It seems that something happened to my dog while she was in kennels

[MeMySonAndl]

Not sure what I can do about this but my usually friendly dog, who looooved to run around in the park with other dogs is no longer interested in any kind of dog company.

Yesterday I took her to the park and made her best to stay away from other dogs, started jumping as she does when asking to be picked up, and At some point he hid behind my legs and when a dog got a bit nearer she tried to bite him.

She was nothing like that before the kennel stay. The kennel staff told me that she had found the other dogs too much which I thought it was ridiculous so I didn't question them more. It is a few weeks since the kennel stay so I don't see the point to ring them and ask what happened. In any case, I rang them last week before noticing this, to book her again and they told me they were full even when the booking was months away and not in peak season

The question now is, how do I get a hyperactive now nervous dog to trust dogs again? She seems quick to learn and very slow to forget...

I do think you need to phone the kennels back and get an honest account of what happened. You can make it non-accusatory. They obviously remember your dog or they wouldn't have refused your booking.

It sounds like a scuffle with another dog or dogs, but the extent of that only the kennel knows. And it does not sound good that they haven't elaborated. My fear-aggressive Border Terrier goes to the same kennels, and they were warned about her (separate exercise area for dogs like her). As it turns out, she thrives there and is sociable. When collecting, they always tell me how she was, and would certainly tell me if something occurred.

At the moment, I'd keep your dog some distance away from others and reward when she looks at them calmly. No interactions are needed at this point. If there is a known and trusted dog she can walk with, I'd also try that, but as for strange dogs ... leave alone now. Just build her back up with rewards for calm behavior (if she lunges or is jumping about, you have gone too far - you want all four paws on the ground) and if it doesn't sort itself out in a few weeks, I'd see about a behaviorist.

i genuinely think that kenneling can be quite a nerve-wracking experience and certainly a changing experience for many.

the noise that goes on in some kennels can cause many reactions, some will just come back barking a lot more, other's more aggressive, others over-whelmed and more nervous, especially if dogs are allowed to run together and not closely monitored.

Personal experience of seeing the change that can be effected in ddogs from kennelling.

They did overcome it, but it took work and still does at times. do you have ddoggy friends that could visit one at a time in your garden and then have meet ups in local park or at others gardens and do a gradual desensitisation?

Thank you for your messages. I'm afraid I don't know anyone who have dogs (how strange is that????) and to make the matters worse, the dog hates the car (we have tried literally everything, and she still gets so nervous it is painful to see.

I wonder if I should go straight to the behaviourist option, the poor thing is adorable but very clingy and nervous.

Question is how do I find a behaviourist that is good and doesn't cost a fortune!

(Any recommendations in the north east are highly welcome)

Question is how do I find a behaviourist that is good and doesn't cost a fortune!

Insurance may pay for behaviourist, if vet says your ddog needs it.

Oh, thanks for that. I had Not thought about it.