# Behavior after boarding



## RedDogs

Call the kennel and ask about her behavior there whiel you were away, and esp her eating habits.

It is VERY normal for dogs to be VERY tired after being boarded. Even in some of the best-run and super high-end kennels...it's really stressful for dogs. There are a lot of smells, noises, activity, there's a lot always going on to watch and that adds up.

But refusing food for so long is interesting and definitely a good reason to call the vet.


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## bluesunshine

Your dog's behaviour is very similar to mine when she came home after staying with a foster family for 10 days. My dog's energy level became very low and she just lied on the floor with her eyes opened, seemed to lose interests in everything. Here is the thread.

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/showthread.php?t=78095

The difference is mine still eats well. So my suggestion is if Maya still not eats her food take her to the Vet 'cuz she might have picked up some virus at the boarding place?


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## alijeanrn

We just picked ours up on Monday after being boarded for a week. She is also not eating like normal. They said she only ate half of her food while she was there. Now that she is home, I have to stand at her bowl and remind her to eat a few times. She is taking about 10 mins, like you said, normally all is gone in about a minute. Her behavior the first 2 days was also off. She seemed distant and aloof. She is starting to settle in now, but her eating is not improving yet. Another similarity, she also has no trouble eating treats! Sorry I have no advice, but you're not alone!


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## cubbysan

If you boarded her at a place where they had free time to play with other dogs, they do come back exhausted for a couple days and even thinner from playing so much.


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## mdoats

I boarded Rookie for a week recently. When I picked him up, the folks at the kennel warned me that he would probably just sleep for the next couple of days. And he did. He was also noticeably thinner as Cubbsan mentioned. That, in spite of the fact that I had the kennel giving him an extra half cup of food a day while he was there. I think the most important thing is to get back into your regular routine. If she's still acting "off" tomorrow, I'd probably call the vet before the weekend to see if she's sick. A few days of being off is normal. If it gets to be almost a week, I'd want a second opinion.


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## prl

We have never boarded our goldens, but we used to board our previous mix. She always came home exhausted. We swore she stayed awake all night waiting for us. She would also act extremely strange for about a week afterwards. She would eat okay, but kind of ignore us. It was almost like she had to get her bearings. That's partly the reason we haven't boarded these girls. I used to feel so guilty. Now we either take them with us, or have someone stay at the house.


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## msdogs1976

When I have boarded at the vet, mine have always come back exhausted. But a couple of weeks ago I boarded my labx at a small kennel and he came back just as he went in. The caretaker said he always ate well and enjoyed his outdoor playtime. So I feel like I have found a pretty good kennel for the future.

I will say when I boarded my dogs at the vet, it only took a day or two to get over the tired feeling. Hope your dog gets better soon.


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## sharksaw40

Maybe she is ill and needs to be taken to the vets.


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