****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I purchased this product for my pup who began demonstrating severe separation anxiety signs likely as a result of spending 4 months in Hawaii's animal quarantine facility (Hawaii is a rabies-free state and if your puppy is too young to qualify for direct release after import, they go to quarantine for 120 days. Yes, you can visit them daily which I did. And I thought spending every day separated from me would have helped him ::overcome:: the very normal phase of puppy separation anxiety-- oh no. I was very wrong. It made his separation anxiety 1000 times worse.So in researching solutions I came across the Calmer Canine product. Watched the videos and it seemed promising.We are now about 3 weeks into treatment, 2x/day.Pros:-he has no problem wearing it and doesn't seem to mind it.- When in treatment he mostly tends to lay down, sometimes fall asleep.- At present, he is still scream-crying for an upwards of 45 minutes to an hour the moment I leave him home alone in his crate because I need to leave. For sleep at night he happily goes into his crate and goes to bed. So it's not the crate, per se-- it's the separation/ isolation/ abandonment aspect.- He used to scream-cry just being in the crate separate from me even if I was still home when it was not time for bed, but that is now down to a minimal whine to no whining. I can't say, however, if "crate time" improvement is the result of practice or the device.Cons:- this thing was expensive AF and for what it looks like, there is no product short of a medical life-sustaining device that is genuinely worth over $200 for a dog. But I was desperate. I live in a Hawaii apartment where one whole wall is made out of vented windows. And his scream-cries literally echo through the streets. I'm not trying to get us evicted due to a noisy puppy. Instead of "selling" these devices, the company should switch to a rental model that patrons can return after we hit the 6 week mark; and if it turns out clients like the device and have more dogs they want to use it on, they can extend customers a 'rent-to-own' purchase option after the 6 weeks is up.- size small was too big for my little guy, who is on the big end of small dog products. So if you have say, a cocker spaniel or smaller, you want size XS. But we make it work even if it's loose. I just tie it around his waist, basically.- He chews on the halo. If the halo isn't placed exactly right, it's the perfect diameter to go right into his little mouth. So supervision is non-negotiable.- the halo often slips to the sides depending how he decides to lay down. Hoping this doesn't negatively impact treatment.- you'll want to keep the box so that when the treatment is done every day, you can pop it back in the box between uses. Or to return the device if it doesn't work.- the batteries died at around 3 weeks and it costs $12 to replace these specialized batteries. So add $12 to your total cost.- I am going to return the device within my return window, I don't think it's helping us, unfortunately.We've had our rescue for 9 years and she has always suffered from anxiety - separation, car, thunder, fireworks, new people, you name it. She was always high-strung and stressed out. We tried more exercise, more walks, increased socialization, stricter routine, Thundershirt, everything except pharmacotherapy. Calmer Canine made a difference from the very first treatment. Our pup mellowed out within minutes and remained zen-like for at long time after the treatment. With regular use, she has been lighter, brighter, happier, more playful, less stressed, and generally almost like her puppy-level energy. I'm so grateful that we found a non-invasive, non-drug option to help her.My senior dog has become quite attached since I have been working from home for the past year. He follows me everywhere. Been using my Calmer Canine on my senior dog for about a month now and it's been a world of difference. He is totally chill now and he has stopped following me around from place to place. He no longer has to know where I am all the time or be on top of me. He is happy and calm all the time. He doesn't even seem to mind the treatments. He comes right over when I get out the vest and device. So excited that this is working!This device was recommended by our vet to help our dog with various types of anxiety. Our dog would struggle when the family left the house for the day, suffering from separation anxiety. He would also become very anxious and skittish if he was resting and one of us would enter or exit the room suddenly with wild jumping and barking. Our dog's stress and anxiety was stressing out all of us.The device is very simple to use with or without the vest. If you don't want to use the vest, you can just hold it above the dog's head during a session. If you are unsure of sizing - definitely size down. We ordered a small and probably should've went with the XS since the vest is very stretchy and the small is a little loose.The results have been absolutely amazing. Our little guy is so much more relaxed when we leave the house and no longer freaks out when one of us accidently startles him when we enter or exit a room. We just recently lent the device to a friend and she is seeing improvement in her dog already - it really does work! The best part is that this is drug-free. We have a small dog and don't want to give medications or supplements that aren't absolutely necessary. We are so thankful we found this device to help our dog and our family.My coworker used this device in an attempt to manage her dog who had trauma related to travel and was unable to behave since in the car. Unrelated, the dog was also reactive to other dogs and would often disrupt the workflow by barking and growing at any dog that walked by our office, which was often as we're in a dog heavy area.My coworker said she didn't notice improvement with the car. However, we all in the office noticed a great improvement in the dogs reactivity to other dogs. Instead of feeling the need to run up to the windows and bark, she was okay sitting back for a bit and just watching them, and wasn't so quick to growl and get otherwise defensive. No one expected that as a result, but it was a huge benefit to the office. To provide more detail, we had tried other training methods before including distraction, treats, had a trainer come in to consult, and nothing had improved her reactivity until the Calmer Canine was being used. Great device.
