do dogs cry

Dogs do not cry tears as an emotional response like humans do. While dogs produce tears, these serve primarily to lubricate and protect their eyes rather than to express feelings. Dogs express emotions such as sadness or distress through vocalizations like whining or whimpering and body language, including lowered ears, tucked tails, and avoidance of eye contact. Watery eyes in dogs are usually caused by physical issues such as eye irritation, allergies, blocked tear ducts, infections, or injuries, not emotional crying. Some recent studies suggest dogs may produce more tears during emotional reunions, but this is still debated and not equivalent to human emotional crying.