Can allergies cause aggression? The role of pain in behavior

Why is medical information needed when hiring a dog trainer?



A dog's health directly impacts their actions. The better they feel, the more motivation and success we can have! If they are eating good food, they will have more energy! Just like humans, if we feel poor, we can’t put our all into our work. Whether the dog's health is causing pain or fatigue, or they generally do not feel well, it affects their training. They aren’t giving you a hard time; they are having a hard time.

Illness can lead to a number of roadblocks in training. Illness could also be the reason you reached out for training. It’s common for a dog to become fearful due to medical issues. This fear can manifest into greater things, such as fear-based reactions to the world. It can also show up in a non-apparent way. Does your dog fail to listen to you but know what you are asking of them? For example, a dog may have minor, undiagnosed hip dysplasia that affects their desire to sit or lay down. The dog may frequently try to break their commands due to being uncomfortable.

Our own dog, Bailey, was having out-of-place reactions to the world. He became fearful and scared of things he was originally comfortable with. We took him to the vet after using every skill in our trainer toolbox, and sure enough, he needed knee surgery. His reactions to the world weren’t because he was a bad dog; they were because he was in pain.

Your dog's success with training is directly related to his or her health. We often fail to recognize when our dogs are in pain or don’t feel good, as they express it much differently than humans. Your dog isn’t a bad dog; they just need our help.