CHENNAI:I sent my pet to a boarding facility for a week when I was travelling. But after I got him back, I find him scared. He doesn’t even play. I’ve been spending as much time as I can with him. His ears were straight, but now they are drooping.
– Rahul
We cannot emphasise enough on the need for basic checks of the boarding place. Ensure that the place is well lit, clean and well managed with knowledgeable and caring staff. Your boarder should give you regular updates on your dog’s health and behaviour during his stay.
A good practice, it is always suggested that you take your dog for a quick medical checkup with a vet post boarding. Before doing so, check with the boarder on his eating, general wellness, and behaviour during his stay there.
Dogs tend to become stressed when they are suddenly brought into a new surrounding especially the smell of other unfamiliar dogs. He may also often be confused by other nervous dogs around him. Separation from you with an uncertainty of whether you will return or not makes it a very difficult stay for your pet. They cannot rationalise or understand that this is temporary. In some cases, even after they come back, they are not sure if you will ‘leave’ them again.
Additionally, if your dog has never been in a kennel, then a kennel boarding may seem to be of restrictive nature and difficult to understand, making it stressful.It takes a few boarding sessions for your dog to understand that this is temporary. Even in case of regulars, if the boarding facility encourages him to have a lot of free time to play with other dogs, then we must also account for a possibility of exhaustion due to play.
Thus, when he returns he can be physically and mentally exhausted and will need some time to settle down. Give him sufficient time to rest and relax. Spend quality time with him and continue with his usual routine letting him ease back into it at his own pace. Do not hesitate to contact the vet if his lethargy persists or he shows eating disorders or other symptoms.Since boarding requires quite an adjustment for the dog, do not send him to different boarding places each time. If you do so, then every time would be a first time and your dog will be tremendously stressed.
(If you have any queries about pet behaviour, e-mail them to petfaqs@gmail.com)