I am going to have to board my dog for the first time in his life in August because I'm going to Alaska for 2 weeks. Max will be 9 but is in excellent health. I have checked
out the kennel and it seems excellent. They will interact with the dog, take him for a walk on lead only and even feed him my home cooked supplements providing I pre-measure and bag
enough.

My question is, although I will take him to the kennel a couple of times to introduce him to the environment, should I begin to give him a supplement
to help reduce any anxiety he might have while in the kennel. He is definately a house dog and I want to reduce his stress level as much as
possible. Keeping him at home or sending him to friends is not an option. I much prefer the though of a structured kennel routine with built-in safeguards, than worrying if he got hit by
a car, in a dog fight, lost, etc. from 6,000 km away.

Maybe he'll be fine. Maybe it's me who needs the anti-anxiety supplement. Any advice would be appreciated.
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Hey Caniche,

You know... I would see how Max acts when you visit the kennel. I personally hate to give drugs to a dog unless it is realy needed. I think Max will be fine, there will of course be some stress involved but I think he is going to have more fun that you, all thoes nice people fussin at him, petting him, walking him, playing with him.. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said..

 Quote:

Maybe he'll be fine. Maybe it's me who needs the anti-anxiety supplement.

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I agree with Lonny; I'm sure he'll be fine!

Sorry Lonny, I disagree here with you on this one. For a dog this old that has not been kenneled before I think she has a right to be worried. Poodles are very sensitive creatures by their nature and are often subject to upset stomachs, or at least all the standard poodles I have known.

I know you mentioned home cooked supplements. Just out of curiousity are they from the pitcarins book? If so I would recommend adding some sweet potato to the ration to help if he were to get the runs while there. Worst case and he doesn't get the runs the sweet potato won't hurt anything.

So far as calming supplements. I really don't know what to recommend. Rescue Remedy is one that some of my friends swear by. Or, if you have a holistic vet they may be able to recommend something.

Kennels are loud and lack the comforts of home. They are a safe alternative and are worthwhile for your peace of mind. If you ever get a wierd feeling when visiting a kennel, visit another one. I drive 2 hrs to board my dogs and it is not in a convienent direction, but I know they are safe and it is clean and they have a good vet if something were to go wrong. Remember you can always call and check on him while you are gone. He may look at it as a vacation from you! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Lonny,
I was actually thinking along the line of Azmira's Calm and Relax or a similar product. Not any "real" drug. But I think you're right and I'll wait and see how he does on a few test visits.

You should have seen me at the office visit. PATHETIC! I know now I should have placed him in a kennel at least once a year for a couple of days. Now I need to see my psychotherapist!
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Schnauzergirl,
No, I don't really follow the Pitcairns book. I am, however, in the library field and well versed in research. I have read many books on natural food for dogs, but even before that I thought home cooking was a great addition to any kibble. My first vet actually said "Don't feed your dog people food. It's not good for him." He also said "Never bathe your dog more than 2X a year". Imagine a standard poodle with no baths. He wasn't my vet for long.

My dog eats very well at home with the addition of human food to his kibble. I love to gourmet cook as a hobby. He has maintained his weight at 45-48lbs. since he was 2 years old. I agree with Ed and like to keep him on the thinner side, it's healthier. I'll bring cooked frozen food to the kennel because I don't want him to lose any weight while he's there. I'll look more into the sweet potatoe thing. I usually add live yoghurt to his food as well.

A man I worked with kennelled his 90lb GSD for 6 weeks while he went to Italy. The dog lost almost 30lbs. by the time he came back.

I think that if your dog is in excellent health, he should be able to cope with the stress of separation and being in a different environment, even at his age. Remember that a good boarding kennel has people who are experienced in this; they see older dogs who are being kenneled for the first time frequently enough. Seems like the main concern would be maintaining his normal diet if possible.

That vet must have practiced where I was grooming. I got out of the business after being miserable taking care of all the backyard dogs that got the once a year shavedown "whether they needed it or not"

The live yougurt is a definate good thing. 2 weeks will not kill him by any means. You just want to make it as easy on him as possible. I am sure he will be fine.