Recent research by North Carolina State University has revealed unexpected disparities between perceived and actual pain sensitivity across different dog breeds
these disparities don't always align with the assumptions held by both the general public and veterinarians concerning breed-specific pain sensitivity
Veterinarians generally agree on their ratings of pain sensitivity in dogs of various breeds. However, their opinions often conflict with those of the public
We were keen to find out whether these beliefs were accurate. For instance, if we tested the sensitivity thresholds of 15 dogs from 10 breeds
To probe these questions, the researchers selected healthy adult dogs from 10 breeds, both male and female.
The first group was ranked as high (like the chihuahua, German shepherd, Maltese, and Siberian husky).
The second group was ranked as average (like the border collie, Boston terrier, Jack Russell terrier).
These breeds represented a broad range of perceived sensitivity. In total, 149 dogs participated in the study.