What to do if your dog is crying

Updated 16/05/2023

We love our canine companions, so it can be utterly devastating to see a dog crying. But what does it mean when a dog cries? And what can you do about it? It’s an especially important question if you’re a pet sitter in charge of protecting someone’s adorable pooch while they’re away, so getting clued-up on dog emotions is a great way to prep ahead.

So here’s an overview of what to do if a dog is crying – but first off, what do we mean by dog crying? And are they really feeling sad?

Can dogs cry?

If you think of a dog crying, you might imagine the upset pooch either shedding tears or whining in distress. But the two things aren’t necessarily connected.

Humans are the only animals that shed tears as part of an emotional response, such as crying with sadness after sitting through a particularly weepy movie. This is a uniquely human trait – although many other animals have tear ducts, only humans cry in response to something stupendously sad (or extremely happy).

Dogs have tear ducts, just like humans do, and they function to lubricate the eyes and wash away any debris that blows into them. But if you see a dog crying – as in tears are leaking from its welling eyes – this doesn’t mean that it’s feeling sad (or, to put it another way, if the dog happens to be feeling sad, that feeling isn’t connected with the tears). Instead, the tears could indicate that something is medically wrong. 

If your dog is whining or whimpering, this may well indicate emotional distress – but as noted above, this isn’t necessarily connected with tears leaking from the dog’s eyes.

Why do dogs cry?

Normally, liquid from the dog’s tear ducts seeps back into the nasal cavity, so if tears are leaking from a dog’s eye, this could be caused by a medical problem, such as an allergy or eye infection. Later on in this article, under ‘What does it mean when a dog cries?’, you’ll find a list going into each of the possible causes in more detail.

If your canine friend is whining or whimpering, this could indicate the dog is in distress – or perhaps not. Puppies often whine to get attention, or just to practice communication. And dogs may whine when begging for food. Dogs can also learn that whining will get them what they want, such as a walk or a treat – although good puppy training should hopefully get them out of the habit of doing this.

Then again, the dog could be whimpering or whining because it’s in pain, perhaps because of an upset stomach or injury. If the dog persistently whimpers with no obvious cause, it may be time to take the poorly pooch for a check-up at the vet.

In short, dogs might whine to seek attention or to show they’re in pain – but they could also whine to show excitement, stress, or even boredom. It’s usually easy to work out the reason for the dog’s distress cries from the environmental context and the dog’s body language. But if it persists and you cannot fathom why, it’s time to seek help.

Can dogs feel sadness? What causes their sadness?

There have been all sorts of studies into whether dogs feel emotion, and what emotions they can actually feel. The general consensus is that yes, dogs feel many of the same emotions that humans do – as no doubt, you’ll be aware if you’ve spent any length of time with a dog and witnessed it yelping with joy or cowering in fear.

But, as far as scientists can ascertain, dogs don’t have quite the same breadth of emotion as humans. Some of the more complex emotions that human children develop as they grow older – such as guilt, shame, and pride – don’t seem to occur in dogs. You might think a dog looks guilty after ripping up your favourite cushion, but usually this is the dog expressing fear of an anticipated punishment.

So there isn’t a one-to-one match up of human and dog feelings, but dogs can certainly feel all of the basic emotions, including distress. In other words, dogs do feel sadness. This is most obvious when dogs show separation anxiety, which often manifests with lots of whimpering and whining whenever you leave the house – or look like you might be leaving. Take a look at our guide to dealing with separation anxiety in pets for more information on what to do in this case.

But, as mentioned above, a dog shedding tears isn’t a sign that it’s sad. Instead, it could be an indication of a medical problem. As always, if your pet has a change in behavior or is displaying any signs of discomfort or injury, we always recommend contacting your veterinarian to organize a check-up for your pet.

What does it mean when a dog cries?

