01/17/2025
This! If I press for a client to take their dog to the vet or even get a second opinion, this is why. People live with chronic illnesses and pain every day and you’d never know it as they just push forward (and as this post says, sometimes pay for it dearly later). Dogs (and other animals) are the same way. They can’t verbally speak to us so we must learn to read their other body signals and advocate for them.
"𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝐻𝑒 𝑆𝑒𝑒𝑚𝑠 𝐹𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑇𝑜 𝑀𝑒!"
This is something I hear often when discussing behavior assessments with dog owners. There’s a common misconception that a dog who is active, cannot possibly have an underlying medical condition.
Recently, I worked with a client whose dog had shown a sudden change in behavior. They were adamant nothing was wrong because their dog was still hiking, swimming, and chasing balls. They even sent me videos to "prove" how healthy their dog was. Yet, in every single video, their dog showed visible lameness.
Despite the evidence, they remained unconvinced.
I had to make the difficult decision to pause our work together until they visited their vet. Why? Because it is unethical for me to continue training a dog I suspect has an undiagnosed medical issue.
Beyond ethics, addressing a medical concern first can make training more effective, less frustrating, and less expensive in the long run.
Sure enough, their vet discovered a medical condition that had likely been affecting the dog for quite some time.
Here’s the reality: dogs will often remain active, sometimes even increasing their activity levels, when they’re uncomfortable.
Imagine this: You’ve been dealing with chronic back pain for years. No one has taken your concerns seriously, so you push through and live with it.
One day, you’re invited to an amusement park. You go on a rollercoaster with friends, caught up in the thrill and excitement.
During the ride, you don’t feel the pain. But after? You pay for it dearly.
While that rollercoaster may have been fun, was it the best choice for your back? Probably not.
Dogs are similar. They don’t always show their discomfort outright, and the excitement of an activity can temporarily distract them from the pain.
But ignoring the signs of discomfort, like on-off lameness or behavior changes, can mean missing the opportunity to address an issue before it becomes more serious.
If you wait until your dog is opting out of their favorite activities or has noticeably slowed down, the problem could be far more advanced than if it had been caught earlier.
As much as I love training, the health and well-being of your dog must always come first.
If you suspect something isn’t quite right and it could be impacting your dog's behavior, contact me via my website for help! Early intervention can make all the difference.
Rayanne Craven UW-AAB, CPDT-KA, IAABC-ADT, FDM, Elite FFCP 
