Do Dogs Cry? Tears, Whining, and What It Really Means

Name: Do Dogs Cry? Tears, Whining, and What It Really Means
Creator: Dr. Zubair Khalid

By Dr. Zubair Khalid, DVM, MS, PhD · 2026-10-02

Do dogs cry? Yes, dogs produce tears, but those tears are not proof of sadness. Dogs do cry in the sense of whining, whimpering, and howling, and that vocal crying often does reflect distress, excitement, or a request for attention [1]. The two behaviors get blended in everyday language, which is why so many owners wonder whether their dog is grieving or hurting.

This article is educational and is not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis or treatment.

Quick Answer

Dog tears come from the tear glands that keep the eye moist and healthy. Reflex tearing is driven by nasal sensory input, so eye watering is usually about irritation or eye health, not emotion [2].
Whining is a normal canine vocal communication used for attention, excitement, anxiety, or appeasement [1].
Puppies cry for many normal reasons, including hunger, needing to eliminate, being alone, and being cold. A puppy who cries a lot is not automatically sick or badly behaved.
Crying that starts suddenly in an adult dog, or that comes with pacing, panting, drooling, or refusing food, deserves a veterinary visit.
Punishment does not stop crying. It lowers confidence and can increase appeasement whining [1].

Do Dogs Cry Tears When Sad?

Short answer: probably not in the way you mean.

Dogs have working tear glands. They produce tears constantly to lubricate and protect the eye. When you see wet streaks under your dog's eyes, you are seeing normal tear production, overflow from the tear ducts, or irritation on the eye surface.

A recent study looked at what actually drives tear production in dogs. Researchers applied a numbing medication to one nostril of healthy dogs and measured tear output. In non-brachycephalic dogs, numbing the nasal lining reduced tear production on that side by 11.5 percent, and the reflex tearing phase dropped by 21.7 percent [2]. That tells us something useful. A big share of a dog's tear output is a reflex triggered by sensory input from the nose and eye surface, not by an emotional state [2].

So when your dog's eyes water, think eye health first. Think emotion later, if at all.

What About Dogs Crying Real Tears During Grief?

Owners often describe a dog who seems to mourn a lost companion. The dog may pace, whine, lose appetite, or sleep more. Those behaviors are real and worth taking seriously. But the tears themselves are not evidence of sadness. There is no reliable evidence that dogs produce emotional tears the way humans do.

What you are likely seeing is a dog in distress, expressed through behavior, not through tear ducts.

Why Dogs Cry and Whine: Normal Reasons First

Whining is one of many forms of canine vocal communication. Dogs most commonly whine when they are seeking attention, when they are excited, when they are anxious, or when they are trying to appease you [1]. That is the whole range, from happy to worried, and it is all normal.

Attention and Excitement

A dog who whines at the door before a walk is not sad. A dog who whines while you prepare dinner is not sad. These are requests and anticipation. The behavior works, which is why it continues.

Anxiety

Some dogs whine in response to stressful situations. In this context, whining sometimes seems involuntary [1]. A dog with separation-related distress may whine, pace, and pant when you leave. A dog at the vet may whine and tremble.

Appeasement

Dogs can try to appease people or other dogs when they perceive a threat or aggression being directed at them. Appeasement behaviors include holding the ears back, tucking the tail, crouching or rolling over on the back, avoiding eye contact, or turning the body sideways to the perceived threat. Appeasement whining is also a normal canine behavior [1].

Frustration

Crying often shows up when a dog wants something and cannot get it. In a scent detection study, dogs whined more when they had not eaten breakfast before the task, which fits with mild frustration [3]. Your dog may whine at a closed door, a stuck toy, or a fence between them and a friend.

Do Puppies Cry?

Yes, and often. Puppies cry when they are hungry, tired, cold, need to go out, or have just been separated from their littermates. Is it normal for puppies to cry a lot? Often, yes, especially in the first weeks after coming home and during crate training. A crying puppy is usually communicating a need, not manipulating you.

