14/06/2026
The effects of stress are often underestimated, both in humans and in dogs.
Yesterday was my first conference as a speaker, and if I'm honest, I was nervous. Before my talk I was worrying about how it would go. Afterwards, I spent the day learning from some truly fantastic professionals and taking in a huge amount of information. Then I drove home for three hours.
There wasn't any real physical exercise involved, yet today I am absolutely exhausted. Totally drained.
Why? Because stress is tiring!
Even positive experiences can be stressful. Excitement, learning new things, meeting new people, travelling, being in unfamiliar environments, processing information... all of these place demands on our brains and bodies.
Now think about our newly arrived rescue dogs.
They have travelled hundreds or even thousands of miles. They've experienced unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells. They've met new people, entered a completely different environment and have no idea what is happening or what is expected of them.
Yet we often expect them to settle quickly, go on adventures, meet visitors, visit cafes, walk through busy streets and immediately fit into family life.
Just like us, they need time to process.
This is why decompression matters.
It's why some dogs need days, some need weeks and some need months. Every dog is an individual, and every dog will recover from stress at their own pace.
So if your rescue dog seems overwhelmed, tired, shut down, hyperactive or unable to cope with new experiences, remember that they may simply be trying to process everything that has happened to them.
As for me, today is a human burrito day. Blankets, movies and spending time with my kids while my brain catches up with everything from yesterday.
Sometimes rest is exactly what both humans and dogs need.
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