As the summer season approaches, we look forward to weekend trips and vacations with friends and family. Whether you’re headed out of town for a getaway or work trip, you’ll need to reserve Maitland dog boarding for your furry friend. At Rocky’s Retreat, we provide outstanding care for your dog while you’re away. They will enjoy personalized attention, a calm, intimate, and positive facility, and small playgroups to run around with their new friends.

Even when you know your dog is in expert care, there is still some anxiety in leaving your pet – felt by both you and your sweet pup. There are a few common signs of stress you can watch for so you can help calm them when you leave them in our capable Maitland dog boarding facility.

Growling

A dog’s growl is a pretty obvious sign they are uncomfortable. It could be a signal that they are in pain, afraid, feel threatened, or someone is in their space. Typically, a growl is simply a sign of stress rather than aggression, but many people scold their dogs when they growl. Instead, try to notice what might be causing the growl and adjust the surroundings. When you drop them off for Maitland dog boarding and they growl, scan the surroundings for unfamiliar pups in the registration area, an object that might be scaring your buddy, or something else that could be causing stress for them. When you notice this stress signal and provide comfort for your sweet pup, you can help them safely alleviate those feelings and prevent any escalation that could lead to your dog biting.

Whining or Barking

Another common sign of stress in dogs is excessive barking and whining. Often, these are uncontrollable for a dog, similar to a person whose hands or voice shake when they are nervous. It’s simply an automatic response to a stressful situation. When your dog is barking or whining more than usual, think of it as their way of telling you they are anxious about something. These signs are very typical when dropping off your pup for Maitland dog boarding, and the best way to try to help them at that time is to just stay close to them and pet them, and try speaking to them in a comforting way to let them know everything is okay. At Rocky’s Retreat, we will introduce ourselves to your pooch and get to know them right away. They will get plenty of cuddles and individual play time and attention. Just like humans, dogs do great with a distracting game or activity when they feel stressed. 

We will also provide calming music and supervised play time with other dogs when they are ready. A game of fetch or tug will do wonders for alleviating stress and reducing nervous whining and barking.

Body Language Cues

There are many signals our pooches give to try to diffuse stressful situations such as leaving home for Maitland dog boarding. So what should you look for? A few of the most common stressed body language signals are curling their lips to show their gums, tucking their tail, tense muscles (it might look like they freeze up or stiffen), licking their lips and nose uncontrollably, showing the whites of their eyes, and and flattening their ears. If you see your furry friend doing any of these things, it is a sign they are stressed or overstimulated. Another body language cue for a stressed pup is pacing back and forth. They are showing us that they can’t calm down because something is bothering them. 

According to rover.com, there are dozens of ways dogs physically show their stress. A few other signs you might notice are excessive drooling, loss of appetite, more scratching than usual, and abnormal shedding. No one wants to see their sweet pooch feeling anxious, so let’s go over a few ways we recommend to calm them and work through a stressful situation.

Calming Techniques

Typically, dogs can become stressed in unfamiliar situations, new places, when meeting new people, orwhen they experience separation anxiety. All of these are potential stressors when you drop them off for Maitland dog boarding. You can rest assured knowing our experienced staff at Rocky’s Retreat will begin loving on them immediately and use expert techniques to help them acclimate to their new surroundings and new friends – both human and furry.

Anytime you see signs of stress in your buddy, we recommend trying the following:

• Eliminating the stressor – if you can. Is there a person or other animal around that is causing your pup stress? You can remove yourselves from that situation to calm your pooch.
• Reciprocating their behavior. Affirm their calming techniques by mirroring what they’re doing. We know that might feel silly, but it works. When you also lick your lips, blink along with them, you are showing your pet that you understand them and want to help them. 
• Offer calming affirmations. You are your pup’s best friend and biggest source of comfort, so any soothing words and phrases you can say to them in stressful situations will help them feel safe.

Give them something to chew on. Dogs need mental and physical stimulation, and they can actually become stressed when they don’t have enough of those things. A chew toy, bone, or antler can be great soothers for a pup who needs to refocus his nervous energy.

We are always happy to answer your questions about Maitland dog boarding and how your dog will spend her time while staying with us at Rocky’s Retreat. Call us to ask us about any of our services or to arrange a tour. We would love to show you around our facility and look forward to pampering your pup while you are away!

We are the only Orlando dog boarding and Orlando doggie day care center that has an indoor heated pool for dogs. See it for yourself by scheduling a tour!

Rocky's Retreat | 2826 Shader Rd. Orlando FL 32808 | info@rockysretreat.com | (407) 295-3888