How to tell if your dog’s limp is real
Of course, you never want to just assume your dog is faking. Even if your dog “recovers” from a limp, they might just be masking their pain because they’re looking forward to their evening walk or they want to avoid something they consider unpleasant (like a trip to the vet).
How can you tell if your dog is faking? Even if you think they might not be injured, you should consult your vet. They’ll be more equipped than you to identify any medical causes of your dog’s symptoms and behavior.
Vets typically group limping into two categories: gradual onset limping and sudden limping. Common reasons for a limp include:
Can Dogs Fake Injury for Attention?
Absolutely, and this is one of the main reasons that a dog will fake an injury, other than generalized anxiety. In fact, anxiety for many pets happens because they are stressed and worried about not getting enough attention and love.
This can be a tricky position because you don’t want to reward your dog for unhealthy behaviors. However, you don’t want to increase their need for attention by ignoring them.
A good compromise is to ignore your dog when this behavior occurs and reward them with love and cuddles when they stop exhibiting the behavior. Giving them additional attention a few more times throughout the day may help as well, as long as it isn’t when they are faking an injury.
If your dog is doing this for attention, they may be trying to tell you something. Maybe this always happens when there is a loud noise in the house, you have guests over, or right before feeding time. Paying attention to what triggers this behavior can help you to assess what you can do in your environment to make your pup more comfortable. Over time, this may discourage the behavior.
Why would a dog fake limp?
It turns out the dog was simply imitating its owner who has a limp due to a broken ankle. Russell Jones posted a video of them walking and he could be seen with his crutches and leg cast. According to Jones, the dog has been limping since the day after the injury.