Courtney Lambert
Dog behavior can change for a brief period of time after a boarding stint, since they are away from the owner and in a new environment.
However, this is normal and nothing to be concerned about. After they go home, it takes a few days to adjust, but they’ll be back to normal in no time. It’s like us hoomans when we go away on vacation, we need time to get settled!
Every dog reacts differently, but if you notice extreme behaviors' that last longer than two days, then its time to talk to your vet.
If you’ve never boarded your dog before and want to get an idea regarding how they might react, then this blog post is for you. We share a variety of behaviors to expect.
You might notice your dog drinking loads of water when they arrive home from boarding. Your initial reaction may be to wonder if they were given water at the facilities, but this is actually a common behavior triggered by stress or over excitement.
Just monitor how they drink and don’t let them gulp down a ton of bowls at once, or they might get sick.
You might notice that your dog wants to eat as if they haven’t eaten in days, or maybe they aren’t very hungry at all. Changing diet patterns are normal, another trigger of stress or adjusting to a new environment.
If they are super hungry, try to space out meals and give them time to calm down and chill before feeding them as soon as you get home from boarding.
Is your dog sleeping a lot more after boarding? This is normal. Boarding can be overstimulating. There are lots of new smells, other dogs to meet, play time, and an overall new environment. This is enough to make anyone doggone exhausted!
This is more so for dogs who have sensitive stomachs. Sometimes all of the changes from home to boarding can cause an upset stomach, especially if a new brand of food was introduced. It’s best to watch and see if it persists for longer than two days.
