September 2008 - Posts
By JoNel Aleccia, health writer
What it is: Storm Defender, a fabric cape for dogs to wear during thunderstorms ($54.99 and $64.99)
What it claims to do: Keep your dog from becoming anxious and destructive during a big storm. You tie the cape lined with metallic fabric around the dog’s body at the first hint of thunder and lightning – or the first sign of worried canine behavior. The makers, Storm Defender LLC of Fairfield, Ohio, claim it disperses the static electricity that builds up before a storm, calming the dog (and the owner) without the use of drugs.
My experience: I was completely unprepared for the reality of a big dog on a dark and stormy night. I’ve been a cat person for most of my adult life, and happily so, until my husband and I allowed our teenaged son to talk us into a puppy. The teenager left for college, of course, and the puppy is now a 112-pound pooch with a sweet disposition – and a morbid fear of thunderstorms.
My history with felines never could have prepared me for the panting, the drooling, the whining, or the sight of a giant animal standing on all four legs, looming over me as I lay in bed.
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