8 Ways in Which Pain and Illness Cause Behaviour Problems In Collies

As a behaviourist seeing some of the worst behaviour cases, often those who have been to trainers first who have been unable to help, many of the collies I see are eventually diagnosed as being in pain. When a dog’s behaviour is intense, inconsistent, or occurs without any external cause, we always need to consider whether pain or illness is causing or maintaining the behaviour.
Pain is not always the cause of problem behaviour, but it’s much more likely to be involved than most people realise.

Pain doesn’t have to be severe to change behaviour – even mild discomfort can change a dog’s movement, sleeping patterns, interactions with other social beings, as well as how a dog learns, and copes with everyday life. Owners often feel like their dog is being disobedient or stubborn, when in reality the dog is simply trying their best to cope with how they feel inside.
This article will help you understand the way in which pain can cause behaviour problems, what signs to look for, and what to do if you suspect they are in pain.

1. Dogs’ bodies have to work harder when they are unwell

Your dog’s body is constantly working to maintain homeostasis, which means keeping essential internal processes — like temperature, hydration and blood sugar — within a healthy, stable range. This takes a lot of quiet “background work” from the brain, hormones and organs. When your dog is well, they have plenty of spare capacity to stay calm, regulate their emotions, learn, rest and cope with everyday life. But when they’re in pain or unwell, much more of their energy is diverted into simply keeping their body balanced, leaving far less available for emotional regulation and behaviour.

Healthy dogs can usually cope with things like visitors, other dogs, sudden noises, car journeys and busy environments, but a dog whose system is under strain has less patience and tolerance, and finds these everyday events much harder. This can lead to barking, reactivity, clinginess, avoidance, irritability or difficulty settling. You may also see a regression in training, with dogs appearing to forget previously taught behaviours. This isn’t stubbornness — it’s a sign that the dog is struggling and has less capacity to cope.

2. Pain increases sound sensitivity

Evidence has shown that collies tend to be sound sensitive as a breed, struggling with sounds such as fireworks, thunder, motorcycles, rattly trailers, tapping noises, sirens or phone noises and so on.

Any unpleasant or scary noises can startle a dog or make them tense up, and this “jumping” or tensing can cause pain. The dog therefore learns over time that certain sounds cause pain. Once this association is made, collies can become extremely fearful or highly aroused when they experience these noises, causing sound phobias or jumping/biting at the item causing the sound.

Sound sensitivity in border collies

3. Pain makes dogs more sensitive to movement

If we are in pain, certain movements can hurt. So if we are experiencing hip pain for example, which collies as a breed are prone to, changing position or moving about can be painful. This tends to happen when there is nothing exciting happening, such as when snoozing on the sofa, or when being asked to go out for their last toilet trip of the day. When collies are excited or aroused during work or play, their adrenaline tends to over-ride their pain, drowning it out so that they don’t even feel it. It’s when things have died down that they feel it more.
This can cause behaviours such as:

grumbling when people next to them on the settee move
growling when approached by people when sleeping
growling when asked to get out of the car after a walk

4. Pain affects sleep and tired dogs behave differently

Dogs in pain often struggle to settle and sleep. If they have chronic (ongoing) pain, then they may struggle to settle. The pain is constantly there, gnawing away in the background, and with nothing else to distract them from it, it can feel worse.

Very energetic, “busy” dogs like collies quickly learn that keeping themselves active is a way to keep the pain at bay. They may panic when shut into a crate or room alone to settle, and constantly seek interaction from their owners. They may panic when left alone, and develop compulsive/repetitive behaviours such as:

shadow chasing
tail chasing or spinning
repetitive licking
fly snapping to ease the discomfort

5. Pain changes brain chemistry and affects emotion

Chronic pain increases cortisol, adrenaline and inflammation. This can cause increased anxiety, increased reactivity and decreases a dog’s ability to learn. Pain biologically changes a dog’s threshold for reaction.

