Authors: Dr. Patrick Blättler Monnier and Katrien Lismont
Format: Paperback
Length: 152 pages with 100 color photographs and diagrams, plus 18 online videos accessed by QR codes
Release Date: 2025
Dogs instinctively hide pain (a survival mechanism that provides protection from predators in the wild), which can make it difficult even for experienced owners to recognize pain. However, being mindful of behavioral changes can help identify problems at an early stage. Chronic pain has a significant impact on the behavior of our four-legged friends and often leads to misunderstandings in the human/canine relationship, making it crucial for dog owners and vets to recognize and interpret these hidden signals so we can offer dogs the best possible quality of life.
Performance Dog Sport in the UK asked the authors how training, or general responsiveness, can be affected if a dog is experiencing pain?
Dr. Patrick Blättler Monnier: Pain changes how the nervous system processes information. When a dog is in discomfort, its brain prioritises survival, not learning. The pathways that normally integrate sensory input, co-ordination and emotional regulation become dominated by pain signals. This shifts the entire neurophysiological balance: attention span decreases, reaction thresholds lower, and the dog becomes more reactive or disengaged.
In gait analysis, we often see that even subtle pain alters rhythm and timing, and that same disruption extends to mental processing. It's not that the dog "doesn’t want to cooperate;" it simply cannot perform in a normal cognitive state while the pain signal is active.
Katrien Lismont: From a behavioural point of view, pain can look like poor training progress, stubbornness or lack of focus, but it's actually a lack of capacity—not willingness.
Many clients say to me: "my dog is not very clever"... "he reminds of an autistic child"... "I think he has learning disabilities".
These are typical comments from caregivers when their dogs are experiencing pain. The dogs can learn, but they need more repetitions. They will have good days and bad days (on bad days nothing works), and when the pain is acute (especially headache), they will avoid contact with their caregiver. Their system is switched to survival mode, which is the opposite of co-operation.
When pain is addressed, it’s astonishing how quickly learning returns. Responsiveness, motivation and calmness all reappear, sometimes within days. It reminds us that the foundation of every effective training plan is physical comfort—without that, learning simply cannot take place.
In Pain and Behaviour: Understanding the Connection in Dogs, Dr. Blättler-Monnier and Katrien Lismont join forces to examine the link between pain and behavior. They look at:
- Different types of problem behavior, including a drop in performance
- Definitions of pain and its consequences
- The perception of pain and how it is expressed
- The behavior/pain spiral
- Multimodal pain therapy
- How to care for a dog in pain
The authors provide detailed case histories, using videos accessed by QR codes, to illustrate their findings. Starting with the patient, they share the journey from first consultations, the struggles for diagnosis, and the path to finding the correct treatment and, ultimately, to successful outcomes.
This is the first time that the link between pain and behavior has been given such comprehensive coverage; it will have a major impact on the veterinary profession, behaviorists, trainers, and all those who care deeply for the welfare of their dogs.
About the Authors
Dr. Patrick Blättler Monnier runs the orthoVet dog practice in Switzerland, which specializes in orthopedics and pain patients. He is co-developer of the LupoMove® prophylaxis system, which analyzes movement and weight development and is crucial in helping and preventing musculoskeletal disorders.
Katrien Lismont is the founder of the DOGood®dog school and has specialized in behavioral training for 20 years, developing her own holistic approach. She recognized the connection between behavior and pain at an early stage and has sought to work with specialist vets to find sustainable solutions.
Control Unleashed® contains the following chapters:
Chapter 1: Nuts & Bolts
Chapter 2: Basic Concepts
Chapter 3: Night One
Chapter 4: Night Two
Chapter 5: Night Three
Chapter 6: Night Four
Chapter 7: Night Five
Chapter 8: Night Six
Chapter 9: Night Seven
Chapter 10: Real Life, Snap's Progress Report
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"Control Unleashed® combines inspiration and practical advice in equal measure, and is, without question, one of the best new books on training to come along in recent years. Be forewarned... you'll have a hard time finishing it, because you’re going to keep putting it down to try out some of her suggestions on your own dogs." —Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Author of For the Love of a Dog and The Other End of the Leash
"A rare combination of creative, compassionate, scientifically sound training advice and clear writing. This book will provide a wealth of ideas for anyone aspiring to take dog training to a more advanced level." —Kathy Sdao, M.A., Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (associate) and owner of Bright Spot Dog Training in Tacoma, Washington
"Control Unleashed® is a bible for agility clubs trying to keep classes safe while making sure that problematic dogs are not left out of the fun. As well, it's a gold mine of training and behavior modification advice for any owner, trainer, or behavior counselor who works with dogs with focus and arousal problems." —Sue Sternberg, Founder/Director of Rondout Valley Animals for Adoption, expert in dog aggression, and innovator in the field of shelter dog welfare
"My library is piled high with dog books, and this is my all-time favorite. I've never found another book that does as good a job as McDevitt does in helping handlers understand and successfully train highly distractable dogs... Finally I feel like I have found the trainer who understands not only my dogs, but also me and my students!" —Jenny Ruth Yasi, Dog trainer
"Leslie McDevitt owns a magic wand. She has used her wand to create a book that has the reader laughing, crying, and learning. She describes training techniques that work like magic and are life-altering for both dog and trainer. Having read nearly every dog training book written, this book stands out as a classic. If you are dog trainer, behavior counselor, or dog sport enthusiast, this book contains wisdom that every dog person must read. Once you have digested the book, you will understand that Leslie isn't a magician after all; her genius is in listening and speaking for our dogs. She has truly understood what dogs are trying to communicate and has created a gift, in the form of a book. It seems that this book will be cherished for decades and the love and success it will provide to dogs and trainers already is and will be immeasurable. I urge everyone even remotely related to dog training or dog sports to read this book." —Angelica Steinker, author of Agility Success and Click to Play Agility
