Happy Hounds & Horses, LLC

10/19/2026

Love this!!

09/19/2026

Great explanation and visual!

09/18/2026

This! I see that in my work with dogs as well. Affective touch is not always immediately received as comforting. Careful observation and adapting according to feedback is key.

Why can gentle touch feel comforting to one person, neutral to another and uncomfortable to someone else?

Could persistent pain change not only how pain is experienced, but also how pleasant touch is interpreted?

Palamoutsi and Liberati bring together brain imaging and behavioural research to explore the relationship between persistent pain, affective touch and the insula.

The insula is involved in bringing together information about the body, emotion, attention, salience and pain. It also contributes to how we experience the pleasant and emotional qualities of touch. This makes it an important meeting point between what is happening to the body and what that experience means to the person.

Gentle moving touch can activate C tactile afferents, a group of sensory fibres associated with the affective qualities of touch. In many people this type of touch is experienced as pleasant, comforting or socially meaningful, although the response is never determined by the fibres alone.

The paper suggests that persistent pain may change how this information is processed. In some chronic pain populations, gentle touch is rated as less pleasant or rewarding. Brain activity during touch may also become more closely associated with pain, sensitivity and threat than with pleasure.

The authors describe this as a ‘hijacked insula’. Rather than touch automatically entering a pleasant sensory pathway, ongoing pain may influence how the brain interprets and gives meaning to that input.

Importantly, this does not appear to happen in the same way for everyone. Some people retain their ability to recognise and enjoy pleasant touch. The authors therefore propose two broad possibilities: touch may need to compete with pain related processing in some people, while in others it may be able to strengthen pleasant pathways that remain available.

This supports a more individual approach to hands on therapy. Pressure, speed, movement, location, predictability, consent and the relationship with the therapist may all influence how touch is received. The same input may feel reassuring on one day and unwelcome on another, particularly when pain, fatigue, stress or sensitivity has changed.

For therapists, the message is positive. Thoughtful touch can be explored collaboratively rather than applied according to a fixed assumption about what should feel good. We can listen, adjust and help each person discover the type of touch that feels comfortable and useful to them.

This remains a proposed model rather than proof that touch can directly ‘normalise’ the insula, and its personalised interventions still need clinical testing. Even so, it offers a valuable direction: understanding touch as adaptable sensory and emotional input, shaped by the person rather than guaranteed by the technique. 👐🧠

Palamoutsi, E.M. and Liberati, G. (2026) ‘The hijacked insula: A stratified model of affective touch modulation in chronic pain’, Journal of Neuropsychology, 20(3), pp. 659–694.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jnp.70062

09/18/2026

How often have you had an owner bring their dog in for a full assessment because they are worried about the fact that their dog paces on walks?

They have noticed it, perhaps someone has pointed it out to them, or they have read somewhere that pacing can be a sign of pain or musculoskeletal dysfunction. And understandably, once they have seen it, they can’t really unsee it. Every walk becomes another opportunity to watch the gait and wonder whether something is wrong.

So, we assess the dog.

We assess gait and functional movement patterns, palpate them, assess their ROM with a focus on the spine, look at muscle mass and symmetry, strength, function and comfort… and sometimes, we simply don’t find anything significant enough to explain the gait we are seeing.

And then we discover that the dog only paces when they are walking on lead.

This is where I think pacing becomes really interesting, because while we are often taught to associate pacing with compensation, weakness, pain or dysfunction, the research suggests that the relationship is not quite that linear.

A study looking specifically at whether pacing could be used as an indicator of musculoskeletal pathology found pacing in both healthy dogs AND dogs with musculoskeletal dysfunction. In fact, two of the strongest predictors of whether a dog would pace were being on lead and travelling at a speed somewhere between a walk and a trot.

When you think about how we walk our dogs, this actually makes a lot of sense.

We generally expect our dogs to match our walking speed, rather than allowing them to choose theirs.

But what if our comfortable walking speed isn't particularly comfortable for the dog?

Perhaps it is slightly too fast for their natural walk, but still too slow for their comfortable trot. They are on a lead, they are expected to remain beside us, and they need to find a gait that allows them to maintain the speed we have chosen.

For some dogs, that gait may simply be a pace.

This is why I think we need to be quite careful about looking at pacing in isolation and immediately deciding that it represents pathology.

