Is pain the cause of your dog’s problem behaviour?
Picture this: Your dog has always been a happy-go-lucky part of the family, joining in on outings and playing fetch in the backyard. Then seemingly overnight, your dog’s behaviour changes: Suddenly he’s terrified of loud noises and growling when you try to touch him. What happened?
Or maybe your pup who used to run to the door for his daily walks now puts on the brakes, lays down on the sidewalk, and pulls to go back home. Is he just being stubborn?
Or your dog who was totally fine home alone for hours now chews furniture legs when you go out - he actually rips off pieces of wood. Is it separation anxiety, or something else?
When you notice sudden, unexplained behaviour changes in your dog, before you pick up your phone to message a dog trainer, call your veterinarian instead. In fact, a qualified dog trainer/behaviour counsellor will advise you to consult with your veterinarian in this situation, before moving forward with any behaviour modification.
The reason for this is: Your dog could be in pain, or some other medical issue may be at play. Because dogs can’t talk, they can’t tell us “Hey, I’m in a lot of pain here, so this is why I’m acting this way.” (Wouldn’t it be nice if they could just tell us what’s wrong?)
Any sudden behaviour change in your dog warrants a trip to the vet. Don’t worry, you’re not being paranoid! For example, when clients present me with an adult housetrained dog who has suddenly started peeing all over the house, the first thing I do is send them to their vet. We need to rule out any health problems before proceeding with a standard housetraining plan.
Even reactivity (your dog growling, barking, and lunging at triggers in the environment) could be pain-related - this Paws & Reward podcast episode explores how. Think about how you feel when something on your body hurts: noises may bother you more and you may be quicker to snap at a loved one.
Veterinary professionals are learning more and more about the link between pain and behaviour. Dr. Daniel Mills, an English veterinarian with a specialty in behaviour, co-authored the scientific article Pain and Problem Behaviour in Cats and Dogs. You don’t have to be a scientist to read this article - it’s written in plain language that anyone can understand!
It’s filled with case studies of beloved family pets who started displaying concerning behaviour: breaking housetraining, acting fearful, destroying the home, or being extremely clingy. In every example, it was concluded that the behaviour was related to pain. Once the pet was treated for pain, their behaviour improved (sometimes this was done in conjunction with behavioural training).
One example was dogs who engage in “fly snapping” - snapping at invisible flies, also called “air biting.” Seven fly-snapping dogs were studied, and it was found that all seven of them had some sort of underlying medical condition, such as gastro-intestinal pain. The dogs were treated, and 86% of them improved!
So the moral of the story is: When your dog starts to act weird/different/aggressive/fearful, consider that he might be in pain. Ask your vet if you should bring your dog in for a checkup to rule out any new health issues, before going down the road of behaviour modification with a trainer. And be wary of any dog trainers who label your dog’s sudden behaviour change as your dog being “dominant” or “stubborn”. Work with trainers who ask questions about your dog’s history and encourage you to consult with your vet when sudden behaviour change pops up.
Dogs may not speak our language, but they still talk to us through their behaviour. We owe it to them to listen!
If your veterinarian has ruled out any medical issue and you’d like help with your dog’s fear or aggression, I can help. Check out my in-person and virtual training services. Fill out my contact form to get started working with me.
