cocker spaniel bites his leg and cries

[christinairish]

my sister has a cocker spaniel when he is put in his crate for bedtime starts to bite his back paw and whimpers like it hurts but when hes outside in the yard playing he wont do it until someone is around like hes trying to show us that something is wrong. is he trying to get attention or could it be an allergy or skin promblem?

[SSAC]

There could always be a medical concern for such actions. It is best to get him checked out by a vet to rule out medical, before concentrating on behavioural.

It could be anything from: nails too long, allergies, something stuck between the pads, Mats, soft tissue injury, arthritis etc, etc. Cockers are prone to neurological problems, so it wouldn't hurt to get it checked.

[elfelda]

Often a dog won't pay attention to a mild injury if they are busy or stimulated by something else - ie. playing outside. Or, it may be an injury that doesn't hurt early in the day, but starts to get sore in the evening after he has been on his feet all day. He may only remember his sore foot when he's bored in his kennel. Then, perhaps he tries to lick or chew it and causes himself more pain (whining). You should try to take a look at the pad because it might be something as simple as a cut or sliver.