It’s important to understand some of the signs that your dog may be under too much stress, here are some key area and signs to consider.

Vocalizing: Excessive whining and barking, you know your dog best and can gauge whether it’s above and beyond normal.

Body Posture: Odd tail wagging, tense, stiff or excessive scratching, body becomes lethargic and appears tired or the hair rising on the back of the neck.

Eyes: blinking, squinting, dilated, glazed or red pigments in the eyes. This is an area that may be hard to notice, so keep a lookout during potentially stressful situations.

Mouth: unusual panting, yawning, drooling or licking of the lips and nose. Again, you are looking for things out of the ordinary.

Other areas: Sniffing, digging, seeking unusual levels of attention, uncertainty and general sitting around.

These are by no means the only signs of canine stress, so what you really need to do is consider your dogs’ personality and what may cause various levels of stress. Also, remember that dogs handle stress differently; some lash out while others become closed off. Remember, dogs can exhibit the same symptoms and outcome as humans when showing and experiencing stress.

Situational stress a dog can experience at a dog kennel can be noticed quickly. Watch your dogs initial reactions, does Fido become aggressive or reserved or does he jump in and enjoy the surroundings?
Choose your dog kennel carefully, make sure it matches your dogs personality. Try choosing a place that gives him ample one on one time with humans, activities to stimulate him and the opportunity to engage with other dogs at a pace and time that helps him to adapt. If possible allow him to take things that will be familiar with him so he can have a touch of home while he is away.

Just remember that just as you feel stress and reactive differently to it than other humans so does your dog. Pay close enough attention to it to keep your dog both physically and emotionally healthy.

Finally, one way to reduce your own stress in these situations is to have a good laugh, and that is why I often look at Cute Puppy Pictures for personal stress relief.