Modern veterinary training now emphasizes (the science of animal behavior) to decode these signals. For example, a dog that is suddenly "grumpy" or snapping at children is often not displaying a dominance issue; recent studies correlate sudden irritability with occult pain , such as dental disease or osteoarthritis. Similarly, a cat that begins urinating outside the litter box—a primary reason for shelter surrender—is frequently suffering from feline interstitial cystitis or bladder stones, not behavioral spite.

Journal of Veterinary Behavior | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier

Educating the public on canine warning signs.

: A special issue in Applied Animal Behaviour Science exploring how on-farm technology can track and improve the welfare of livestock through behavioral monitoring.