If you’ve ever witnessed your dog’s heart-melting welcome after a long absence, you know the joy is unmistakable—wagging tails, excited barks, and soulful eyes that seem to brim with love. But can dogs actually shed tears of happiness? Recent scientific breakthroughs suggest the answer is yes, offering a fascinating glimpse into the emotional lives of our canine companions.
The Science Behind Canine Tears: A Recent Revelation
For decades, scientists debated whether dogs’ tears were purely functional—meant to lubricate the eyes—or if they could be a physical manifestation of emotion, as in humans. A groundbreaking 2022 study published in Current Biology and widely reported by sources such as The Guardian, CNN, and NPR, has now confirmed that dogs’ eyes can indeed well up with tears of joy—especially during reunions with their beloved owners.
The researchers observed that dogs produced significantly more tears when greeting their owners after a period of separation, compared to when meeting familiar humans who were not their primary caregivers. The findings suggest that canine tears are not just about eye health—they’re a visible sign of the powerful social bond between dogs and people.
Real-Life Tearful Reunions: Heartwarming Stories From Around the World
During the 2025 Palisades Fire in California, touching footage captured a man’s emotional reunion with his dog after days apart. The man, whose home had been destroyed, openly wept as he embraced his lost companion. Witnesses noted the dog’s eyes also appeared moist—a poignant moment that echoed the latest research (NBC Los Angeles, TODAY.com).
In the UK, a Daily Mail story chronicled the tear-jerking reunion between a family and their dog, stolen eight years prior. As the dog recognized her people, her eyes visibly welled up, reinforcing the deep emotional memory and attachment dogs retain for their humans.
Such stories, far from rare, provide living context to what science is now confirming: Dogs express emotion not only through tail wags and body language but also through tears.
How Do Dogs’ Tears Work? Emotional vs. Physical Tears
While most animals produce tears to protect and clean their eyes, emotional tears are a phenomenon long thought exclusive to humans. In dogs, the 2022 Japanese study found that emotional tears are likely triggered by a surge of oxytocin—the “love hormone”—released during joyful reunions. This hormone is also elevated when humans bond with their dogs, strengthening the interspecies connection.
Importantly, dogs do not cry emotional tears as frequently or as visibly as humans. The tears may be subtle—a moistening of the eyes rather than a steady stream. Still, they represent a genuine, physiological response to happiness and attachment.
Are All Dogs Equally Expressive? Breeds, Backgrounds, and Bonds
Every dog is unique, and factors like breed, upbringing, and individual personality affect how emotions are expressed. For instance, breeds renowned for loyalty and sensitivity, such as the Korean Jindo Dog, often form particularly strong attachments to their owners. The Jindo’s intelligence and devotion have made it a national treasure in South Korea, and stories of their emotional reunions abound.
Similarly, the Bernese Mountain Dog, with its calm, affectionate nature, is known for forming deep family bonds. Owners of these and other breeds—such as the compact, lively Sealyham Terrier—often report that their pets display visible signs of joy (and sometimes tears) during reunions, whether after a workday or a prolonged absence.
Why Do Dogs Cry Tears of Joy?
The evolutionary roots of this behavior run deep. Domestication has shaped dogs to be highly attuned to human emotions and social cues. The ability to express feelings through tears and gaze may have further strengthened the human-dog partnership, encouraging empathy and care on both sides.
Research suggests that the mutual gaze between dog and human triggers oxytocin release in both species—a feedback loop that reinforces attachment.
“The increase in canine tears when people reunite with their dogs strongly suggests an emotional cause, much like human tears of joy.”
— Kinship, reporting on recent canine emotion research
How Dogs Communicate Emotion: Beyond Tears
While tears are a remarkable discovery, dogs have developed a rich repertoire of communication strategies:
Facial Expressions: Dogs raise their eyebrows and soften their gaze when interacting with humans, a trait selected during domestication.
Vocalizations: Barks, whines, and playful growls are all part of the canine emotional toolkit.
Body Language: From full-body wiggles to gentle nuzzles, dogs use their entire bodies to express affection and happiness.
Lessons From Canine Tears: Empathy, Welfare, and Conservation
Understanding the depth of dogs’ emotional worlds carries important implications for animal welfare and conservation. Recognizing that dogs feel joy—and even cry happy tears—reinforces our responsibility to treat them with empathy and respect. It also reminds us that emotional complexity is not unique to humans, but shared across many species.
What Should Dog Owners Do?
Value Emotional Bonds: Understand that your dog’s devotion is more than instinct—it’s an emotional connection that deserves nurturing.
Observe Subtle Cues: Look for moist eyes, soft gazes, and other signs of emotional expression, especially after absences.
Support Welfare: Advocate for humane treatment of all animals, recognizing their capacity for emotion.
Promote Conservation: Extend empathy to wild species, supporting initiatives that protect animals with complex social structures.
Final Thoughts: Through Animal Eyes
The discovery that dogs can shed tears of joy when reunited with their owners forever changes how we view the canine heart. It is a testament to the deep, ancient bond between humans and dogs—a relationship built on trust, affection, and mutual understanding. As science continues to unlock the mysteries of animal emotion, we are reminded that looking through animal eyes reveals a world as rich and complex as our own.
Want to learn more about emotional intelligence in the animal kingdom? Explore our profiles on remarkable companions like the Korean Jindo Dog, Bernese Mountain Dog, and Sealyham Terrier.