If you see your dog crying, it could mean a number of things:

There’s something in the dog’s eye

The simplest and most easily solved cause of tears is that the pooch simply has a bit of grit or dirt in its eye. Check the dog’s eyes carefully to see whether there’s a speck of dirt there – in most cases, the dirt will simply wash away by itself. Make sure you are very gentle when you do this and that your hands are clean - our pets’ eyes are as sensitive as our own! If you think there is something stuck in your pet’s eye, it’s recommended to contact your veterinarian for advice on the next best step. This is especially important if there seems to be any injury to the eye.

An eye infection

Another cause of tears could be an eye infection. Check the dog’s eyes to see whether they’re swollen, and whether the tears are a yellowy and/or green color or contain mucus. If you spot any of these signs, contact a vet.

Blocked tear ducts

Normally, tears will flow away through the tear ducts and into the nasal cavity. If they don’t, and you notice that the area around the dog’s eyes is damp, or the fur has turned a brown or red color, it could be a sign that tear ducts are blocked. In this case, seek advice from a vet. Using over-the-counter medications is not recommended, and could cause even more harm to your pet.

Allergies

Dogs can have allergies, just like humans can, and this can cause their eyes to water excessively. The range of things that dogs can be allergic to is similar to that for humans, and includes dust, pollen, and particular foods. Ask your vet for advice if you think your dog might have an allergy.

A scratched cornea

If the dog has a damaged cornea, it will cause the affected eye to water, and it might also be inflamed. Additionally, the dog might paw at its eye or blink excessively. Damage can be caused by all sorts of things, like a scratch from a thorn, and if you think the dog’s eye has been scratched, seek advice from a vet. This is an extremely painful conditions, think how sore even a stray eyelash in our own eyes are for us! 

If you have a buster collar (also called an Elizabethan collar), it's recommended to put this on your pet until they can be seen by your vet. This is to prevent them from scratching further at the eye and risking causing more damage. It is also recommended to keep your pet out of strong sources of light, eg. direct sun, as their injured eye will be extra sensitive to bright light.

When to visit the vet for dog tears

If you notice your dog crying, take a good, close-up look at its eyes. If its eyes are inflamed, weeping pus or show signs of fur discoloration, then you should contact the vet as soon as possible, as it could be a sign of infection or blocked tear ducts. 

If you can’t see anything obviously wrong with the dog’s eyes, you can try very gently cleaning your dog’s eyes with cool boiled water and some cotton wool. To do this, boil clean water in a clean pan/kettle. Allow this boiled water to completely cool, and then dip cotton rounds into the cool boiled water and very gently wipe your pet’s eyes. If your dog is reactive when you do this, or if the weeping continues after you tried wiping the eye once, it’s recommended to contact your veterinarian. Never try and wipe/clean your dog’s eyes with anything else other than this, unless it has been directly recommended by your veterinarian. The sooner your pet receives veterinary care for issues like eye infections, the better chance they have of making a full recovery. 

If you’re a TrustedHousesitters member, you can seek advice from a trained professional at any time while on a sit using our 24/7 Vet Advice Line.

Meet our veterinary expert, Evie

This article has been checked by veterinarian Evie Moloney RCVS. Evie is a vet surgeon who graduated from the University College Dublin, which is the only university offering the veterinary medicine degree in Ireland. She really enjoys surgery and has also worked as an emergency and critical care vet. She is passionate about sharing education about preventative health care 
for pets, especially the importance of regular dog and cat teeth brushing at home. She also enjoys helping owners find practical solutions for keeping pets as comfortable as possible while living with conditions such as arthritis. When not working, she enjoys hiking and swimming. 

In summary, dogs don’t shed tears in the same way that humans do when they’re sad. Instead, dog crying could be a sign that something is wrong with the poor pooch’s eyes, and it may be time to contact a vet if the dog’s eyes continue to water. Our doggy friend might not be crying in the same way that we do, but it could well be upset by some nasty eye irritation.

If you’re looking for more stories and advice about our lovable furry friends, take a look at the TrustedHousesitters blog for inspiration.