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If you’ve been around dogs long enough, you know that, like humans, dogs have emotions. Indeed, dogs run the gamut of emotions and often have reactions that are surprising. Sharing all of these emotional similarities with humans is one of the reasons we love our dogs. We see ourselves through their eyes. This similarity also leads to a fascinating question: can dogs cry?
Like ours, dogs’ eyes produce and shed tears constantly, however, they don’t cry emotional tears like we do. Scientists have said dogs don’t cry tears, but new scientific studies show that there might be a connection between increased tear volume and dogs’ emotions. Below, we’ll shed some light on this fascinating subject and provide insight into the psyche of your furry friend.
Why Do Most Scientists Believe Dogs Can’t Cry?
Animal research on dogs has been going on for decades. Throughout this research, scientists haven’t found evidence that dogs can cry emotionally driven tears. A 2019 study explained that the production of emotional tears was a unique ability of humans.
Interestingly, a 2022 study measured the amount of tears produced by dogs before and after meeting with owners and familiar non-owners. Tear volume increased only when dogs met with their owners, but not with non-owners. Additionally, people were presented with images of dogs that had and hadn’t had artificial tears applied to their eyes, and they gave more positive scores to the dogs with false tears. This suggests that “emotion-elicited tears can facilitate human–dog emotional connections.”
Can a Dog’s Eyes Well Up from Emotions?
Despite the study mentioned, the scientific community still doesn’t believe it is possible for dogs to shed tears due to emotions. Interestingly, one connection between welling eyes and emotions in dogs is the hormone oxytocin. Known as the “feel-good” hormone, the more oxytocin a dog produces, the more tears it produces. The study suggests that emotionally connected tears might be one of the ways humans and dogs may communicate.
What To Do if Your Dog Appears To Be Crying
If your dog has tears coming out of one eye or both and looks like they’re crying, contact your vet. It might be a sign of an eye health issue that requires veterinary treatment.
It could also mean your pup has something in their eye (a bug, hair, dirt, etc.) and needs help to get it out. If your dog seems to be in pain, a trip to your local emergency vet clinic is vital if you can’t get a regular appointment.
Final Thoughts
The emotional responses of dogs are fascinating to study, and we’ll learn more about our canine companions as more studies are performed. Can your pup cry tears of joy, happiness, or sadness, or is the metaphysical connection between tears and emotions not there? If your dog appears to be “crying,” it’s important not to attribute it to emotions right away. Instead, it may be a sign of an eye problem that requires veterinary attention.
- See also: Do Dogs Cry Tears? Vet Reviewed Answer
Featured Image Credit: Grisha Bruev, Shutterstock