That doesn't mean we should ignore it. Pacing absolutely CAN be associated with pain and musculoskeletal dysfunction. But the presence of a pace doesn't tell us why the dog has selected it.

The context does.

When I see a dog pacing, I want to know whether they have always done it or whether this is something new. I want to know whether they pace off lead as well as on lead, and what happens when they are allowed to choose their own speed. I want to change the handler's walking speed, alter the lead length, watch them over different terrain and see whether they comfortably transition into a trot when given the opportunity.

I also want to know what else has changed.

Has the dog suddenly started pacing when they previously trotted comfortably? Are they now reluctant to trot? Is there concurrent lameness, stiffness, weakness, pain or a change in behaviour?

Because I would probably interpret a dog that has suddenly started pacing very differently from a comfortable dog that has paced on lead at their owner's walking speed for the last six years.

And speed isn't the only factor we need to consider.

Conformation can influence gait selection, with relatively long-limbed dogs being more likely to pace at intermediate speeds. Terrain can influence which gait is most mechanically useful. Training may also play a role, particularly when dogs spend a great deal of time being rewarded for maintaining a very specific position and speed beside their handler.

Pacing isn't inherently normal, and it isn't inherently pathological. Sometimes it may be telling us that something hurts. Sometimes it may be a learned behaviour. Sometimes conformation, terrain or speed may make it the most comfortable option available.

Our job is to work out which of those possibilities makes the most sense for the dog standing in front of us.

I would love to hear what you have found in practice. When an owner has brought a dog to you specifically because they pace, how often have you found a meaningful musculoskeletal reason for it? And have you ever had a dog whose pacing completely changed when you simply changed the speed at which they were being walked?

09/17/2026

Love this! It is so important to ask questions to get a more complete picture!

How often have you had an owner bring their dog in for a full assessment because they are worried about the fact that their dog paces on walks?

They have noticed it, perhaps someone has pointed it out to them, or they have read somewhere that pacing can be a sign of pain or musculoskeletal dysfunction. And understandably, once they have seen it, they can’t really unsee it. Every walk becomes another opportunity to watch the gait and wonder whether something is wrong.

So, we assess the dog.

We assess gait and functional movement patterns, palpate them, assess their ROM with a focus on the spine, look at muscle mass and symmetry, strength, function and comfort… and sometimes, we simply don’t find anything significant enough to explain the gait we are seeing.

And then we discover that the dog only paces when they are walking on lead.

This is where I think pacing becomes really interesting, because while we are often taught to associate pacing with compensation, weakness, pain or dysfunction, the research suggests that the relationship is not quite that linear.

A study looking specifically at whether pacing could be used as an indicator of musculoskeletal pathology found pacing in both healthy dogs AND dogs with musculoskeletal dysfunction. In fact, two of the strongest predictors of whether a dog would pace were being on lead and travelling at a speed somewhere between a walk and a trot.

When you think about how we walk our dogs, this actually makes a lot of sense.

We generally expect our dogs to match our walking speed, rather than allowing them to choose theirs.

But what if our comfortable walking speed isn't particularly comfortable for the dog?

Perhaps it is slightly too fast for their natural walk, but still too slow for their comfortable trot. They are on a lead, they are expected to remain beside us, and they need to find a gait that allows them to maintain the speed we have chosen.

For some dogs, that gait may simply be a pace.

This is why I think we need to be quite careful about looking at pacing in isolation and immediately deciding that it represents pathology.

That doesn't mean we should ignore it. Pacing absolutely CAN be associated with pain and musculoskeletal dysfunction. But the presence of a pace doesn't tell us why the dog has selected it.

The context does.

When I see a dog pacing, I want to know whether they have always done it or whether this is something new. I want to know whether they pace off lead as well as on lead, and what happens when they are allowed to choose their own speed. I want to change the handler's walking speed, alter the lead length, watch them over different terrain and see whether they comfortably transition into a trot when given the opportunity.

I also want to know what else has changed.

Has the dog suddenly started pacing when they previously trotted comfortably? Are they now reluctant to trot? Is there concurrent lameness, stiffness, weakness, pain or a change in behaviour?

Because I would probably interpret a dog that has suddenly started pacing very differently from a comfortable dog that has paced on lead at their owner's walking speed for the last six years.

And speed isn't the only factor we need to consider.

