From this post:
(Emphasis mine)
Reading this startled me; I’d always taken crying for granted as a uniquely human thing.
So what’s the real truth? Was this poster anthropomorphizing or mistaken, or do dogs really cry? And if they do, do they do it for the same reasons as humans? What about other animals?
I didn’t read the linked thread, but being a dog owner, and since this is just a few days after July 3/4 I’m assuming it has something to do with fireworks and dogs…::checks thread::…what do I win?
Yes, dogs cry.
Also squirels cry.
Those are the only two I have heard.
They may not cry tears, but they definitely cry - loudly. It’s not necessarily a matter of being sad, but they are plainly upset.
Dogs can cry crocodile tears at least. When my chihuahua realizes that we have something he needs, he will blink a ton until his eyes are watering, then stare unblinkingly at us. If I try to wipe his tears away he’ll shove my hand away with his paw to try to preserve his hard, hard work. Eventually he’ll escalate to fake shivering and sucking in his belly, and acting like he is lame.
When he’s actually upset for whatever reason, like he found an earwig on the ground, sometimes he will tear up in the same fashion, but he does more posturing and real shivering, along with whimpering/wailing/screaming (chihuahuas have a knack at screaming like a gutted rabbit). That’s essentially crying; I’ve never put the emphasis on the eye secretions but instead the emotion, the whimpering noises, and comfort-seeking behavior to define crying.
My dogs (I have four Labs and a Golden) don’t get upset over things like fireworks, gunshots, or thunder. They just don’t care.
That being said, I have never seen them shed a tear, but they certainly vocalize. We have a Chocolate lab who will whimper if there’s no room next to you on the couch, until you make said room. Or the dogs whining for their food. Or whimpering, licking you, and nuzzling when you’re sick on the couch or crying.
Dogs instincts try and prevent them from showing any signs of pain, as it’s a sign of weakness. I’ve pulled porcupine needles out of a dog’s muzzle. If there was any time it would shed a real tear, I’d assume it’d be then.