Can Dogs Cry?

Can dogs cry and are they as emotional as humans?


When I first heard that dogs can cry, I did not believe it. I only believed that they could show sadness and grief, but could not cry or shed tears. However, I was proven wrong when one of my dogs had to be given away. The other dog's eyes were teary! My dog's crying had made me sad to actually take a picture of it. The sight is so sorrowful. Therefore, no pictures of my crying dog will be here.

This is not an actual picture of a dog crying.

Ability to Shed Tears
Many people said that they do not shed tears. This is wrong, all dogs have the ability to shed tears because of the gland which is present. The glands which create tears have a main purpose of cleaning their eyes whenever there is dirt or sand entering it, same as humans. Although dogs also can cry and shed tears, they do not shed as much tears compared to humans and most of the tears are immediately absorbed by the fur.



Why Dogs Cry?
Dogs have emotion just like many other mammals do. When they are in distress or suffered a lost, especially love or another dog/human, they will feel sad unless they really do not have any love for them. Dogs may know it before it happens, either by humans telling them or them realizing themselves, which will cause them to be sad and even shed tears.



Effects
When dogs are in great distress, they will eventually be moody and is not as active as before. They will go to places where they usually find themselves with the lost person/animal with, and so on. Dogs which are in a very great distress may continue to suffer and mourn, even until death. A crying dog may act just like a human who is sad and down.



How To Know If There's Tears?
Tears don't just flow down the cheeks like humans do as they're absorbed by the fur. Look for wet rings at the bottom of the eyes, which quickly dry up over time. It's harder to look when you have a black dog. Try feeling the eyes and brushing on the lower side of the eyes. Certain dogs' eyes may sore up when crying. In this case, you can see the reddish and teary appearance in the eyes.

(Beware that this might be a symptom of a disease instead of actually crying)





Always take care of your dog and be sure to be there for them when they need you.



Love,
Nicholas.