Limping and yelping are easier to spot. The quiet signs are the ones that let pain go on for weeks or months. Here's what they look like, why they're easy to miss, and what to do when you see them.
What are the silent signs of pain in dogs?
Silent signs are changes in behavior, mood, and daily routine that don't look like pain. They're the opposite of overt signs, the ones anyone would read as pain, like limping or crying out. Behavior changes are the main way veterinarians recognize pain in dogs [1]. Silent signs tend to show up in six places:
- Body language: yawning, licking the lips or nose, blinking more or freezing in place [2].
- Closeness: following you from room to room, or the opposite: hiding, keeping to themselves, or no longer enjoying being petted [2,3,4].
- Rest: restless nights, trouble settling, sleeping in odd positions, or no longer curling up to sleep [2,4].
- Grooming: licking or chewing one spot over and over, scratching more, or a coat that looks different or unkempt [2,3,4].
- Posture and face: a hunched back, a lowered head, a tail held differently, flattened ears, squinting, or a tense or glazed look [3,4].
- Daily habits: eating more slowly, pawing at the mouth, accidents in the house, or crying out while going to the bathroom [3,4].
One sign alone can have an innocent explanation. Several together, or any that are new for your dog, deserve a closer look.
Do most dog owners notice when their dog is in pain?
For obvious pain, yes. For quiet pain, often not. A 2026 study from Utrecht University asked 530 dog owners to judge written descriptions of dogs. When a dog had obvious, movement-related pain, 97% of owners said pain was likely. When the signs were quieter (more clinginess, following family members around, restless nights, and a shorter walk), only 53% did [2].
The signs owners were least likely to link to pain were yawning, nose and lip licking [2]. Almost everyone catches the limp. About half miss the dog who just seems a little off.
Why do dog owners miss the signs of pain?
Because many silent signs look like something else. Yawning, lip licking, turning away, and freezing are also classic signs of stress. In the same study, dog owners were less likely than people without dogs to read turning away and freezing as pain [2]. Knowing dog body language taught them to think “stressed,” not “sore.”
I call these look-alike signs: behaviors that can mean stress or pain. When you see one, keep pain on the list.
Pain also hides at the vet. Cornell's Riney Canine Health Center notes that fear and anxiety in the clinic can mask pain behaviors, which makes what you see at home especially valuable [3].
The good news is that this skill can be learned. Owners whose dogs had already been through a painful illness or injury were better at spotting subtle signs. The researchers suspect it's because a vet walked them through what to watch for [2].
Can my dog be in pain if he's still eating and wagging his tail?
Yes. Eating and wagging don't rule out pain. Many dogs in pain still eat, greet you, and go for walks. What changes is how they do it. A dog with mouth pain may eat more slowly or paw at their face, even with a normal appetite [4]. A dog with sore joints may still wag at the door but skip the jump onto the bed.
Pain guidelines from the American Animal Hospital Association make the same point. Owners often don't read behavior as pain; what they notice is a dog who slowly does less [1].
Could my dog's bad behavior be caused by pain?
It could. Growling, snapping, guarding, and new reactivity are sometimes a dog protecting a sore body part, not a training problem. A review of research on pain and behavior found that pain can cause or worsen behavior problems in dogs, and that treating the pain often reduces or resolves them [5]. The authors of the 2026 study made the same point: catching pain early may help prevent behavior problems, including aggression [2].
If your adult dog's behavior changes suddenly, ask your vet to check for pain before you start a training plan.
How do I check my dog for hidden pain at home?
Do a quick weekly check against your dog's individualized baseline, the picture of what's normal for your dog when they feel well. Once a week, jot down:
- How your dog slept: curled up or stretched out, settled or restless.
- How they greeted you, and whether they followed you more or less than usual.
- How long their usual walk lasted.
- Any spot they keep licking, and how their coat looks.
- How eagerly they ate.
These are the same kinds of everyday behaviors veterinary pain specialists ask owners about [6]. Compare each week to the last. Pain rarely shows up in one day. It shows up as a trend.
When something changes, capture it. I recommend bringing photos, videos, or written notes to your vet appointment [3].
When should I call the vet about subtle signs of pain?
Silent signs usually mean “call,” not “panic.” Here's how I'd sort them:
- Wait and watch: one small change that doesn't come back.
- Call tomorrow: a change that keeps coming back, or two silent signs together, like restless nights plus licking one spot.
- Go now: your dog can't stand or put weight on a leg, collapses, cries out, has a swollen belly, struggles to breathe, or can't urinate. Or if your concerns tell you something isn’t right.
Never give your dog pain medicine made for people without talking to your vet. Some are toxic to dogs.
Can a collar catch the signs I miss?
It can catch the ones that happen when you're not watching. Many silent signs, like restless nights, whimpering, and tremors, happen at 3 a.m. or while you're at work. The Ruff, Tether's collar-mounted health monitor, tracks movement, rest, breathing, and vocalizations around the clock and compares them to your dog's individualized baseline. It doesn't diagnose, and it doesn't replace your vet. It turns silent signs into a record you and your vet can actually see.
“Every clinical claim The Ruff makes crosses my desk before it reaches you. I hold it to the standard I'd want for my own dogs, because that's exactly what yours deserve.”
Animals speak to those who listen.
Dr. Zachary L. Pollack, DVM, MRCVS
- Epstein M, Rodan I, Griffenhagen G, et al. 2015 AAHA/AAFP Pain Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2015;51(2):67-84. doi:10.5326/JAAHA-MS-7331.
- Gardeweg SMA, Picard DE, van Herwijnen IR. The abilities in dog pain sign recognition as assessed by presenting seventeen listed dog behavioural signs and three case descriptions to dog owners and non-dog owners. PLoS One. 2026;21(4):e0344512. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0344512.
- Cohen A. Recognizing Pain in Dogs. Cornell Richard P. Riney Canine Health Center. vet.cornell.edu. Updated October 21, 2025.
- Kirkendall K. Signs of Pain in Pets. Veterinary Partner, Veterinary Information Network (VIN). April 1, 2025.
- Mills DS, Demontigny-Bedard I, Gruen M, et al. Pain and Problem Behavior in Cats and Dogs. Animals (Basel). 2020;10(2):318. doi:10.3390/ani10020318.
- Walsh K. Chronic pain management in dogs and cats. In Practice. 2016;38(4):155-165. doi:10.1136/inp.i1489.