Yes, dogs cry, but they do not cry like humans, with tears running down their face. They cannot produce tears to indicate sadness like humans do. Humans are the only species who do produce tears of sadness.
Dogs, however, can produce happy tears when reunited with their owners at times such as after a long day. Research shows that dogs produce an increased amount of tearing in such contexts, which is a result of the hormone oxytocin. But alas, no canine sadness tears.
Can Dogs Feel Sadness?
Dogs do express all emotions, including sadness. They just exhibit them with body language and vocalizations, so you need to decipher what you’re seeing.
Let’s take howling, for example. Dogs howl for various reasons, including sadness. Looking at the content of the howl is important. A firetruck just drove by and your dog howled? That one is easy. If your dog’s best friend just crossed to the Rainbow Bridge in their presence and they howled then, that is a whole different howl than caused by the firetruck. That is indeed a sadness howl.
Whining is another vocalization that dogs are fond of using. It can indicate many different things. I don’t know anyone whose dog has not whined about something or another. The whining can be low volume and seemingly not terribly trauma induced or it can be at such a volume that you will do anything to help your dog feel better.
I am torn as to whether whimpering is equivalent to whining or not. Again, whimpering can mean anything from “my ball is stuck under the couch” to “my toe really hurts.” You, as the dog parent, are expected to learn to decipher your dog’s various vocalizations so that you can better care for them.
My dog Keric whined heavily as puppy when he discovered that I had to leave to go to work at some point, despite having been crate-trained by his breeder. To say that it broke my heart is a vast understatement. I worked exceptionally hard to help him overcome that stress of being left behind and am happy to report that it did not take much.
Occasionally, when he is anxious over something, whether it be the heat this summer (we do not have central air, just window units) or the fly in the house (he is afraid of flies, all 130 lbs. of him), he will start whining when he knows that I am leaving. It makes me sad to leave, but I have done everything possible to help him feel comfortable when I am gone so I know that he will be fine, despite his crying.
The behavior that is crying dogs is such that again, you as the dog parent will need to be a bit of a detective to determine the cause of such. Medical-issue crying is something that you should get a veterinarian involved with to determine the cause.
Do be mindful that some dogs “cry” for attention because that behavior has been reinforced so you will have to be extra savvy to determine whether there really is a solid reason for said crying.
A note on actual tears: If your dog producing tears (dog eye discharge) regularly, especially if you’re battling tear dog tear stains, this is also a reason to see a veterinarian as your dog is not “crying” from sadness.
