Dogs should be fed also according to their present condition and activity levels. It may be necessary for stressed dogs to be taken out of the kennel environment and hand-fed. Keep track of dogs that don't eat in a 24-48 hour period and do something additional to ensure their proper nutrition, such as a more concentrated moist food high in nutrients. Be careful to make water constantly available to the kenneled dogs, or at least to be sure that adequate water is offered. Dogs that don't get enough water won't eat as much, and vice versa.
Attendants caring for the animals can also induce stress.
People who are tired or irritable when handling dogs can cause stress in dogs. Abnormal behavior in caretakers can bring about defense reactions in dogs. One of the greatest stress producers is restraint, especially by strangers. Extreme stress is produced by learned helplessness. This occurs when something negative occurs to a dog and the dog has no action he can take to avoid the discomfort.