Why is My Dog Exhausted After Boarding

It is common for pet owners to use boarding services for their dogs occasionally. If you work during the day and want your pet to have company, you might decide boarding or doggy daycare is right for your pet.

Another common reason is when the owners are going out of town for vacation or business, someone needs to watch the dog. Boarding is usually the best answer. They are trained to protect animals, look for signs of sickness or other trouble and genuinely love animals.

However, sometimes when an owner brings their pet home, they are shocked to see that their dog is exhausted, perhaps even more exhausted than they have ever seen before. It is only natural to know if this is a normal reaction or something to worry about. Here are the top 5 reasons why your pet might seem much more tired than usual after coming home from being boarded.

5 Signs That My Dog Might Be Exhausted

1. Your Dog is Sick

It is essential to consider the most concerning possibility first. It is entirely possible that your dog caught something while being around other animals. Some of the possibilities include parvo, rabies, kennel cough, canine flu, and ringworm. However, before we jump to any conclusions, let’s see which of these we can most likely eliminate from the list.

When you signed up for boarding, did your dog have to get any specialized shots or vaccines first? Many Doggy Daycare centers, pet boarding houses, and Vets that offer to board require a physical exam and a series of vaccinations before your pet can participate in boarding. If you had to do this for your pet, so did other pet owners. If you are unsure, you can contact the boarding house to see what regulations they have and contact your vet to find out what your dog is currently protected from.

2. Your Dog is Tired From Higher Levels of Anxiety and Stress

Humans have not cornered the market on the ability to feel stress and anxiety. Dogs can also be affected, and it is also pretty common for an animal to come home with a little bit more stress and anxiety than before they left.

When your dog was boarded, everything changed for them. This includes eating habits, sleeping habits, textures, smells, and the other animals and humans that they were surrounded by. When they were boarding, they could have either suffered from insomnia or, at the very least, they could have gotten less sleep. When they finally get home, they may appear more tired and tend to sleep more for the first day or so. This is not a bad thing, they have come home, and this is where they feel safe and secure and do not need to stress about their surrounding environment

3. Your Dog is Punishing You

Many owners would not even consider this possibility. Their pet is the sweetest and loving animal ever, and I was happy to see the family again. How could this beautiful animal be purposely punishing anyone, especially those he or she loves?

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I am sorry to inform you, but this is actually a possibility. Of course, your animal was happy to see you. They love you and were relieved you came back. However, once a little time has passed, and you have reached their home, they may feel resentment that you left them at the boarders at all. Sleeping and avoiding you might be their way to teach you a lesson that it is not appropriate to make them sleep anywhere else than in your home.

4. They are Physically Exhausted

This is probably the most likely answer. When you and your best friend are at home, even if you give them a ton of attention and have play sessions constantly, this will be nowhere near the amount of attention and playtime they had when away. Although your puppy probably had a blast, it is still going to take a toll on him or her. They will need a little extra rest to make up for all the extra energy they used in a short period.

5. They are Mentally Exhausted

While they were gone, they were not just over-exerting themselves physically but also mentally. Dogs are super curious about the environment they are in. They spent their time away smelling all the new smells, listening to the new sounds, feeling new textures, and meeting new people. Even though this is very fun and exciting, it is also exhausting.

Typically, when your pet comes home from boarding, they will be more tired than you are used to seeing. However, it is usually not an issue, and it should resolve itself within a day or two. If it does not, you can always consult your vet.