03/10/2026
This is a really interesting read if you have a dog thatās showing (or not!) signs of pain. Emma at So Help Me Dog will do a very thorough assessment to ascertain what it going on with your dog if you have any concerns about their movement or change in behaviourā¦..
ā¼ļø MYTH BUSTING ā¼ļø
āOh but he canāt be in pain becauseā¦ā
- He hoons around after the ball like a lunatic
- She can play with the other dogs in the park for hours
- Heās on the go all the time
š£ Well, adrenaline, dopamine and opioids have a lot to do with this ā¬ļø When a dog is chasing after a ball, dopamine and adrenaline are coursing through the body. Adrenaline is designed to dull down our perception of pain so IN THAT MOMENT, they arenāt hurting. When dogs play with others, opioids are released, and opioids are a very powerful pain-relieverā¦ codeine, anyone? So, again, in that moment, no pain. In fact, a dog may even try and āself-medicateā by seeking out other dogs, toys, people, or being continuously active to get those pain-relieving chemicals going.
āOh but she canāt be in pain because sheās not limpingā¦ā
š£ Dogs are stoic and so may not show overt signs of discomfort. But they also have that āwild animalā instinct of not showing pain to others so they will do anything they can to mask their pain - those subtle alterations to movement and posture that we talked about last time. If you have a foreign rescue, you can increase that stoicism tenfold. By the time your dog is visibly limping or stiff, there has probably been chronic pain for quite some time (unless of course there is a clear reason for it, like an accident).
āOh sheās not in pain, thatās just a (insert any breed name in here) thingā
ā No. That Retriever hip wiggle is not necessarily just a thing they do.
ā No. That skip isnāt just a āterrierā thing.
ā No. Just because all French Bulldogs do that, it doesnāt mean itās normal.
ā No. Your āactive, busy, brightā Border Collie doesnāt necessarily need MORE exercise to make them settle down.
Sadly, even Vets can tell you that your dogās abnormal walk/run/sit etc is just a breed thing. Just because it is COMMON in a breed (because of poor breeding), it doesnāt make it normal and it certainly doesnāt mean that something isnāt going on and that your dog isnāt in pain.
Why wait until your dog is screaming with pain, or obviously limping/stiff before doing something about it?
š§ If you'd like to book a Movement MOT with me to check that all is well with your dog, email me at: [email protected]
