Anxious Dog when at kennels

jjmcclure

Hi

Looking for suggestions or recommendations for a lab who is really calm at home, stays for 8 hours in the house with no issues and shows no signs of anxiety but when he goes to stay anywhere else e.g. doggy daycare, staying with a minder in their home etc he does not sleep and cries constantly. Very difficult to have him minded by anyone as those who have looked after him before don't want him back!

Tried Kalm Aid tablets but they didn't work. Any other recommendations? The dog is 5/male.

tk123

Have you thought of having somebody come to the house if he’s happier there?

jjmcclure

Yes. Will probably need to do that in the short term but not easy to organise

tamara25

I have a pug myself who can be at times very anxious. My mother was minding him before while we were away on holidays & I was dreading it as to how he would cope down there. So my vet recommended these herbal tablets to relax him & I found them great. They are nutra calm. I also put his own blanket in the bed so that would be familiar to him while we were away. Hope this helps 😊

delboythedub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122436752#Comment_122436752

I do this dog minding for a family ie i go down to the house 3 times a day for walks etc and as the dog knows me well now he is happy. they wont leave him in kennels

Rows Grower

He must be a really bad case altogether if professional minders don't want the return business.

Have you actually put him in a boarding kennel at any stage? The company of all the other dogs even though they are kept separately gives them plenty of mental stimulation and helps them calm down.

Is there a chance it's a spoilt dog? If it is the place for him is a boarding kennels, he'll settle after the first night and you'll enjoy your break.

jjmcclure

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122438444#Comment_122438444

Lots of other dogs at the minders, but our fella is so anxious he gets them all wound up to!!

Rows Grower

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122439250#Comment_122439250

He's the perfect dog for someone who needs a constant companion and at only 5 he's young enough to re settle with a new owner.

tk123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122442620#Comment_122442620

Sorry but are you suggesting the OP rehome their dog simply because they haven’t found the right minder for their dog?! Some dogs don’t do well in kennels or around other dogs - this is perfectly ok and the OP has recognised this in their dog and is looking for a solution.

Rows Grower

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122444521#Comment_122444521

Yes, I would have thought it was very obvious that was what I was suggesting.

Are you upset that I suggested it as a solution?

DBB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122438444#Comment_122438444

I very, very, very much doubt OP's dog would settle in kennels.

Kennels are not for every dog, spoiled or unspoiled (whatever that's all about)... kennels are well recognised as being high-stress environments that many dogs really can't cope with. A new environment with lots of other unknown dogs barking, whining etc, with people your dog doesn't know, and no sign of anyone or anything familiar around, it's a LOT to ask of most dogs, and not something I'd be comfortable doing with my own dogs.

OP, as long as you haven't decided to take the rather nuclear decision to rehome your dog, definitely look into services that mind your dog in your home. You might even find someone by asking at your vet, groomer, or dog daycare service.

Rows Grower

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122446573#Comment_122446573

It doesn't sound like you have much experience of properly run boarding kennels so I'm not persuaded by your opinion.

I think a stay at a kennels would do him a world of good, I never heard of a dog that can't cope with the environment but I know of a good few that had their cough softened. It's good for both the owner and the dog to have a break, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

You seem to have missed the part where everybody who knows this particular dog wants nothing to do with the dog, not even for a short while, not even for money.

DBB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122446688#Comment_122446688

For the record, I have a world of experience with properly run boarding kennels. A world of it. Based on my many, many years of experience of working with dogs, kennels, daycares, shelters, groomers, vets etc, I can assure the OP that there's nothing unusual about their dog, that it's unlikely that their dog will be miraculously cured by a stint in kennels, and that they're doing the right thing in looking for an alternative that works better.

It's not at all uncommon for kennel owners, daycare owners, groomers to let owners know they don't want their dog back, because they're more hassle than the money is worth. Plenty more dogs/customers out there to take their place.

Each to their own. I don't agree with much of what you've said.

irishliamo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058361814/anxious-dog-when-at-kennels

Talk to your vet about Reconcile

DBB

Just be aware that Reconcile should not be used without a concurrent behaviour modification program being put in place. It's highly unlikely to work on its own.

tk123

OP if you have a local FB group I’d ask there - ours always has people looking for minders and suggestions. Asking at your vets it’s a good idea too. Also it’s ok for your dog to not be welcome back to daycare / minders - they’re doing you a favour rather than keep a dog who’s stressed out.