28/08/2025
The link between pain and behaviour is strong but it isn't always easy to decide which is which.
Some behaviour can be just that, behaviour, while other times the same behaviour can be linked to pain.
As a rule of thumb I would say that for any sudden change in behaviour we should rule out pain or health issues. But even with that said can we ever really rule out pain? We don't know what the dog is feeling so just because we can't see anything and the vet or physio can't find something doesn't mean there isn't pain being felt by the dog. Sometimes we need to keep searching for answers and it can be a process of elimination.
I am going to use Sparkles as an example of this.
When I brought her home as a puppy she span manically while in the pet carrier and screamed loudly. The intensity of this was not within a normal range but at the time I put it down to stress of coming away from her family and thought I was going to have to keep an eye to help prevent any repetitive behaviours occurring. Tail chasing can be a sign of pain but she only did this on the journey home so it may or may not have been significant.
She was aggressive as a puppy. I am not talking about normal puppy biting here. She was angry and would bite and hold on. This is not normal for a puppy but at this stage I didn't want to expose her to more stress around being handled with nothing else specific to guide the vet so I worked on handling and trust and her temperament did improve, so much so that when we did start vet investigations she was an angel to handle, despite being in pain.
Sparkles hair patterns changed and she had lots of areas where the hair stood up which is not normal for her coat. This can be a sign of underlying tension in the soft tissue beneath. Changes in hair patterns do not necessarily mean severe injury and could just be some tension that can be relieved with physio type treatment but if they are unaffected by this can be an indication of more.
Behaviourally Sparkles was one of the most intelligent dogs I have owned and yet some simple things she could not do. Training an off switch with mat work was virtually impossible and she would show stress signals such as yawning, looking away, lip licking. This was only in settle training as she loved training where she was moving but lying in a settle was uncomfortable for her hence the stress signs.
Noise sensitivity is often connected to pain and although I wouldn't say Sparkles was genuinely a noise sensitive dog there were times it looked like she was. If someone sneezed she would bolt and try and escape the room. If she couldn't escape she would curl up in a corner to hide. Many Collies can be sensitive to noise especially when accompanied by movement where one predicts the other. As puppies I tend to ignore this type of behaviour to sneezing and they usually get used to it but Sparkles didn't and so I had also tried to pair sneezing with something nice which still hadn't really worked. Now she has had surgery she is much better and will calmly look to see where the sneeze came from and even come over for a treat or a stroke showing that pain was linked.
Reactivity or rather over reactivity was another indicator of how Sparkles was feeling. Some days she was calm in her body and could focus well. Other days she reacted to dogs, cars and anything she felt like. In fact she would actively search for things to react to as displacement behaviour. Reactivity isn't always related to pain although it can be. Many Border Collies are sensitive to movement due to what they are bred for so it isn't always a sign of pain even though it should be considered.
It is often about piecing together all the parts of the puzzle. Changes in posture, gait, energy levels, even a change of look in their eye or a lack of enthusiasm to do things they love can all be indicators of pain. As can showing more difficulty in jumping on the sofa or not wanting to get into the car when they usually jump straight in or not wanting to be touched when previously happy to do so. A dog does not have to be hopping on 3 legs or refusing to get up to be experiencing discomfort.
So while everything shouldn't be put down to training and everything shouldn't be put down to pain we should always observe our dogs and be aware that they are the masters of hiding things. They are often more stoic than we realise.
If you think your dog could be experiencing pain then write a list of all the symptoms or signs you think are there, keep a diary and or video what you are seeing to help you vet with the diagnosis.
There are very few 'bad' dogs out there and there is always a reason for their behaviour. Whether that is pain related or a lack of training both should be considered.