If you are working through crate training, our guide on dog crate training crying walks through what is normal and what to change.

Medical Causes to Rule Out

Before you treat crying as a behavior problem, rule out pain and illness. This is the step owners skip most often.

Pain. Dental disease, ear infections, arthritis, back pain, and abdominal pain can all make a dog restless and vocal. A dog in pain may whine, pace, pant, or refuse to settle.
Eye problems. Excessive tearing, squinting, redness, or pawing at the face can point to corneal injury, dry eye, allergies, or a blocked tear duct. Tear production is tied to the health of the eye surface and nasal lining [2].
Brachycephalic issues. Flat-faced breeds like Boston Terriers have different tear dynamics than longer-nosed breeds [2]. If your flat-faced dog has chronically watery eyes, that is worth a vet exam.
Cognitive dysfunction. Older dogs with canine cognitive dysfunction often vocalize at night, pace, and seem disoriented.
Endocrine and metabolic disease. Hormonal conditions can change thirst, appetite, and behavior.
Gastrointestinal discomfort. Hunger and gut upset can drive whining and restlessness [3].

If your dog is crying at night specifically, see dog whining at night: anxiety, pain, or something else?. Night crying in an older dog is a classic pain or cognitive dysfunction sign.

When Crying Becomes a Problem

Crying is a problem when it affects your dog's quality of life or yours. Use these markers.

It happens for hours, most days.
It comes with destructive behavior, house soiling, or escape attempts.
Your dog cannot settle even when you are home.
It starts suddenly in an adult dog with no clear trigger.
It happens at night and wakes the household.
Your dog seems uncomfortable, not just vocal.

Sudden onset crying in a previously quiet adult dog is a medical flag until proven otherwise.

What to Do: Step by Step

Step 1: Get a Veterinary Exam

Start here if the crying is new, intense, or paired with any physical sign. Your veterinarian will examine the eyes, ears, mouth, spine, joints, and abdomen. They may recommend bloodwork, tear testing, or imaging. The dose of any medication is calculated by your veterinarian based on your dog's weight and health, so never use leftover or human medications.

Step 2: Track the Trigger

Write down when the crying happens. Note the time, what happened right before, who was present, and what you did. Patterns show up fast. A dog who cries only at 5 p.m. is hungry. A dog who cries only when you reach for your keys has separation-related distress.

Step 3: Meet the Need, Then Teach Calm

If your puppy cries at 2 a.m. because they need to go out, take them out. If your dog whines at the door, let them out. Meet the legitimate need first, then build the skill of waiting.

For attention whining, reward quiet. Wait for a pause in the crying, even a two-second pause, then give attention, a treat, or the thing your dog wants. If you reward the loudest cry, you teach louder crying.

Step 4: Build Confidence

You may be able to reduce your dog's appeasement whining by building her confidence. Try an obedience class that uses reward-based training techniques. You and your dog can also try trick-training classes or dog sports like agility, flyball, and musical freestyle. Playing fun, interactive games with your dog, like tug and fetch, can increase your dog's confidence [1].

Step 5: Enrichment and Environment

Give your dog a job. Food puzzles, snuffle mats, and scent games burn mental energy.
Keep a predictable routine. Meals, walks, and bedtime at consistent times reduce anxiety.
Provide a safe space. A crate or bed your dog chooses freely can lower arousal.
Check the temperature and bedding. A cold, cramped, or uncomfortable puppy will cry.
Add white noise or a fan for dogs who react to outside sounds.

If your dog cries all day, not just at night, our article on dog whining all the time: what is your dog trying to tell you? breaks down the common patterns.

What Not to Do

Do not punish the crying. Avoid physical and verbal punishment. Intimidating your dog will only decrease her confidence level and may increase appeasement whining [1]. Yelling at a scared dog makes the fear worse. Yelling at an excited dog adds energy to the moment.

Do not assume tears mean sadness. Tear production is heavily reflex-driven by the eye and nose [2]. Watery eyes usually mean irritation, allergies, or a tear drainage problem.

