We have had many clients ask, “Why does my dog startle easily while sleeping?” Does your dog get startled easily when they are asleep? Perhaps they growl or even snap at whoever disturbs them while sleeping, resting, or even just lying down. This can be especially difficult if your dog sleeps in a shared space like your bed or couch. It can be even harder to manage if you have children or other dogs in the home.
This behavior is often because of touch sensitivity. Dogs who are touch sensitive startle easily and can show signs of aggression. This can happen with puppies, adult dogs, and senior dogs. But why is? In this blog, we will discuss dog touch sensitivity behaviors. Fortunately, touch sensitivity behaviors can be addressed through dog training.
Touch sensitive behaviors can be treated through behavior modification training
Touch sensitive dogs will often show signs of fear and aggression when being touched. Such as flinching when you try to pet them or put a collar on. Dogs may even snap, growl, or bite when you or someone else (such as a veterinarian or groomer) tries to touch them. Your dog may be shy and try to avoid you or lick your hand to get you to stop touching them.
To better understand touch sensitivity behaviors in dogs and for help addressing these behaviors, you should check out our co-founder and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage’s blog on touch sensitivity.
Now that we have discussed what touch sensitive behaviors are, let’s discuss what factors influence a dog to startle easily.
What factors influence a dog to startle easily while sleeping?
There are a few risk factors that can lead to touch sensitivity for puppies.
These factors include puppies who:
- Were raised in small areas, such as a cage in a puppy mill.
- Were taken from their litter at too young of an age.
- Had few or no littermates.
For adult dogs, especially rescue dogs, there can be a history of abuse or neglect. Some examples of this abuse or neglect can be dogs who have been kicked, have objects thrown at them, or other cruel punishments like dogs who have been shot with pellet guns.
For example, our co-founders, Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage and Sean Savage, rescued one of their dogs, Fudder, who they found abandoned on the side of the road. When Fudder first joined their family, she was very touch sensitive, and their veterinarian later found two pellets under her skin during an X-ray while treating her for an unrelated issue.
Senior dogs may be touch sensitive because of medical conditions and arthritis. This can cause pain and discomfort which makes touch sensitivity more likely.
We are here to help
Would you like help teaching your dog high level obedience commands or addressing touch sensitive behaviors? You can also contact our Pet Behavior Team for a free consultation. Where we can chat with you and provide a personalized recommendation that meets your needs. We also recommend you check out our puppy training blog or our Tik Tok channel.
Beyond the Dog Sarasota offers personalized one-on-one training sessions. Including training at your home and local Sarasota neighborhood, board-and-train programs, and virtual training programs. We also offer in person training in Tampa Bay, Houston, and Dallas, as well as Board and Train Programs and Virtual Training Programs for clients nationwide.
We use scientifically proven training methods, backed by over 20 years of hands-on experience. Beyond the Dog Sarasota is led by our co-founders, Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage, a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), and Sean Savage, a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) and Certified Professional Dog Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA).
