A recent study conducted by experts at Azabu University in Japan revealed that the bond between humans and dogs is even more special than we thought. According to the study, dogs cry from joy when they are reunited with their humans.
Takefumi Kikusu, the lead researcher on the study, was prompted to do research when he found out that one of his poodles had teary eyes when nursing her pups. He decided to see whether some interactions with humans could prompt the same emotional response, so Kikusu and a team of his colleagues from Azabu University set up an experiment.
They monitored tear levels in dogs after they were reunited with their humans and found out that most of them had tears in their eyes. This led the team to conclude that “dogs shed tears associated with positive emotions.”
“We had never heard of the discovery that animals shed tears in joyful situations, such as reuniting with their owners, and we were all excited that this would be a world first!”, said Kikusu.
The researchers also did a variation of the test, introducing oxytocin, known as the love hormone, to the eyes of the dog before the reunion. This made the tear volume go up, confirming the previous conclusion that the interaction between humans and dogs leads to the release of oxytocin and that the hormone plays a role in making the dogs “cry” when reunited with their owners.
The team said they are happy with the results and hope it will prompt humans to care about their dogs even more. They also look to make a study on the role of tears in dogs during interactions with other dogs.
