Changing environments, routines, diets, and any other pattern your dog experiences in their life can cause them stress. Every dog reacts and handles stress differently. After picking up your dog from a boarding kennel, you may see one or all of these five changes. Most will go away in a day or two. If it persists or is an extreme shift from your dog’s standard for more than three days, talk to your veterinarian.
- Drinking Excessively
You bring Fluffy home, and she won’t stop drinking. Your first question is, when was the last time she drank? Did she have access to water? Yes, she absolutely had access to water. Kennel staff most likely monitor water more closely than you do at home refilling waters regularly throughout the day. Dogs drink more when they get home for multiple reasons, they may feel more comfortable there, they may be overly excited, or the car ride home stressed them out. Make sure they have access to some water but don’t let them drink bowls and bowls of it right away, it will make them sick. Let them drink a reasonable portion, then allow them to settle and regain their regular drinking habits.
2. Change in Diet
They may eat their food ravenously when they get home. Again you think did they eat while they were away? Again, yes. Same with water over-excitement of seeing you and being back may change their normal behavior. Don’t feed them right away. Let them settle and eat a few hours after returning home.
3. Change in Personality
Your dog may ignore you or become extra clingy when you get home. Both are normal. My dog takes it as a personal offense that I went on an adventure without him for a weekend. After the initial excitement of seeing me wears away, he is angry and sullen giving me the ‘silent treatment’ for a day or two. My other dog is the opposite. He is a rescue and is so grateful I returned for him, he clings to me for a day or two. Both responses are normal.
4. Change in Stool or Vomiting
All this excitement or stress may result in your dog’s stool to be soft or loose. If you switched your dog to the facilities food and back to yours in a short period they might just be readjusting. Some dogs have more sensitive stomachs than others; the changes don’t affect some while it makes a significant difference in others. Additionally, if your dog is vomiting it could be for the same reason, or it drank too much water or ate too fast. Fast your dog for 12 hours and if it persists for more than two days contact your veterinarian. If there is blood also contact your veterinarian, these could be signs of a different issue.
5. Change in Sleep
Your dog will most likely come home and sleep very soundly for a day or two. If they got playtime or daycare and were romping around for hours more than usual; paired with a new place, new smells, and new friends; they are rightfully tired. Similar to when you go on vacation and walk a few extra miles a day that you aren’t used to, the saying, “I need a vacation from my vacation,” comes to mind.