30/10/2025
Is Your Dogโs โBadโ Behaviour Actually a Sign of Pain?
Pain in dogs isnโt always obvious. If theyโre not limping, crying, or refusing food, most people assume theyโre fineโbut thatโs not always true. A study found that between 28% and 82% of dogs referred for behaviour problems actually had underlying pain.
That means a lot of so-called โnaughtyโ or reactive dogs arenโt misbehavingโtheyโre hurting.
Signs of Pain That Often Get Missed:
โข Sudden reactivity โ barking or lunging at dogs, people, or traffic.
โข Irritability โ growling when being touched, moved, or groomed.
โข Avoiding movement โ hesitation to jump in the car, onto the sofa, or go upstairs.
โข Noise sensitivity โ reacting more to fireworks, doors slamming, or rustling bags.
โข Licking or chewing โ focusing on one body part excessively (often mistaken for allergies).
โข Weird posture or movement โ shifting weight, standing stiffly, sitting โfunny.โ
โข Hiding or avoiding contact โ seeming more anxious, jumpy, or withdrawn.
What Can You Do?
If your dogโs behaviour has changed, donโt assume itโs a training issue. Pain is the only real quick fix in dog behaviour.
Vets do an incredible job, and they have to know a lot about a lot of different animals. But they arenโt trained in behaviour. If youโve had a vet check and something still isnโt right, the next step should be seeing a qualified canine physio.
Many pain issues get missed in routine exams, but a physio can assess movement, posture, and tension in ways a standard check-up doesnโt.
Dogs Donโt Fake PainโThey Hide It.
๐ Read the full study here: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/2/318
