20/11/2025
Meet Angus, a bright, young, Jack Russell Terrier who has energy to spare and a heart the size of Dumfriesshire!
His guardian reached out because walks were becoming increasingly stressful. Angus had been behaving aggressively towards other dogs and she was starting to dread taking him out.
When I first met Angus, he exhibited the classic JRT traits straight away: clever, fast to learn, full of sparkle… and very, very switched on, but I also noticed something else.
His movement didn’t quite match his enthusiasm and rest positions looked a little unusual.
With a few gentle questions, his guardian and I pieced together a bigger picture, one that suggested Angus might not just be “overexcited” or “naughty”, but possibly uncomfortable.
After some discussion with their vet and a specialist review, x-rays revealed there are some abnormalities in his hip joints, and questions around his patellas too.
Angus is starting pain-relief medication to see if it helps him feel more comfortable day-to-day. He will also see a canine physiotherapist to plan how best to support his joints.
This is where the story becomes bigger than Angus.
Pain and behaviour are deeply linked.
Dogs don’t always limp, yelp, or “look” sore. Pain can show up in all sorts of ways:
❗️ reactivity or aggression
❗ hyper-vigilance
❗relentless movement, often moving at speed
❗difficulty settling
❗heightened responses to noise
❗over-the-top excitement or frustration
…and many more.
Whenever a dog’s behaviour seems disproportionate, unpredictable, or suddenly “too much”, pain has to be part of the conversation.
Angus’ guardian trusted in my concerns and she worked with Angus’ vet to start to get answers.
We know far more than we did at the start. Treating and pain Angus has will help him to feel better or real, which in turn will help him with behaviour choices.
What’s next?
Once Angus has trialled his new medication for a few weeks, we’ll begin to build:
✅ strategies to help him feel calmer and safer outdoors
✅ skills to help him respond rather than react
✅ confidence for his guardian to support him in different situations
✅ a gradual, low-pressure plan that respects his comfort, age, preferences and his terrier brain.
Pain doesn’t tell the whole story, but it often tells an important one.
If you’ve noticed changes in your dog’s behaviour, and perhaps some of the things mentioned above have seemed familiar, it can be worth exploring whether there’s more going on beneath the surface.
Angus’ journey is just beginning, and he’s already shown us how brave, bright and resilient he is.
Tara
Paws & Minds
🐾🧠
