Is it too stressful to take my shy dog to a party or board her?

Hi, the majority of dogs suffers with different degrees of anxiety when they are separated from their owner. How much stress is he going to suffer with will also depends on the facility. Some dogs cope well with being kennelled whilst other just find the experience very distressing. In general dogs have to get used to be separated from their owners, because there will be circumstances in life where they will just have to. If it is possible a gradual approach would be better, i.e. getting to know the new place and facilities beforehand for a few hours at time and helping making this experience as positive as possible. I have a very friendly submissive medium size dog and I have taken her into a kennel for 3 days. The place was recommended by a client of mine who funnily enough has a lot of greyhounds. My dog found the experience traumatising, she did not pass feaces for 3 days and I got home to a very frightened and constipated dog. Since then I have stopped using kennels. I had to take to leave her for another couple of days because my mum fell ill in hospital and left her with her dog walker who said had always dogs staying at her house with her own dogs. My dog was walked with these dogs beforehand, and when I left her at her house as I was about to leave, she got bitten on her ear by one of the other dogs. That was also a traumatic experience. I kept searching and finally found a home boarding place where they board only a few dogs at times, and they are all around her size .. they have huge gardens to run and can be kept separated in different parts of the house, so she had lots of pampering when I had to visit a sick member of my family abroad. We take her with us all the time when we travel for holidays but sadly there are occasions when she can’t be taken and I have managed to find a suitable alternative to our family company. Hope my experience helps ! All the best.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Coco. If you have time prior to your vacation, I would recommend placing her in daycare at the boarding facility you plan to use. This will give you an idea to see how she adjusts to it. It will also prove to her that you are coming back for her. If she does well, then I would not worry about boarding her. If not, I would try to arrange for a pet sitter to care for her in your home. I hope this information helps!

Well done in finding and researching a suitable boarding facility and I hope you feel better about it once you have visited! Pheromone collars and specialist diets or supplements such as royal canin calm can help, especially if started before they go in and can help them adjust to a new environment and routine

It sounds as though you are quite worried about leaving Precious. Fortunately, dogs do not have the same sense of time that we do, nor the ability to anticipate scary occurrences. She may have some degree of anxiety, but many dogs enjoy their boarding experience and exposure to other people and change of scenery. I'm sure your vet will call if they have any concerns about Precious. Try to relax and enjoy your vacation! :-)

Gradually introduce her to one stranger at a time. Begin with very short visits/exposures. Increase the time as she acclimates. Introduce more people as she accepts them. Offer praise and reward after each episode. A pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar which can be worn when out or the DAP plug in diffuser to be used at home, may decrease any anxiety.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is a very common complaint. I recommend talking to your vet about some anti-anxiety medication for his stay there. There are so many great options that wont turn Milo into a "zombie" - they'll just help him relax and enjoy his stay a bit more. Best of luck to you all and enjoy your travels!

It will probably take her some time to adjust to her new situation. Continue to socialize her as much as possible to get her used to being around other people and in different situations. You could also try an Adaptil collar and/or Solliquin chews to see if that helps her adjust. Good Luck!