Do not assume all crying is behavioral. Pain and illness hide behind crying more often than owners expect.

Do not crate a distressed dog for longer and longer stretches. If your dog is panicking in the crate, that is not a training problem to out-stubborn. Get help.

Do not rely on guesswork about stress signals. Behaviors people read as stress markers do not always track with stress in a simple, linear way. In one study, common stress behaviors did not rise and fall in a straight line with expected stress levels, and their physiological correlates differed between dogs with different attachment styles [4]. Your dog's crying has to be read in context, not from a checklist.

When to Involve a Veterinarian or Behavior Professional

Call your veterinarian if crying is new, worsening, or paired with any change in appetite, thirst, urination, stool, gait, or sleep. Call sooner if your dog is also pacing and whining together, which can point to pain or anxiety. Our article on why is my dog pacing and whining? covers that combination in detail.

Ask for a referral to a veterinary behaviorist or a certified applied animal behaviorist if:

Your dog injures themselves or your home when alone.
Crying continues after a clean bill of health and consistent training.
Your dog shows aggression alongside the crying. Pain can drive aggression, and that changes the plan. See how to tell if your dog's aggression is pain-related.
You feel overwhelmed or unsafe.

Limitations and When to Contact a Veterinarian

This article cannot tell you why your individual dog is crying. That requires an exam and a history. Individual cases need a veterinarian.

Contact a veterinarian the same day if:

Your dog cries and will not eat or drink.
Crying started suddenly within the last 24 hours.
Your dog is restless, panting, and cannot lie down comfortably.
You see squinting, eye discharge, redness, or pawing at the face.
Your dog is an older dog with new night crying.

Go to an emergency clinic now if:

Your dog is crying and has a swollen, hard, or painful abdomen.
Your dog is crying and cannot urinate or is straining with nothing coming out.
Your dog is crying and has a distended belly, retching, or unproductive vomiting.
Your dog is crying and cannot bear weight on a limb or cries when touched.
Your dog is crying and has collapsed, is pale, or is breathing hard.
You suspect your dog ate something toxic. Call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

Schedule a routine visit if:

Crying is mild but has lasted more than a few days.
Your dog cries at night but is otherwise normal.
You have tried training and enrichment for two to three weeks with no change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do dogs cry tears when they are sad?

Dogs produce tears, but the tears are not a reliable sign of sadness. Most tear production is a reflex tied to the eye surface and nasal sensory input, not emotion [2]. If your dog's eyes are wet, look for irritation, allergies, or a tear drainage issue before assuming grief.

Is it normal for puppies to cry a lot?

It is common, especially in the first weeks at a new home and during crate training. Puppies cry for hunger, cold, needing to eliminate, loneliness, and over-tiredness. A puppy who cries nonstop for hours, refuses to eat, or seems painful needs a veterinary exam.

Do dogs cry for attention?

Yes. Attention seeking is one of the most common reasons dogs whine [1]. The behavior persists because it works. Reward quiet pauses instead of the loudest cry, and the pattern will shift.

Can crying be a sign of pain in dogs?

Yes. Pain is a frequent cause of new or worsening vocalization, especially in older dogs and dogs with dental, ear, joint, or back problems. Any sudden crying in an adult dog should be checked by a veterinarian before you treat it as a training issue.

Does punishing a dog stop the crying?

No, and it often makes things worse. Intimidating your dog lowers confidence and may increase appeasement whining [1]. Reward-based training, confidence building, and treating any medical cause are the effective approaches.

References

Whining. ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.
Beyond the Ocular Surface: Nasal Sensory Input as a Driver of Reflex Lacrimation in Dogs. Veterinary ophthalmology, 2026.
Effects of feeding on dogs' frustration-related behaviours during a laboratory-based scent detection task. Behavioural processes, 2026.
Rethinking dog stress behaviours: contextual and physiological insights from the attachment framework. The veterinary quarterly, 2026.