The Rein Coat: An All Natural Solution for Anxiety

My sister got her a new kinda coat the other day! It’s called The Rein Coat. I thought it was kinda silly when she had it on and it wasn’t even rainin’, but then my Lady s’plained it to me. My sister is usually the quite type, even though she can be a might cranky with the rest of us pups. Well, lemme tell ya, she ain’t quite at the place with the lady in the white coat! I went there with her once and I wasn’t quite sure what to think myself! I thought she done gone and got possessed! All that ruckous! That was somethin’ else! WOOF! This Rein Coat is to help her chill out. I hope it comes in extra strength WOOF!

I don’t know much ’bout coats, so I better let my Lady tell ya what it is and how it works. But, she does look mighty purdy in it! I wonder if I act up, will I get a new coat?

Here’s what my Lady had to say about The Rein Coat

As a dog lover, I’ve owned my fair share of pups throughout the years and when it comes to their behavior I sometimes think I’ve seen it all. From begging, chasing tails, stealing the covers, and falling asleep in food bowls there hasn’t been a habit belonging to one of my pups that I haven’t found delight in. Even as I find myself remembering the good times I’ve had with my furry friends over the years, I can’t help but also remember the bad habits some of them have possessed. Just like with the happy traits, I can clearly remember the bad ones like sneaking scraps from the trash, digging around the yard, aggressive barking, etc.

I’m sure y’all remember me talking about my furbaby, Sallie, and her VERY memorable trips to the vet, especially her yearly checkup! While I’m not sure you would call it a habit, it’s more like a character quirk, and a very real anxiety to her. Our Sallie is absolutely terrified of trips to the vet! She is my 10 old senior girl and has been terrified of vet trips all her life. It’s the same vet, same office, twice a year – you would think she would know the drill by now. The vet’s office knows her by name and always prepares themselves for the storm that is about to arrive! We have had to resort to medicating her to be able to do the simplest of things. She barks, she growls, she snaps and she has no qualms about biting with a speed that will send you reeling! Don’t let that sweet face fool you! She can turn into Cujo in the blink of an eye from her anxiety! We have to use a muzzle and then it’s still no picnic trying to hold a dog her size. It’s a workout for the staff and me to say the least. Even though I didn’t want to go the route of medication, it seemed the only hope. I actually think if we refused to medicate her, the vet was going to refuse to see her. Yes, it was really that bad! Sallie’s “chill pill” did work. However, I much prefer not having to give her medication that comes with a long list of possible side effects.

When I was given the opportunity to work with The Rein Coat and review one of their coats and harnesses. It seemed like a blessing had fallen into our laps. You’re probably asking what is The Rein Coat and what a coat and harness have to do with anxiety and being scared – right?

What exactly is the Rein Coat?

The Rein Coat was created by Paula Hege and was created after her beloved English Mastiff suffered a traumatic experience during a thunderstorm. After the incident with her furbaby, Rab, Paula knew she had to do something to help her traumatized pet cope instead of hiding away during future thunderstorms. After months of research and testing, the Rein Coat was developed and Rab’s fear of thunderstorms was over. Shortly after the Rein Coat was completed, Paula and her husband adopted a Great Dane puppy they named Rein Drop and discovered that the 6-month-old pup suffered from fear of riding in the car. Well, out came the Rein Coat, and the problem was quickly solved.

The Classic Rein Coat is made from a 3 layer tricot polyester fleece softshell with a wind-resistant face that includes a wind and water guard membrane. It has an ultra-soft black interior lining. It comes in its classic signature color of rich Royal Blue. It is lightweight with a comfortable, breathable, and loose fit. The Classic Coat is perfect for either inside or outside pets. Even though it is lightweight, it is great for protecting against the cold weather that we have been having. If you prefer, they also offer the UltraLight coat, which is made of Ripstop material

The Rein Coat has a harness attached to the coat itself. I was very impressed with the clasps on the harness! They are VERY heavy-duty! Nothing flimsy here! They are made of high-test military-grade hardware that has an 800 lbs break strength! They are also conveniently adjustable in 7 different places, which makes it easy to custom-fit your pup.

Sallie is a Rottweiler mix that weighs approximately 55 lbs. She is shorter than your average Rottweiler and a little (ok, so a lot) on the chubby side, but don’t tell her I said that! For her size, I chose to try the Classic Rein Coat in Medium Plus for her. It was the perfect fit.

How does the Rein Coat work?

The Rein Coat works by replicating a naturally occurring behavior between a mother animal and her babies. We all know that mother animals pick up their babies by the neck. The babies relax and go limp, letting their mother carry them to safety. It is during this time that a chemical in the brain called oxytocin is released, which reduces their fear and anxiety. The Rein Coat mimics this. By snugging on the back of their neck, the same chemicals are reduced encouraging them to relax. The Rein Coat itself does not hinder their movements in any way.

You can see in the pic above that it hugs up around her neck and runs the length of her body. She is very comfortable wearing it and actually liked having it on! Believe me, Sallie is not shy about letting her wishes be known. If she didn’t like it, we would have definitely known!

Here’s another side shot so that you can see the loop where your leash would attach to the coat itself. You can also get a better idea of how the straps go around the body and how they adjust.

She is waiting on the ride now and totally relaxed. I wanted to give you a better view of the front and how the straps fun down her chest and then around her. For the actual coat itself, it fastens in front, and around the neck area, with velcro. Putting it on was self-explanatory and only a matter of adjusting the straps to fit her.

The Burning Question! Did it Work?

After her modeling shoot, we loaded up for our 6-month checkup at the vet. I’m not sure who was more nervous, me or the vet’s office, knowing she was coming without her medication! Well, our luck held! We got there and she jumped out of the truck and marched up to the door like she knew what she was doing. She also allowed the vet to pet her without her usual snarl. She even let them draw blood without the usual growl and snap. Unfortunately, she drew the line at attempting to trim her toenails. She does not want her feet touched at all – period! That was not going to happen. We agreed enough was enough and ended the visit, calling it an overall success even though we didn’t get the pedicure. Sallie was excited to leave though and in her excitement hit a rack filled with an assortment of medications as she was coming out. Everything on the shelf started falling like dominoes to the floor. We couldn’t help but laugh and shake our heads! She had to leave them something to remember her by – yet again!

The Rein Coat is the perfect solution for your pets if they’re prone to suffer from anxiety, aggression, or over-sensitivity to stressful situations. It’s also a great all-natural alternative to those “calming” prescriptions offered by your vet. In our household, we tend to try and avoid such things so the Rein Coat was perfect for Sallie! I am very glad to not have to give her medication and she feels so much better for it! Overall, and since this was the only visit with the Rein Coat, I am anxious to see if it does even better on her next trip!

The only con we have is that it only comes in one color – royal blue.

Want to try the Rein Coat?

If you have a pet that is anxious or scared of going to the vet, thunderstorms, company, etc. give the Rein Coat a try! Anytime we can find an all-natural solution it is definitely better than medicating them! Oh, and I failed to mention, if you have an odd-sized pet, they are happy to help with a custom-made size for you! Just let them know and they can assist you in getting the perfect size.