New scientific research has found that dogs can cry.
Researchers in Japan say they have found that dogs produce tears when reuniting with their owners.
What’s more, the blubbing appears to be linked to levels of the “bonding hormone” oxytocin.
In the research, the team measured the volume of tears produced by 18 dogs when in their normal home environment with their owner. This involved placing a special strip of paper inside the lower eyelid and measuring how far along the strip the moisture travels.
The team compared this volume with that produced within the first five minutes of the dogs being reunited with their owners after a separation of more than five hours.
The researchers say the dogs produced a significantly greater volume of tears when reunited with their owners than when wandering the home alone.
The increase was not seen, however, when 20 dogs were similarly reunited with a familiar human that was not their owner.
