If your dog has been crying whenever it sees you, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible reasons and what you can do to get it to stop.
So, why does my dog cry when it sees me? Possible reasons why your dog cries when it sees you are that it has separation anxiety, it is hungry, it needs to pee or that there is an issue with the room it stays in when you’re gone.
Since there are a number of possible causes, it would help to consider what would make each of them more likely. Once you have a good idea of the main cause, it should become a lot easier to get your dog to stop doing it.
Reasons why your dog cries when it sees you
Below are a number of possible reasons why your dog has been doing it and what would make each of them more likely to be the main reason.
Separation anxiety
The cause could be that it has separation anxiety causing it to be anxious when you are gone and to behave abnormally when it sees you. This would be more likely if it shows signs of being anxious when you are leaving such as pacing or crying.
Hunger
The cause could also be that it is hungry. This would be more likely if it cries more when it has not eaten in a while, such as when you first see it in the morning, and it cries less when it has already eaten.
It needs to pee
The reason why it does it might be that it needs to pee. This would be more likely if it tends to want to go outside as soon as you see it and if it has to wait a long time to pee when you are away. It would help to try to let it pee just before you leave and to come back periodically to let it out to pee so that it does not have to wait too long.
Fearfulness
The cause could also be that something has been causing it to be fearful while you are not with it. This would be more likely if it tends to cry more at a certain time such as when there are construction works outside or when it has to stay with a certain person or pet.
An issue with the room it stays in
Crying when you first see it could also be a sign that there is an issue with the room it stays in. This would be more likely if it has started crying since it had stay in a different room. The problem could be that it is too loud, hot or there might not be space for it to lay down.
Excitement
It could be the case that it is crying due to excitement. This would be more likely if it shows other signs of excitement when it cries such as wagging its tail, jumping up at you, licking you or wide-open eyes. The reason why it might be excited is that it does not like being left alone and it is excited about the rewards you might have for it.
Encouraging the behavior
It might be the case that it has learned that the behavior gets rewarded. If you tend to give it things such as toys, treats or extra attention, when it cries, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.
What else happened when it first started doing it
If it did not always cry when it saw you, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as learning that the behavior gets rewarded, a change in its diet, a change in its daily routine, a change in the room it sleeps in or something causing it to be fearful.
What is different when your dog does not cry
If there is a certain time that it tends to do it, it would also help to consider what is different about the timing. For example, if it does it when it sees you in the morning it would be more likely to be due to things such as needing to pee, hunger or separation anxiety.
What to do about your dog crying when it sees you
Below are some things you can do in order to get your dog to stop doing it.
Avoid encouraging the behavior
As mentioned above, it might be the case that your dog has learned that the behavior gets rewarded. Instead, it would help to reward it when it does not cry and to avoid giving it rewards when it does, unless it seems to be crying for reasons such as needing to pee or an injury.
Ensure it is getting the right diet
It would also help to ensure that it has been getting the right diet and that it has been eating the right number of calories since it could be crying due to being hungry.
Ensure the room it stays in is appropriate
If it does not currently have a comfortable area to stay in, when you are not around, it would likely help to give it one. One option would be to give it crate training which is where you give it a place to go to where it can feel safe. Doing so should help to reduce how anxious it becomes while you are away.
Limit reasons why it might be anxious
It would also help to take measures to reduce how anxious it becomes while you are not home. It would likely help to let it pee and eat before you leave home so that it does not have to wait so long before being able to pee or eat.