Recognising Pain in Dogs: What Owners Miss and Why It Matters

Overview

The Conversation reports on research into how well dog owners recognise pain in their pets. While obvious pain indicators are commonly noticed, subtle signs such as yawning, lip and nose licking, and facial expressions are frequently missed. Prior experience with painful conditions can improve detection of overt signs, but not necessarily subtle cues. Recognising pain is critical for animal welfare and can influence behavior and health outcomes.

• Owners excel at identifying obvious pain signals but often miss subtle indicators.
• Yawning, lip licking, and changes in facial expressions can warn of pain.
• Prior pet-health experience helps in spotting overt pain signs, but not all subtle cues.
• Early recognition supports faster veterinary care and better welfare.

Author: The Conversation

Overview

The article from The Conversation synthesises findings from a study in PLOS ONE that examined how accurately dog owners recognise signs of pain in dogs. The study used an online questionnaire completed by 530 dog owners and 117 non-owners. Respondents were shown a list of 17 dog behaviours and asked to rate how likely each would indicate pain, based on their experience. The key finding is that while owners reliably identify obvious movement-related pain signals (such as limp or hopping), they often overlook subtler indicators. These subtler cues include yawning, lip and nose licking, changes in facial expressions, looking away, and increased blinking. This gap suggests that many dogs’ pain experiences may go unrecognised, with potential welfare implications.

"Animals often disguise pain as a survival mechanism, and many signs of pain show only as subtle changes in behaviour." - The Conversation

"Notably, participants without dogs were actually more likely to recognise that freezing or turning the head or body away are associated with pain than dog owners." - The Conversation

Why Subtle Cues Matter

The article emphasises that dogs frequently mask pain to avoid drawing attention to themselves, a behavior that can complicate owner interpretation. Subtle indicators such as yawning, lip- and nose-licking, and facial expression changes (including looking away or blinking more) are part of the pain signal set. The ability to detect these signals can be improved with experience, but the study found that prior pet experience does not guarantee better recognition of all subtle indicators, highlighting a potential gap in common dog-owner interactions.

"The signs of pain provided included obvious behavioural changes such as hesitant paw lifting, reduced play behaviour and changes in personality. 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." - The Conversation

Pain and Behaviour

The link between pain and canine behaviour is explored through case scenarios. Participants tended to link obvious movement problems with pain more readily, while subtle pain signals showed less differentiation between dog-owners and non-owners. This finding suggests that even with pet experience, some pain cues may be missed, potentially delaying welfare-improving actions such as veterinary assessment or behavioural support.

"Dog owners noted that pain was likely in the case with obvious signs of movement problems – hopping and lifting of legs. This was higher for dog owners than non-owners. In the case where pain signs were more subtle (night restlessness and ‘shadowing’ family members), there was no difference in the ability of dog-owners and non-owners to identify the behaviour as signs of pain." - The Conversation

Take-Home Messages

The piece concludes with practical implications: recognising pain in pets is critical for rapid response and welfare, and education for owners—especially on subtle signals—could improve outcomes. When owners notice changes in sleep patterns, restlessness, or unusual licking/chewing, veterinary consultation should be sought. The overarching message is that better recognition of pain cues—especially subtle ones—can reduce suffering and potentially prevent complications like chronic pain or behavioral issues in dogs.

"Recognising signs of pain in your pet is critical so you can respond quickly. This may also help reduce the risk of dog bites which are often linked to the dog struggling with chronic pain." - The Conversation