Importance of Observing Your Dog’s Behavior

For the audio version of these blog posts, tune into the USA Dog Behavior Podcast.

People often ask me, “Scott, what’s the number one thing I should pay attention to in my dog’s behavior?” It’s a fair question. As dog owners, we’re told to keep up with diet, exercise, training, socialization, enrichment, vet visits, and the list goes on and on. All of that matters.

But here’s my answer: the most important thing you can watch for is change.

Dogs thrive on routine. They’re creatures of habit, and they build predictable patterns into their lives: how they greet you at the door, when they eat, where they sleep, and how they play. Because they’re so consistent, changes in behavior—large or small—become powerful signals that something’s going on beneath the surface.

Think about it this way: if you have a dog who always races to the front door when you pick up the leash, and one day he hangs back or hides, that’s worth paying attention to. If your playful pup suddenly leaves toys untouched, or your normally social dog avoids eye contact and retreats to a quiet space, that’s not “just a mood.” That’s communication! Dogs can’t sit us down and say, “My back hurts” or “That noise scared me.” Instead, they show us through behavior.

In my work as a dog behaviorist, I hear this all the time: “He’s always been fine, but now…” and then comes a description of something that has shifted. Maybe the dog has started growling at visitors, or barking more than usual, or resisting being handled. Sometimes those changes are rooted in fear or stress. Other times, they’re linked to pain or medical issues. In fact, many of the aggression cases I see have an underlying medical component that was only discovered because the owner noticed behavior that seemed “off.”

Why noticing changes matters

Behavior is often the earliest and clearest window into your dog’s emotional and physical health. Long before a medical issue shows up on a blood test, or long before anxiety spirals into destructive behavior, you’ll usually see subtle changes: pacing, clinginess, withdrawal, or shifts in appetite and sleep. The owners who notice and act on these changes early give their dogs the best chance at fast, effective help.

The most important part of noticing changes in your dog’s behavior is that you, the dog’s owner, are going to be the first to notice these changes. Don’t rely on your dog trainer, groomer, or vet to notice these changes. You know your dog better than anybody; you’ll see these changes first. Don’t ignore them.

What to do when you see a shift

First, don’t overreact. A change in behavior doesn’t always mean something catastrophic. Sometimes the explanation is simple: maybe the weather has your dog unsettled, or maybe something in the environment has changed. But the important thing is not to dismiss it.

Here’s what I recommend:

Observe carefully. When did you first notice the change? Was there a specific event that might have triggered it?

Look for patterns. Does it happen at a certain time of day, in a certain location, or around specific people or animals?

Track it. Write down what you see. Even a short daily log is incredibly valuable to a dog behaviorist or vet.

When you share this information with your behaviorist or vet, you’re giving us the roadmap to find answers more quickly. Instead of guessing, we can see trends and rule things in or out much faster.

Know your dog’s “normal.”

The key to spotting change is knowing what “normal” looks like for your dog. That means paying attention during the ordinary, boring moments. How does your dog usually get up from lying down? How does he typically react when the doorbell rings? How quickly does she settle after excitement?

These little details become your baseline. When something shifts from that baseline, even slightly, you’ll recognize it.

Bottom line: the one behavior change every dog owner should notice is simply that, change. Every change tells a story. Some are small and temporary. Others are signals of bigger challenges. Either way, paying attention allows you to step in early, get the right help, and give your dog the best chance at a healthy and happy life.

For the audio version of these blog posts, tune into the USA Dog Behavior Podcast.