Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
"Have you ever watched you dog suddenly start limping, without getting an injury? Or maybe you’ve seen your dog get hurt, but a few hours after an apparant recovery, the dog starts limping again, on the wrong foot? Could dogs really be faking injuries to get attention?
Yes. When dogs are injured, their caretakers often lavish extra affection on them. And Fido is no dummy. Whenever a dog that has been injured in the past is feeling particulary left out, he or she may start limping in order to illicit the same type of response from his or her guardian as the real injury did."
Believe it or not, it is so true! Many years ago, one of my dogs came in from the back yard, he was not limping, but was totally not using his rear leg. Went to the Vet right away to learn the dog had somehow broken the tip off his Femur.
The Doctor explained that he could do a procedure where he would cut the muscle and wrap it around the top of the bone, making a new "joint".
The recovery took many weeks. The dog continued to hold that leg up. Of course I would move the leg in the range of motion, once the Doctor said he should begin to use it. Massage the muscle. (As it had began to atrophy from not using it)
Long story short, if the dog did not know I was watching him, he would run around on all 4 legs, jump and be a normal dog. As soon as he saw me, he lifted up that leg. (He could get around pretty well on the three legs)
So, I totally agree that our canines are smart enough to "fake" an injury or intentionally do something that they have learned will get our attention.
Have you ever had a dog fake an injury to get special extra attention?
I never would have believed that a dog would or could fake an injury..but, it would explain something strange that happened a couple of years ago with my dog, Nubi. One day Nubi started whining, suddenly, and I could not figure out what was wrong! I gave him tons of attention and checked him over completely, but he kept whining. My husband arfrived home and the minute that he walked through the door, Nubi starts doing the most horrible high pitched whine!! It sounded like a dog screaming.
We jumped in the car and rushed him to the emergency vet since it was a Sunday and his normal vet is closed.
At the vet office, the nice lady took Nubi back to a room to do a check up and they didn't allow me back there.
About 10 minutes later they walked out with Nubi and he was wagging his tail and happy. The vet couldn't find anything wrong so he told me that it may have been pancreatitis since Nubi is a fat chihuahua....
He didn't whine again that day.. In the back of my mind I was wondering if Nubi just needed some extra attention!! He really is a very intelligent dog!
My Jazz who was a very smart dog would fake injury for attention or pity. The first time she was just a pup and I stepped on her foot Big yelp and that over dramatic thing puppies do...she was a major drama queen. Then she was fine but for the rest of that day and the next several days If she got told " NO" for doing something bad ( and that was often as she was a wicked bad puppy!) She would lift that paw I had stepped on whine and walk away with a limp.... the big faker. She continued to pull this stunt her whole life if she had some sort of injury for weeks she would milk it when she wanted pity yet was 100% fine the rest of the time.
Dazzle is some what like that too like Jazz he is a drama queen and at the dog park he sometimes catches his foot in a golpher hole and because he is fast ( he is a sight hound) and he has thin legs I am sure it does hurt ( a couple dogs have broken legs doing that) He will sit and scream and once he feels enough people have come over to make sue he is Ok he trots off and runs and plays yet later if he is not getting the attention he so craves he heads over to some one using his best limp! "poor Daz he hurt his leg and needs some cuddles"
The funny thing is Dash the one dog that really hurt or himself when I let some kids play with him on agility equipment never let out a peep and just kept running agility. The kids had him going full speed up the A frame over and over and somewhere in there he caught a nail and broke it off down where it comes out of the paw . I was working with Jazz and went to get something and as I passed Dash I noticed he had blood all over him so stopped him which he did not like as he was having fun and found the broken nail. That crazy boy was in no means a drama queen nor did he milk an injury for pity, he just wanted to get back to the fun. He did end up with surgery on his foot and had it wrapped and even then he never pulled what Jazz or Dazzle do. He was a dog that loved life!
My Jazz who was a very smart dog would fake injury for attention or pity. The first time she was just a pup and I stepped on her foot Big yelp and that over dramatic thing puppies do...she was a major drama queen. Then she was fine but for the rest of that day and the next several days If she got told " NO" for doing something bad ( and that was often as she was a wicked bad puppy!) She would lift that paw I had stepped on whine and walk away with a limp.... the big faker. She continued to pull this stunt her whole life if she had some sort of injury for weeks she would milk it when she wanted pity yet was 100% fine the rest of the time.
The funny thing is Dash the one dog that really hurt or himself when I let some kids play with him on agility equipment never let out a peep and just kept running agility. The kids had him going full speed up the A frame over and over and somewhere in there he caught a nail and broke it off down where it comes out of the paw . I was working with Jazz and went to get something and as I passed Dash I noticed he had blood all over him so stopped him which he did not like as he was having fun and found the broken nail. That crazy boy was in no means a drama queen nor did he milk an injury for pity, he just wanted to get back to the fun. He did end up with surgery on his foot and had it wrapped and even then he never pulled what Jazz or Dazzle do. He was a dog that loved life!
Jazz sounds hilarious!!
Dash sounds a lot like my Sammy... I saved Sammy at the pound, from the E list, with only 30 minutes left, and he was the happiest dog from the time I picked him up at the pound until now. He had been neutered at the pound and it was infected! On day 2 or 3 of him coming home, his stitches tore open and he was bleeding pretty badly. The dog didn't even whimper or anything! His balls were the size of oranges and he was only 4 pounds at the time of skin and bones. He just wanted to play ! I rushed him to the vet and they said that they had to let him bleed out the infection.. He never even acted like it hurt..He is very special...
Sam used to do this. He knew who in the family would fawn over him, and who would ignore it. My Mom walks in, Sam limps. She leaves, no drama. No more limp. Or if you stepped on his foot, he would yelp and scream in agony. Even if you brushed his foot. Trying the "guilt ploy" for a treat. Yet, one time he was eating a piece of turkey, I did step on his foot, by accident, he never made a sound. Go figure it.
My girl's fake injury cost me $300 at the vet. Exam, x-ray, consultation, pain medications and a cracked windshield on the way, not to mention the lost day at work.
For what?
Because she is a MANIPULATOR!!
Fooled me TWICE dog, (one time when she got spayed, she did fall out of the SUV from her impatience while we got the boy out and I'm sure it shocked her and hurt...but not for THREE days...where she was babied and got to sleep on the bed being spooned....hello, My name is SUCKER, nice to meet you), never again!
My Chi-mix has faked injury a few times. Usually after he feels he was bettered by another dog in a public setting. Then he'll come to me for support with a hurt leg or foot. Kind of like an athlete who makes a really bad play, then for a couple minutes after, pretends it was because he was hurt.
A friends GSD would run and play normally.
But when the dog had it's collar and lead on and had to do obedience it would start to limp.
Remove the lead and collar and poof, no more limp.
I am not sure dogs fake an injury. They have gotten hurt or scared and then realized "Oh it isn't that bad, but I like this attention." My dog came in through her doggie door holding her leg up in the air and crying like a baby. She just cried and screamed out loud. I picked her up and tried to look at her leg and foot. She kept it bent and in the air. I called the emergency vet because it was on a weekend. They said to bring her in. We drove her there in the car and carried her into the vet. When we set her down on the floor at the vet she walked normal. So we turned around and brought her back home. At home she favored the leg for a little while then the next day was fine. I wasn't sure if she stepped on something, got stung by a bee or bit by a bug or just twisted it or what. I wish dogs could talk so they could tell you what happened.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Jazz sounds hilarious!! 
