Last Tuesday, a client brought in Duke, a seven-year-old Labrador mix, because he’d “slowed down a bit lately.” What she described as normal aging was actually severe hip dysplasia that had been progressing for months. Duke had been suffering in silence, his tail still wagging, his eyes still bright with love for his family. This happens more often than you’d think—and Duke’s Labrador heritage made him particularly adept at hiding his discomfort.
As I often say, dogs are masters of living in the moment, which can work against them when it comes to chronic pain. They don’t catastrophize about yesterday’s discomfort or worry about tomorrow’s stiffness—they simply adapt. This remarkable resilience, while admirable, can mask significant health issues that need attention. However, this adaptation varies dramatically between breeds, shaped by centuries of selective breeding for specific traits and temperaments.
The Breed Factor: Why Your Dog’s Heritage Matters
Understanding your dog’s breed background is crucial for recognizing pain. Working breeds like German Shepherds, Border Collies, and Siberian Huskies were bred for endurance and task focus—traits that make them exceptionally good at pushing through discomfort. (Though let’s be honest—many Huskies still act like you’re amputating a limb during nail trims. Ask any vet.)
These stoic dogs often maintain their drive even while hurting, which means subtle behavioral shifts may be your only clue.
Companion breeds like Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Pugs, and many toy breeds were selected for expressiveness and human focus. They tend to show pain more clearly—through vocalizations, clingy behavior, or sudden changes in routine. What might seem like “drama” in a Chihuahua could represent the same discomfort a Rottweiler would silently endure.
Sight hounds like Greyhounds and Whippets are an interesting case. Research shows they’re highly pain-sensitive, and clinical experience backs that up—many show surprisingly intense reactions to pain, despite their usually reserved natures. It’s not uncommon for them to vocalize or even freeze up completely in response to discomfort.
The Science Behind Breed Differences in Pain
Physiologically, canine pain mirrors human pain: the same neural pathways, stress hormones, and emotional responses are involved. The difference lies not in how dogs experience pain, but in how they express it—and how genetics influence that expression.
Research confirms what many veterinarians observe daily: more than 98% of vets believe pain sensitivity differs by breed. Recent testing backs this up, revealing genuine differences in pain thresholds. Vets and owners consistently rate small dogs as more sensitive, while breeds like Labs, Mastiffs, and Pit Bull Terriers are viewed as stoic.
Yet testing sometimes surprises us. Breeds like the Maltese, often seen as delicate, were found to have high pain thresholds. So yes, breed matters—but individual variation always deserves attention.
The Maltese is often found to have high pain thresholds.
What to Watch For: Decoding Canine Discomfort
Physical Changes Through a Breed Lens
Before obvious symptoms arise, physical changes often give early warning. Dogs may sleep more, favor soft surfaces, or shift their sleeping locations—like choosing cool tile over plush carpet.
Giant breeds like Great Danes may become more deliberate in movement, avoid stairs, or take longer to rise. Every motion becomes a calculated effort.
Terriers, known for their boldness, may show pain by becoming unusually subdued or compliant. A Jack Russell that suddenly avoids confrontation or a normally sunny Cairn Terrier who turns grumpy may be hurting—often from back or joint pain.
Exercise Tolerance: Shifts That Speak Volumes
Changes in activity tolerance may be subtle at first. A dog who once bounded up stairs now takes them one at a time. Walks shorten. Fetch loses its thrill.
High-drive breeds like Australian Cattle Dogs may still show enthusiasm—but need more breaks, cut hikes short, or grow imprecise in their usual games.
Brachycephalic breeds like Bulldogs are trickier. Their baseline limitations mean that pain-related changes can easily go unnoticed. Look for increased effort in breathing, or a sudden disinterest in their usual low-key play.
Brachycephalic Breeds
Social and Behavioral Changes
Pain alters social behavior—and again, breed temperament matters. Some dogs seek comfort, pressing close. Others retreat to avoid painful touch. Golden Retrievers may become extra clingy; Shiba Inus may disappear emotionally and physically. If your usually exuberant Lab no longer greets you at the door, it’s not moodiness—it might be pain.
Guardian breeds like German Shepherds may patrol less or ignore doorbells. That’s not laziness—it could be discomfort making alert behavior too exhausting.
Appetite and Eating Behavior
Pain can alter eating patterns, and breed tendencies affect how we notice it. Dental pain may lead to gulping, dropped kibble, or a shift to wet food. Abdominal or neck discomfort can make eating positions painful.
A Beagle or Lab skipping meals? Red flag. A picky Yorkie doing the same? Still worth watching—but perhaps not as alarming.
A Tool for At-Home Pain Assessment
For at-home monitoring, the BEAP pain scale is a great resource. Consider adjusting scoring based on breed traits:
- Stoic breeds (working/herding): May underreport—watch behaviors closely
- Expressive breeds (toys/companions): Use standard scoring
- Giant breeds: Factor in joint stress
- Senior dogs: Adjust for age-related baselines
Scores help determine next steps and whether urgent veterinary communication is warranted.
The Transformation: Honoring the Bond
Pain relief often brings dramatic change. I’ve watched arthritic dogs rediscover puppyhood, anxious dogs relax for the first time in years, and families reconnect with personalities they feared were fading.
One neighbor, weeks after I did dental work on her senior Pug, told me, “I’m mad at you. I didn’t ask you to give me a puppy back!”
Understanding breed differences helps us diagnose accurately—but more than that, it helps us honor each dog’s unique courage. Whether it’s the quiet German Shepherd who finally sleeps soundly, the dramatic Cavalier who stops clinging, or the aloof Husky who suddenly wants to play again—pain relief restores not just comfort, but personality.
Our dogs don’t complain. They endure. And that makes it our job to read between the lines—to recognize the quiet calls for help that look different from breed to breed, but mean the same thing: “I’m hurting.”
Veterinary pain management isn’t just clinical care. It’s an act of love—and an affirmation of the unique legacy each breed brings to the bond we share.
By Dr. Caroline Simard-Swimmer
References:
Brown, D.C., et al. (2007). Development and psychometric testing of an instrument designed to measure chronic pain in dogs with osteoarthritis. American Journal of Veterinary Research, 68, 631-637.
Caddiell, R.M., Cunningham, R.M., White, P.A., Lascelles, B.D., & Gruen, M.E. (2023). Pain sensitivity differs between dog breeds but not in the way veterinarians believe. Frontiers in Pain Research, 4, 1165340.
Gruen, M.E., White, P., Hare, B., & Lascelles, B.D.X. (2020). Do dog breeds differ in pain sensitivity? Veterinarians and the public believe they do. PLOS ONE, 15(3), e0230315.
Gruen, M.E., Dorman, D.C., & Lascelles, B.D.X. (2023). Veterinary education and experience shape beliefs about dog breeds Part 1: Pain sensitivity. Scientific Reports, 13, 13721.
Hellyer, P., et al. (2007). AAHA/AAFP pain management guidelines for dogs and cats. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 43, 235-248.
Steagall, P., et al. (2013). Systematic review of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced adverse effects in dogs. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 27, 1011-1019.