Conformation can influence gait selection, with relatively long-limbed dogs being more likely to pace at intermediate speeds. Terrain can influence which gait is most mechanically useful. Training may also play a role, particularly when dogs spend a great deal of time being rewarded for maintaining a very specific position and speed beside their handler.

Pacing isn't inherently normal, and it isn't inherently pathological. Sometimes it may be telling us that something hurts. Sometimes it may be a learned behaviour. Sometimes conformation, terrain or speed may make it the most comfortable option available.

Our job is to work out which of those possibilities makes the most sense for the dog standing in front of us.

I would love to hear what you have found in practice. When an owner has brought a dog to you specifically because they pace, how often have you found a meaningful musculoskeletal reason for it? And have you ever had a dog whose pacing completely changed when you simply changed the speed at which they were being walked?

09/11/2026

‘We need to meet them where they are!’ 💕🐾💕

Managing Our Expectations of Our Senior Dogs 💚

Yesterday I had the privilege of spending some time with a number of senior dogs, all over 10 years old, and, for what it’s worth, I think they are doing exceptionally well.

But one thing that struck me was how concerned their owners were about the changes they were beginning to see.

And I completely understand it.

We notice the stiffness when they get up.
We notice that walks aren’t quite what they used to be.
We notice that they need a little longer to get going in the morning.
We notice that they don’t recover from exercise quite as quickly.

And, of course, we worry.

Because we remember them as puppies.

We remember the dogs who seemed capable of doing anything. The long walks, the running, the training, the sporting activities… and somehow, it doesn’t feel that long ago.

And this is where I think we need to talk about managing our expectations.

Because ageing isn’t something we can treat away.

We can absolutely manage it.

We can use appropriate veterinary care and pain management. We can look at weight and nutrition. We can use physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, massage and other appropriate rehabilitation modalities. We can adapt exercise. We can modify the home environment with better flooring, ramps, steps, supportive bedding and easier access to the things our dogs need.

All of these things can make a huge difference to comfort, mobility and quality of life.

But none of them stop our dogs from getting older.

And perhaps that’s the hardest part for us to accept.

My own dog is a perfect example.

We used to do so much together. Running, training, sporting activities — we could think nothing of going out and running 10K or working really hard together.

Then things changed.

And they changed gradually.

The 10K runs became shorter walks.

The intense training became gentler exercise.

And now, rather than worrying about how far we’ve travelled, sometimes a 40-minute walk is about stopping, standing quietly and watching the ducks, the geese or the rabbits.

And do you know what?

That’s okay.

Is it heartbreaking?

Absolutely.

Do I sometimes miss the dog who could run for miles with me?

Of course I do.

But this is ageing.

And actually, we are the lucky ones.

We are lucky to have reached the stage of life where we have a senior dog beside us.

Our job isn’t to pretend they’re still puppies.

Our job is to meet them where they are today.

To listen to their bodies.

To adapt their exercise.

To support their mobility.

To make their environment easier.

To manage pain and health conditions appropriately.

And most importantly, to adjust our expectations.

Because perhaps a successful walk for our senior dog isn’t the longest walk anymore.

Perhaps it’s a slower walk with lots of sniffing.

Perhaps it’s sitting beside a pond watching the world go by.

Perhaps it’s getting home comfortably, having a good meal and sleeping peacefully in their favourite bed.

The goal changes.

And that’s okay.

They may not be able to do everything they once did.

But they can still have a wonderful life.

So, as our dogs get older, let’s not measure them against the dog they used to be.

Let’s celebrate the dog standing in front of us today.

Ageing is inevitable. How we support them through it is where we can make a difference. 💚

09/03/2026

September is Animal Pain Awareness Month! 🐾

A little education can go a long way in helping pet owners recognize when their pet may be uncomfortable and when it’s time to seek help. 💙

Help your clients recognize the signs of pain in their pets! ,

08/04/2026

There are many things that can be done to help our companion animals go through their senior years as comfortable as possible. A multi modal approach that includes bodywork, appropriately tailored pain relief, home and environment adaptations, will go a long way to make that happen.

Palliative approaches to chronic pain ❤️‍🩹
Palliative care is delivered with realistic expectations, grounded in honest conversation with caregivers, and oriented toward daily living rather than curative endpoints.
📖 Read the article: https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/palliative-approaches-chronic-pain/

07/15/2026