6. Pain affects emotions

Pain is the body’s way of keeping a dog safe, so it makes them more alert to any potential threats. When a dog is experiencing chronic pain, cortisol, adrenaline and inflammation increase in the brain. This can lead to emotional changes such as:

More anxiety
Lower tolerance for touch
Reactivity around people, dogs or other triggers
Sensitivity to noise or movement
Clinginess or, alternatively, hiding away
Growling or snapping when approached
Guarding beds, sofas, or resting spaces
Seeming “grumpy”, “on edge”, or easily startled

how can pain cause behaviour problems in dogs

These aren’t signs of a “disobedient” or “nasty” dog — they’re signs of a dog trying to protect themselves because they don’t feel right.

7. Pain reduces social confidence

Dogs in pain may feel more vulnerable, learning to avoid or repel other dogs or people by using aggression if they feel that interactions could cause an increase in pain. This can be their owners and other household dogs as well as unfamiliar people and dogs. They may stick more closely to their caregivers for protection.

This is often mislabelled as “guarding”, “dominance”, or “anti-social behaviour”, when it’s actually self-preservation.

8. Illness – even non-painful illness – also changes behaviour

Even with illnesses that don’t cause pain, a dog’s body may have different priorities and this can still change behaviour.
Illness may cause:

Increased fatigue and therefore refusal to go for walks, or stopping on walks
Less desire to play
Less able to concentrate, including during training or when out and about
More or less desire to sleep
Changes in toileting habits
Increased neediness
Increased or decreased appetite
Reduced tolerance of handling

Digestion issues, hormonal changes, dehydration, infection, and inflammation may all affect a dog’s mood and coping ability — sometimes long before any obvious physical signs appear.

Border collies – more likely to experience pain and less likely to show it

Poor breeding has meant that collies are more prone to orthopaedic, neurologic and soft-tissue injuries. These include hip and elbow problems, Additionally, their drive for work and movement means that they are more likely to keep going even if they are injured or ill and feel pain. Their excitement and hormonal release while playing or working can override any pain they may feel, meaning that any injuries need to be severe before a collie will slow down or choose not to play, work or train. Injuries are frequent for collies working on hillsides amidst slippery rocks, streams and thick scrub – dogs that could work through their injuries were prized and bred from. A dog that stopped working in the middle of a fetch would not be much use to a shepherd.
Studies have shown that collies working in agility are more likely to be injured than other breeds, and it has been theorised that this is due to their enthusiasm, throwing themselves into their work without hesitation.

Counter-intuitively, collies tend to become more active when they are in pain, rather than less. But in the absence of the usual symptoms of discomfort in collies, we are more likely to see behavioural changes and must take notice of these, especially if they are new behaviours.

Young dogs can be affected too

People often don’t realise, but pain and illness are not limited to older dogs.
Research shows that a notable number of collies may experience joint, muscle, or gut discomfort from birth or while very young. These can contribute to:

Intense frustration
Hard grabbing or mouthing
Over-the-top reactions
Difficulty settling
Sensitivity to sound or movement
Anxiety around other dogs or people
Fear of novelty
Anxiety on walks

Border collie puppy in pain

Because these can occur at around adolescence, it is often difficult to identify whether the dog is struggling due to pain or discomfort, or experiencing hormonal changes while going through a “teenage phase”.

When should you speak to your vet?

Please contact your vet if your dog shows:

Changes in tolerance (touch, grooming, handling)
New or worsening noise sensitivity
Difficulty settling or changes in sleep
Changes in movement (slow to get up, hesitant on stairs)
Grumpiness, guarding, or reactivity
Repetitive behaviours (licking surfaces, chasing lights or shadows)
Reduced appetite or enthusiasm
Difficulty concentrating or unusual frustration in training

Any changes need investigating. For instance, when one of my collies suddenly started showing fearfulness around gunshots while out on a walk, which she never has before, I took her straight to the vet’s. They dismissed my concerns and said she was fine, but she didn’t improve. I eventually insisted on x-rays and she was diagnosed with hip dysplasia.

If your vet dismisses your concerns, find an ABTC-registered behaviourist to work with. We can help you gather evidence to convince your vet to investigate further.

8 Ways in Which Pain and Illness Cause Behaviour Problems