put it on. Happy pet parent right here! 2 thumbs, I mean, 2 paws up!!”
Thunder jackets aren’t just useful during thunder storms, as you’ve likely gathered by now. There are a lot of other anxiety-inducing situations, like when your dog has to have surgery. This onesie is ideal, as it provides pressure to alleviate nervousness and protects your dog’s surgical wounds (instead of the uncomfortable cone). Invented by a veterinarian with more than 40 years experience, and used by thousands of veterinarians, trainers, pet professionals and universities nationwide, this onesie is antimicrobial and features no harmful chemicals or other contaminants.
“Found this on Amazon (day of her surgery) and bought it just in case the cone didn’t work out. Soooooo glad I did!” says an Amazon reviewer. “She is an anxious, fearful dog. Obviously it took a little bit of time to get used to it but she felt happy to move around, be able to see and most importantly it didn’t make her shake or feel scared. I definitely recommend this as an alternative to the cone to make your dogs healing easier and basically stress free.”
