Why does my dog cry when it gets a treat?

If your dog has been crying when it gets treats, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of reasons why it might have been doing it and what you can do to get it to stop.

So, why does my dog cry when it gets a treat? Two common reasons why dogs cry when they get a treat are that they are excited about getting the treat or that they want to hide it but can’t find anywhere to put it. Other causes are injury, possessiveness or inadvertently encouraging the behavior.

There are actually many reasons why your dog might have been doing it and it could be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are a number of things you can consider when figuring out the main reason and there are a number of things you can do about it.

Why your dog cries when it gets a treat

Below are common reasons why dogs do it and what would make them more likely.

Excitement

The reason why it does it could be that it is excited due to the anticipation of getting the treat. This would be more likely to be the reason why it does it if it starts crying before it actually is given the treat. If it continues to do it after getting the treat, it would be more likely to be due to one of the reasons mentioned below.

Injury

The reason why it does it could be that it is injured. This would be more likely if its mouth has been bleeding, if it has started doing it suddenly or if it has been showing other signs of having a mouth injury. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.

It’s saying thanks

The reason why it does it might be because it is being grateful for the treat. This would be more likely if it cries while you are giving it the treat and it stops shortly after.

It wants to hide it

The reason why dogs do it is often because they want to hide or to bury the treat. Dogs will often, naturally, want to hide their possessions. This is likely to be because, hiding their food would have helped their ancestors to survive.

As a result, it could be the case that not being able to find a place to hide the treat, is causing your dog to become slightly anxious and to start crying. This would be especially likely to be the case if it does often hide its treats and if it wants to go into the backyard when it has them. It would also be more likely if it tends to cry more when it has a bone instead of a smaller treat that it can eat quickly.

Possessiveness

It could also be the case that it is being possessive. This would be more likely if it tends to cry when you go near it with the treat and if it can become aggressive when it has the treat and you try to take it. This post has some tips on correcting possessive behavior in dogs.

Encouraging the behavior

It might also be the case that you have encouraged your dog to do it by rewarding it when it does it. If you tend to give it things such as extra attention or other rewards, when it cries with the treat, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.

Instead, it would help to reward it when it does not cry, to avoid rewarding it when it does and to deal with any other reasons why it might be crying.

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 used to get treats, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it might be due to teething, getting a tooth injury or something causing it to become anxious.

If your dog always cries when it gets a treat

It would also help to consider if it always cries when it gets a treat or if it just does it some of the time. For example, if it only does it when it gets a bone, it would be more likely that it wants to hide it.

What to do about your dog crying when it gets a treat

Below are some options you have when dealing with your dog’s crying upon getting treats.

Wait for it to stop crying before rewarding it

As mentioned above, it could be the case that your dog has learned that crying results in it getting rewarded. If it starts crying before you give it the treat, it would help to wait for it to stop crying and then to give it the treat when it has calmed down. By doing so, you should be able to teach it that crying will not result in it getting a treat but being well-behaved will.

Ensure that it is not due to an injury

If it has started doing it suddenly and it seems like there could be an issue with its teeth or gums, the best option would be to take it to a vet.

Allow it to do so

It is not uncommon for dogs to cry when they get treats. If it has not been behaving unusually in other ways and it has not been crying excessively, it would likely be ok to let it continue doing it. However, if it has been doing it excessively, consider getting help from a dog behaviorist. By doing so, you should be able to see what has been causing it and how you can get it to stop.