Your dog might be pretending to be sick, experts say

For dedicated fur parents, the love and care given to beloved pups knows no bounds. So much so that it’s natural to get worried when something’s just a little bit off about our fur babies, especially dogs. A missed meal? Here’s us crossing our fingers it’s not serious, lest we have to take them to the vet.

And on the occasion that we do have to get them checked, how confounding is it to hear from the vet that it turns out there’s actually nothing wrong?

While we are accustomed to how smart (and cute!) dogs are, them pretending to be sick is probably the last trick we’d expect from them. But according to experts, this is something they really do. Dr. Richard Pitcairn, veterinarian and author of “Natural Health for Dogs And Cats,” confirmed that this doggo drama usually starts from a real illness.

It’s the way we, the loving pet owners, react that prompts them to fake sickness the next time. For instance, when your pups start coughing, and you rush to snuggle, they would think that coughing equals to cuddles.

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As Dr. Pitcairn explains, dogs learn to pick up certain symptoms with extra affection. So if they realize they get more TLCs when sick, they might do it again.

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Can dogs pull off a convincing act?

Although they can be the next drama stars, they can’t fake a fever or pull-off a convincing episode of diarrhea. Instead, they do symptoms they can control: dramatic limp or an Oscar-worthy sneeze.

@aguyandagolden My dog faked being sick! And almost got away with it… #dog #goldenretriever #dogsoftiktok ♬ original sound – AGuyandAGolden

In PEOPLE’s report in 2017, a pro dog actually made the headlines. Sully from Utah tricked his parents into skipping work by acting up and making alarming noises.

They brought him to the vet, and thankfully, nothing came up. Turns out, Sully faked it to get more attention.

But don’t get too confident that your dogs might just be acting. If they suddenly don’t do their hyperactive zoomies anymore or there are signs of genuine distress, bring them to the nearest vet.

Sometimes these little (or big) balls of cuteness aren’t just vying for attention, they might also be trying to tell you something. The solution? Level up the quality time with more cuddle sessions or extra walks.