Dog acting differently after a stay in kennels

Happy14

Hi,

I put my dog in a boarding kennel recently but when I collected him he was a bit strange and depressed for a bit - coming back to himself now - as it was his first time not sure if it was a kennel problem or just that he thought i was leaving him there for good or something - wish dogs could speak! Anyone ever have the same problem and if so is it possible it may not be the kennel just the dog getting used to staying away from home?

Thanks,

Happy2014

aonb

OP if your dog hasnt picked up a bug/infection or something from the kennels, and if he is well physically, but has come home 'different' from the kennels, I would suggest he was not happy there.

Have you phoned the kennels to ask if something happened while he was there? If nothing happened I would ask them how he was when he was there - unhappy/scared etc? Worth asking

I used to send one of my dogs to a lovely kennels - very kind/dog-orientated people - but he loved his routine and home-life so much, going to the kennels used to really upset him - he never complained going 'in' but when he came home he would be out of sorts. He is v.elderly now, and i have other dogs, so have someone come to our house rather than use kennels.

Dogs love their routine (and humans!) so much, if the dog is a bit insecure or anxious, sending him off to a strange place with strange people is bound to be a bit of trauma. If you have to use kennels, might be worth talking to the owners, to see if you could leave him there for an hour now and then to get him used to the place?

Happy14

Hi aonb,

I had tried him in the kennels for a day here and there (dropping him in the morning and collecting him in the evening) but this was his first time away for the night. Usually he gets very excited when he arrives there (as he was when i last dropped him there) but when i collected him was out of sorts on this occasion - the kennel owner said he got on fine and there were no probs - when i arrived to collect him all the dogs were in their kennels and there was a lot of barking so i'd imagine listening to the barking all night as well as wondering where i was may have gotten to him - he seems fine now thank god but am a bit stuck now as to what to do going forward if i have to go somewhere? I've a holiday planned in a few months and a bit worried now as to what i'll do.

hadook

Is it a big kennels OP? A larger kennels can be a pretty busy environment so it might be the shock of going from sedate civilized home life to an overnight stay with barking ruffians either side. If it's something like that then switching to a smaller kennels might be an option or asking if it's possible to have him stay in a quieter section if they have it?

I'm very lucky that I can kennel my shep with our trainer* (his second favourite person in the entire world) when I have to travel with work as he's prone to being a tad anxious. Even with the familiar faces (human and canine) he was a little unsettled the first couple of times he had longer stays but now accepts the occasional holiday as part of his routine and is delighted to arrive, has a ball while he stays and is ecstatic to see me at collection time.

*and no, it's not a send your dog away to be trained type of setup. He doesn't do a tap of work while he's away the lazy sod and instead teaches the trainer's dogs some of his bad habits

aonb

Happy, how long did it take for your dog to 'recover' from the trauma As Hadook said, its all very different/strange/odd/worrying when you leave him there. (Thank god they cant talk - my dogs would drive me INSANE :P) Is there another kennel conveniently closeby that you could try?

I did leave my boys once (and once only!) at an enormous kennels when there was an emergency - and happily found another kennel for future use. Thankfully now, I have found someone who is glad of the cash, to come to my house twice/day, walk the dogs twice/day, feed, leave in our enclosed yard if weather is good, then bring them in in the evening.They are house dogs so they are happier in their own environment. I pay her the rate that I would pay if they were in kennels.

Dont beat yourself up about the kennels - you did your best trying to get him acclimatised to the place, before his overnight - is he an anxious/fussy type (god love him!)? If you have to put him in kennels, then you have to - as long as he is safe/cared for, what more can we do?

Ziegfeldgirl27

My dog absolutely hates kennels. She is 12 now and will have to be put in for a few days in July while I am on holidays. I am dreading it already.

She actually knows where she is going, and puts up a bit of a struggle upon arrival. I have to leave quickly because if I don't there will be tears from me!

My dog has terrible anxiety problems all her life so I understand that being in kennels basically traumatises her! When I collect her from kennels, she is so happy that she starts yelping, it scares me because it sounds like she is in pain, but she is just so delighted to see me she doesn't know what to do. In the car on the way home she tries to climb on top of me, which she never does.

When my sister's dog comes back from kennels, instead of being excitable like my dog, it seems very depressed and sleeps a lot for a few days after!

I really wish I knew someone who could look after my dog from home, but I don't (and i don't really trust anyone either. At least in kennels I know exactly where she is all the time).

Split

Two of our three family dogs have been in kennels . One came home 'depressed' and clingy although he is renowned for his depressive episodes. And came around rather quickly with some boiled chicken and a sqeaky toy. The other (much more lively bitch) was thrilled to see us but probably would of stayed in kennels for weeks as she loves interaction and they where allowed socialise in a large secure area . Our third fella has immunity issues so we have a lady that minds our three in mam and dads and will pop down to my big brute as well if we are away. The home environment is a lot more comforting for us with his immune issues however it can be hard to find someone you trust to be in and out of your home all day .

My kennel requirements for my big brute when the lady is not available -

understanding of bull mastiffs behaviours and strength
4-6 kennels max
remote web cam access
Walked 15 mins X 4 times daily due to previous ruptured cruciate ligament while in kennels
Willing to engage with us , our vet and family for all issues or concerns

Allowed to drop dog for one hour and build up time so that he is used to the environment (we would pay of course)