Why is the dog crying? Is it because of sadness?

Seeing a dog crying because of the owner's scolding is very sad, and it makes people feel very distressed. Fortunately, the owner's sadness to watch the dog cry and comfort him! In retrospect, with the development of the Internet in recent years, I have also heard a lot of news about dogs crying. For example, dogs crying in the owner’s grave after the death of foreign owners, and bitches crying after their babies were born but did not survive. I have a question in my heart for a long time, is it really sad for a dog to shed tears?

Dogs don’t express their sadness with tears like people do

According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, dogs do not express emotions by crying like humans. This is because the physiological structure of their eyes is different from that of humans. People’s lacrimal glands are connected to the eyes, and tears will flow from the eyes when they are sad, but the lacrimal glands of dogs connect the nose and throat, not the eyes, so the dog is feeling Will not shed tears when in pain or sadness.

How dogs express their emotions

Dogs are not like people crying to express their sadness and pain, they express their emotions by voice. Dr. Khuly also pointed out that when dogs want something, or feel anxious, they usually make a whimper or whine when they need to be noted. This behavior is the closest to human crying behavior. Dogs also make the same sound when they are in pain, but this usually only occurs when they are in sudden pain. When a dog lives in chronic pain, it tends to endure the pain silently.

Why use voice to express

According to research by scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara, dogs rely more on hearing than sight in life, so it makes sense for dogs to use sounds to express emotions instead of tears. So far, there is no scientific evidence. It shows that the dog sheds tears like when people are sad. But they can feel the so-called "love". In the past few years, canine cognition and emotion have become a huge research topic. Dr. Ens uses MRI scanners to observe the brains of dogs when they "feel" emotions. They found that the happiness-related areas in the dog's brain, similar to the human brain, are activated when objects with the smell of the owner appear. According to Attila Andix, a researcher at the Hungarian Family Dog Project, dogs are the only species that can actively make eye contact with people. They also instinctively seek out their masters in times of fear or anxiety, just as a human child seeks out his parents.

Pay attention when your dog sheds tears

If your dog has tears in two eyes or one eye, you have to pay attention, they are not sad. It may be that one or two lacrimal glands are blocked, like a pug. Or dogs with flat faces like Pekingese may tear their lacrimal glands due to their physiological structure. The owner should pay special attention.

The most common cause of dog tears

Conjunctivitis-It can cause irritation, itching, tearing and tears.

Corneal abrasions and ulcers-Infection or trauma can damage the cornea and cause excessive tearing of the tear glands. Inverted eyelashes grow abnormally on the inner edge of the eyelids, irritating the cornea. This can cause inflammation and excessive tearing.

Glaucoma-This disease creates pressure inside the eyes, which can lead to blindness if left untreated. Symptoms include excessive tearing, enlarged pupils, and no response to light.

Dogs do not shed tears because of sadness, but this does not mean that they will not have emotions similar to humans. They just use sound to express their pain or happiness. If your dog's eyes start to tear excessively and he looks uncomfortable, call your veterinary clinic and take the dog for an examination as soon as possible!