Dogs are animals that have accompanied us for many times due to the trust and affection they transmit to us through the easy communication we have with them. One of these communicative expressions that we can easily detect is crying, although it is different from our way of expressing it, we know very well when our dog is crying.
Now it is very important to understand why your dog is crying. If you don't know why, you may feel desperate and frustrated and constantly wonder why my dog won't stop crying and what can I do For this reason, in this article on our site, we want to help you understand why.
How do dogs cry?
Canine crying is very different from ours, because these do not secrete tears or mucus as we do. Rather, it is characterized by long wailing and barking repetitively.
Now then, the function of crying in dogs is the same for which we humans cry, since dogs are also social animalswho need to live in a group and help each other. That is, crying is used to:
- Ask for help: when the situation is not the most favourable, due to feeling unwell due to a physical pathology, etc.
- Request some valuable resource: such as food or attention.
- Ask for protection: after feeling threatened.
Why is my puppy crying a lot?
The first reason my dog cries a lot may be because it is a puppy. It is completely natural for a puppy to cry a lot, because if you have just welcomed him as a new member of the family, he is still in a adjustment process delicate.
It will take more or less getting used to depending on the individual. Although sometimes you may think "my dog cries for everything" you must understand that your puppy was used to being with his brothers and mother, who cared for him when he cried and supplied his basic needs such as food or safety..
Therefore, you should be understanding because your puppy is undergoing a process of detachment from his previous family and is learning what his new environment of trust is For this reason, everything is unknown to him and reason for insecurity
If your puppy or dog also cries at night, we encourage you to read this other article on our site on What to do if my puppy cries at night?
My dog cries when I leave home
One of the first reasons my dog cries a lot is separation anxiety. This usually manifests itself when the dog is very attached to his human guardian, so that when he is not with him, he feels constantly threatened and stressed
This problem usually originates as a puppy, when he has not been trained correctlyso that he feels safe and calm, despite being, or when an early separation from his mother has taken place. This triggers inappropriate behaviors, such as destroying the home or excessive crying (which will surely start conflicts with the neighbors), because the dog is calling his owner
It can be a cause for concern in many cases, due to the discomfort that this situation entails for the animal, therefore, it is best to consult a veterinary or a canine educator specialized in behavior modification to give you the most appropriate action guidelines.
Check out this article on our site about Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Symptoms and Treatment.
My dog cries when he wants something
As we have commented, crying serves as a demand towards other individuals when some need is not covered or there is no resource within reach. Examples of this would be asking you to fill the bowl with food or wanting to go for a walk.
This behavior is not in itself harmful, as long as it is not excessive or accompanied by other unwanted behaviors, since in this case, it may be a clear indication that your animal is not feeling well, that is, perhaps the care you offer is not the most appropriate or it suffers from some organic pathology that makes it suffer.
In the first case, your dog may be stressed or frustrated, because his needs are not met (he may not getting enough physical exercise or being bored) and that makes you feel unwell.
Don't hesitate to consult this other post about the Consequences of not walking the dog, here.
My dog cries a lot at night
The next reason my dog cries a lot is nightfall. Many of them cry because they are afraid of the dark or because they feel lonelyWhat we can do is give them a little indirect light so they can see that they don't have to be afraid.
You may be wondering why my adult dog cries a lot, but the reality is that fears have nothing to do with age. Although our first reaction is to immediately come to his rescue when he cries, we should not always do so. We must teach him little by little that at night he should rest and if we get our furry friend used to always going when he cries, he will not learn. Still, we'll always make sure he's okay
My dog cries a lot to get my attention
The answer to why my dog cries out of nowhere may be because you don't enough attention or he's usually boredAgainst this background, dogs have probably encountered situations in which they have learned that when they cry you pay attention to them For this reason, if your dog has made this association every time he wants to claim your attention, you should surely start giving him more affection or caresses so that the special bond between guardian and dog is not broken.
Here are 8 things dogs do to get attention.
My dog cries a lot because he is afraid
Crying is a natural response to situations which generate fear and stress in your animal, it could be that if your dog is skittish, has had a negative experience or if the puppy has not been properly socialized, he is afraid of, for example, other dogs, the noise of cars, etc. Which means that every time he perceives these elements he starts to cry and needs you to protect him.
Don't hesitate to read this other post we suggest about Why my dog is afraid.
My dog cries a lot because he is unaware of a situation
Similar to the previous case, another reason why my dog cries a lot may be the fact of facing new situations, such as taking him to the vet or the welcoming of another dog, generates insecurity and even anxiety. Related to anxiety is also the problem with separation, which can give your dog a bad feeling.
How to make my dog stop crying?
Once you have located the reason why your dog won't stop crying, you will need to act to solve it, because as you have seen, many times it is related to your dog being stressed by some situation, harming his well-being. So let's see what guidelines we recommend:
Dog Wellness
How to make my dog stop crying is easy if you first cover his basic needs. You must make sure that your dog has all its physical and psychological needs covered, that means:
- Offer enough food and water.
- Provide him a safe space in which to take refuge and be able to rest properly.
- Go for a walk with him often, at least three times a day or one very long walk (at least an hour and a half) and another shorter one.
- Propose exercises that stimulate him mentally, through training sessions and games.
Environmental enrichment
Environmental enrichment is also very important if your dog spends many hours alone at home bored. For this reason, leave him toys at home that motivate him, divide his food portions, in a way that makes it a challenge for him to find them (through smell, for example), etc.
You have more information about Environmental enrichment for dogs: ideas and games in this article that we recommend.
Overcoming fears
If your dog is afraid of a specific stimulus or situation, you must little by little provide him with the security he needs. To do this, you must follow these steps:
- Avoid what he is afraid of: first of all, you must change your routines so that you can control that your dog is not with that element to which he is afraid. If, for example, he is afraid of some noise, he avoids it from occurring or from approaching its origin, the same with avoiding dogs from approaching him, etc. In this way, you will ensure that your dog is not exposed to situations that are threatening to him and with which this emotion will be fed back more.
- Progressively expose your dog to fear: Next, you must gradually expose your dog to this fearful stimulus, so make sure the exposure is mild enough for your dog to remain calm and unconcerned. That is, gradually increase the intensity and duration in which you perceive this stimulus as you see that it does not react.
- Use positive reinforcement: While you observe that your dog shows a positive attitude towards the element he is afraid of, go rewarding him effusively with praise, caresses and food, so that he associated it with something positive.
To make sure your dog is afraid, we encourage you to read this other article on our site about 10 symptoms of fear in dogs.
Basic Obedience
If your dog has this behavior problem due to bad learning, you'll need to make sure you establish basic obedience with which you can communicate with him positively. At the same time, if he is still a puppy you should teach him little by little to stay alone, offering him a comfortable environment and with various toys with which he can distract himself while you are not there with the. In this way you will stop having the feeling that my dog cries for everything and you will be able to teach him.
Discover more about Canine Obedience, here.
See a specialist
If you think your dog's crying is associated with a more complex disorder, such as separation anxiety, it is best to consult with an ethologist who can help you solve the problem from the source.
In turn, if you suspect that your dog cries because he is not feeling well due to an organic pathology and you have observed a change gruff in his usual behavior, you should quickly get him to a vet so he can make a diagnosis as soon as possible.
