The 17 signs your dog is in pain as most people have no idea

The 17 signs your dog is in pain as most people have no ideaA study found people can't recognise many signs of pain in dogsCommentsNewsNeil Shaw Assistant Editor (Money and Lifestyle)12:28, 19 Apr 2026Updated 12:29, 19 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesDogs will hide pain if they canRecent research suggests that many dog owners are not skilled in recognising when their pets are in pain, which could have significant consequences for the behaviour, health and welfare of our pets. An expert has explained how you can tell when your pet needs help - and what you need to do.‌Jacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent University, said: "It is easy to assume that an animal in pain will make some noise about it and show obvious physical signs. This might be the case if they are in acute pain as the result of severe injury for example. However, animals often disguise pain as a survival mechanism, and many signs of pain show only as subtle changes in behaviour."‌Jacqueline said people seem to be able to recognise basic animal emotional states such as anger, fear or joy, through facial and body expressions, but are less good at linking the cues to more complex emotional states including pain, anxiety and frustration.‌View 3 ImagesNot all signs of pain in dogs are obviousIn a recent study, people were given a list of 17 types of dog behaviour and were asked to rank how likely they thought these behaviour types were to indicate pain. In reality, all 17 types of behaviour suggest a dog is in pain.The signs included obvious behavioural changes such as hesitant paw lifting, reduced play behaviour and changes in personality. Jacqueline said: "Participants were good at recognising these prominent behaviour changes were linked with pain. However, they didn’t realise more subtle indicators such as yawning, lip and nose licking and changes in facial expressions including looking away and increased blinking. These are all warnings that a dog may be sufferi...