Does anybody here kennel their dogs when they go away?

And if so, does your dog suffer for doing so?

We've just been on a trip away and the dog was kenneled - for the first time - for five nights. Lincoln Dog came home yesterday morning. He's coming up to eight years old.

Since coming back he's seemed absolutely done in. Red eyes, sad, sleeping excessively. He wasn't too bad yesterday but today has been noticeably off.

Lincoln had an FCE neary two years ago from which he made an excellent recovery but has been left with a weak left rear leg. We took him out for a run today and he seemed excessively weak and wobbly, he kept falling from his left back leg seeming extra weak. It makes me question whether he got any proper exercise at all, or if he was just left in his pen. He has a chafed lip and nose probably from having his muzzle jammed against the wire fencing :/

Anyway - do others find their dog comes home excessively tired flat and down - could it be as a result of 'coming down' from all the stress hormones / cortisol ? And an acute lack of sleep ? The kennels were full so plenty of barking and noise all day long I am sure

some dogs are just not suited to kennels and hate them. i know my dog would get stressed and would be very unhappy there so if we want a holiday we have family come to dog sit or holiday here or France and take him with us.
i'd get your dog checked out though, i think you could expect to see an emotional/behavioural difference, maybe for a day or so till he settles, on return but the physical difference is a bit worrying.
hope he perks up

The really good kennels I've found have been in the minority - ie the ones when my dog comes back looking fit and happy and not done in. Often I've noticed that when picked up they are desperate to toilet. They get their fixed outings and that's that. So if your dog is used to a different schedule and has been trained not to go indoors the poor thing will try desperately to hold it. Plus if your dog gets stressed by other dogs barking a kennel is definitely not the right place. The last time I used a kennels, it was one we had been to before, but was under new management. I came back unexpectedly early to find her morning medication congealed on top of some stale uneaten food and she and her bedding stank. They had the nerve to call themselves a 'pet hotel'.
I never used kennels again. Hope your dog is feeling better now.

I think you need to start using the kennels when they are young, it's an awful shock for an older dog.

I do but it is never more than a night or two. the most was four nights. the kennels I use she absolutely loves the kennel hands, the only worry is I know she doesnt eat properly cos she is fussy. so she loses a a bit of weight.

the owner of the kennels retired over a year ago and the new owners worked with them before doing so, sadly they have just put the prices up for the second time since they took over so what was just affordable at 13 a night is now 18 a night!

I did leave her at another kennels for two nights when I had a work trip to London and the opening times of the above didnt suit that time. they made me take her into the kennel and leave her, she was distressed at that and so was i cos the noise was horrific. I had no choice but to leave her and when I picked her up she stank from the sawdust stuff they put in the kennels (I had taken her own bed. it also stank and went in the bin), she also had marks on her neck where her collar had rubbed from the lead being yanked. she will never ever go there again, she clearly didnt like the staff if they had to yank her about, the other kennels she runs over and cuddles them!

she does miss me tho so a few cuddles once home and then she is right as rain. she comes on holiday with me and nothing planned that will mean she needs a stay at the kennels in the forceeable!

I mentioned her dropping weight, that is just her being fussy, even when she comes on holiday with me she is the same about eating. I wonder if dogs can have OCD, if they can she deffo has it 😄

Our last dog used to love going but he always had a hoarse bark when he came back, obviously was very vocal while was there. I wonder if your dog has been worried and not sleeping and standing up all the time? Does he usually chill a lot in the day? tbh I would never kennel mine these days, they come on holiday with us. It's our choice to have them and I couldn't leave them. I can't bear to think of them in a concrete cell alone all those house when they're used to a nice warm house.

Kennels vary, best to visit beforehand. We have had mainly good experiences but one negative. It didn't put us off using kennels again (although not that specific one) however we then had a cat and it worked out about the same to hire a house sitter who would move in to our house for two weeks.

To the poster earlier I think £18 a night is pretty cheap for a dog - I don't think I have ever seen one that cheap before (let alone £13). I also am a little surprised you could take your own bedding, all the kennels we have used have been quite clear on not bringing your own bedding.