Changing environments, routines, diets and any other pattern your dog experiences in their life can cause them stress. After picking up your dog from boarding (sometimes also daycare), you may see one or all of these six changes. Most will go away in a day or two. If it persists or is an extreme shift from your dog's standard behavior for more than three days, talk to your veterinarian.
Drinking Excessively - You bring Fido home, and he won't stop drinking. Your first question is, "When was the last time he drank? Did he have access to water?" Yes, he absolutely had access to water. We monitor water more closely than you do at home (most likely) 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 to be home, 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 for their size, then allow them to settle and regain their regular drinking habits.
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 home may change their normal behavior. Don't feed them right away. Let them settle and eat a few hours after returning home.
Change in Personality - Your dog may ignore you or become extra clingy when you get home. Both are normal. After the initial excitement of seeing you wears away, they may get sullen and give you the "silent treatment" for a day or so. Some dogs are the opposite and are grateful that you returned for them and they end up clinging to your side for a day or two. Both responses are normal. After all the excitement of playing with their friends for a couple days on end, in a high energy environment they will generally take a day or two to "decompress" and seem more "tired" than you're used to seeing. Again, this is normal.
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 with a high energy 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.
Change in "Voice" - You get home and your dog goes about his normal routine barking at the mailman but.. Fido is hoarse or his bark sounds a bit "off". A change in environment and being away from you can cause some separation anxiety that results in some barking while they're in a boarding situation. Although we try to keep a quiet kennel so all dogs can rest, it is sometimes not possible to stop all the barking. Small bouts of barking every day during boarding can be enough to cause your dog to go hoarse. This will resolve itself after a couple days. As long as your dog came back to you clean and bright-eyed, there is no need to worry.
Change in Stool or Vomiting - All this excitement or stress may result in your dog's stool to be soft or loose. The excitement from returning home and seeing you can sometimes cause inflammation in their gut that triggers diarrhea (sometimes accompanied by mucus or some blood, which is referred to "stress colitis") generally this type of diarrhea resolves itself in about 48 hours. If your dog is vomiting it could be from the same reason, or it drank too much water too quickly or ate too fast once you returned home. Fast your dog for a couple hours and if it persists after a day or two, contact your veterinarian.
We hope these tips help ease your mind!
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