Archives September 2024

- and what can you do about it?

As dog Guardians we always want what's best for our dogs and we wish for them to have the best lives possible. We hope they're fine, we think they're fine - but how can we really know if they're okay?

Unfortunately, it is not always easy to see if our dogs are in distress. They are resilient, adapt to their life situation and are eternal optimists who always makes lemonade out of lemons - that's one of the reasons why we love them so much. Those same traits can also make their lives more difficult. Their ability to adapt can cause them to suppress and hide pain and illness so that it becomes even more difficult for us to detect that they are in pain.

Evolution can also get in the way ofour dogs welfare - it is not very smart for a dog in the wild to show weakness towards either friends or foes. In addition, the body, of both humans and dogs, has a number of mechanisms to try to compensate for injuries or weaknesses, and the brain helps as best it can to block pain signals – e.g. to send out dopamine or other substances that can relieve the pain. Behavior can be changed to adapt to pain, protect oneself, or perform actions that seek to distract oneself from the pain, or trigger dopamine, other hormones or signaling substances that can dampen the pain experience, put very simply.

Behavioural changes

This is often how we discover that our dogs are in pain - that they change their behavior - but unfortunately we don't always understand what we see. We notice that the dog is different but do not know why or what causes the change. Maybe the dog starts growling at the children in the house, snarls or shows aggression, they withdraw or are not as interested in having contact with us anymore, they start biting or licking their paws, or they get tired and rests more, becomes disinterested in playing, and perhaps no longer wants to go out for a walk?

But - they might also continue as before, be just as happy, love to chase after balls and Frisbees and defy their pain, seemingly completely healthy and pain-free until the pain becomes so great that they start to show behavioral changes. How a dog acts, how much pain they tolerate depends on many factors, age, stress level, resilience, bond with owner, degree of optimism in life and much more. There is no conclusive test to establish either IF the dog is in pain or HOW much pain they are in and HOW LONG it has been going on. We have to know what to look for and be detectives.

Many Guardians seek help from dog trainers when their dogs start to show behavioral changes, the focus is usually on getting rid of the unwanted behaviour. We want help to get the dog to stop growling at the children, to stop barking at other dogs we meet on walks (he didn't do that before...) or to get his appetite back - but we often don't realise that the behavior is a symptom - not the actual cause.

A dog trainer will often suggest training methods that can moderate the behavior, or make it stop, but mabey not address the underlying cause. We only achieve that the dog stops telling us what might be bothering them, we teach them that they are not allowed to let vocalize their concerns to us. The behavioral changes are the dog's way of telling us that something is wrong and that they need help. If we take away their voice and dismiss them by training it away, the dog can also become very frustrated in addition to the frustration they already feel because their body feels "wrong" or that they are in pain. Dog training at this point can ironically escalate the behavioral challenges.

So what should we do?

The first thing you can do if you see new behaviors and suspect that something is wrong is to write a journal write about what happens, where it happens, what situation and how often. It can reveal patterns that can help us work out what the behavior is related to – is it situational – is it happening more and more often? Are there any particular objects or people nearby, are there any common denominators? You can check if the dog has had a change in fur quality, has asymmetrical musculature - have they stopped eating chewing bones, or chewing in a strange way? Drinking more/less water than usual? Became afraid of things – sound and light sensitivity? All this may indicate that the dog is not feeling well - and then it is time to take a trip to the Vet's, even if you do not see concrete external signs of injury or pain. Bring the journal with you, it can help the vet with what to look for and even to set a diagnosis. Take note of anything out of the ordinary. Since your dog can't speak, you have to speak for your dog as best you can :-)

Take precautions in the home for the safety of your children, other animals and people, until the behavioral challenges are resolved. This could be the use of baby gates, pens or mesh doors, introducing rules for how the children need to behave around the dog, and teaching your kids the dog's signals to recognize when the dog wants to be left alone and seeks distance. Make ajustments in playtime, walks, activities that may suit your dog better at this point, maybe more low impact, more nosework and more time to rest and recover.

Don't yell at the dog or punish them, show that you understand that something might be going on, and have some patience. Always trust your gut. If you think something is wrong or seems off, it probably is. Even if the Vet doesn't find anything first time around, you know your dog best, don't give up, keep observing, keep making a journal of your observations and thoughts.

It can also be a good idea to contact a dog behaviorist if you want to get to the bottom of the behavioral challenges and help you systemize observations - We can teach you what to look for and give you tools in everyday life that you can safely use with your dog even if there is pain or discomfort . The goal for a behavior consultant is always to work with the Guardians, Veterinarians and possibly other dog professionals to ensure that your dog returns to a safe and comfortable everyday life without pain or discomfort.