Crying Is An Emotional Response For Humans But Do Dogs Do The Same?

Tearful pup [Image by damita118 from Pixabay]

According to a new study published in Current Biology Magazine last week, dogs exhibit emotional tearing just like humans do. Watching TikToks and videos of dogs being reunited with their owners makes you tear up because they are so overcome with emotions. But is it just the human, or do the dogs feel exactly the same?

Study to find out dogs’ emotional crying response

In the new study, it was revealed that dogs produce more tears when reunited with their owners than on reuniting with familiar humans who are not their owners. Yes, in the latter case, they will get very excited, but won’t shed happy tears. In fact, the study, published in Current Biology Magazine last week, challenges the long-held belief that humans are the only creatures capable of producing tears as an emotional response.

Researchers in the study used what is dubbed the Schirmer tear test to measure the dogs’ tear volume before and after the reunion. Normally this test is used to confirm whether a person is producing enough tears to keep their eyes moist.

Sad dog crying [Image by damita118 from Pixabay]

Researchers place small pieces of filter paper inside the dog’s lower eyelid, which absorbs the tears to reveal the volume. Meanwhile, the tear volume was measured in the dog’s home environment with the owner present. Researchers then repeated the test shortly after the dog and owner were reunited after five to seven hours.

A similar test was run when the dogs were reunited with humans they were familiar with, but not their owners. The study revealed:

Dogs secreted larger tear volumes during reunions with their owners than with familiar non-owners, and tear volume during reunion with the owner was significantly greater than the baseline tear volume.

Some scientists are not convinced

Jessica Meekins an associate professor of veterinary ophthalmology at Kansas State University is skeptical about the tests. In fact, she is unconvinced due to the way tear production fluctuates in individual animals and species. Speaking of her skepticism, Meekins wrote:

In veterinary ophthalmology, we typically have a cutoff for what we would consider excessive tearing. And to me, that objective number would be a good launching off point for researchers like this to kind of establish [what is] truly significant.

However, the associate professor said analyzing the composition of the tears for an emotional trigger. Including electrolytes, hormones, proteins and more in the test would be an interesting future study.

It would be interesting to know, rather than just the volume component, whether those tears contain similar molecules to what’s been identified in people in certain studies and in trying to investigate why we cry.

Of interest to note, Meekins was in the headlines recently for claiming dogs could need sunglasses, just like us, when out for a long period in the sun.

Homie looking cool [Image @el_perro_de_la_pelota/Instagram]

Whether we believe the results of the test or not, we do know one thing for sure. We always reach for the tissues when reunited with our beloved dogs.