How can I tell my dog is in pain?

Pain can be exhibited in multiple ways. We often think about our pets being vocal. As humans, we may be vocal if we are in pain, but often dogs hide it. Because dogs hide pain, you’re looking for more subtle changes from their normal behavior. If the dog is slower to rise when they get up, they could have some arthritic pain. If they change their eating habits and only eat soft food, they may have dental or mouth pain. If your dog no longer greets you when you come in, they don't jump up like they used to, don’t sleep on the bed with you, or they sleep on the floor; these could be signs that they're uncomfortable and don't want to move around.