Why does my Labrador puppy cry so much?

If your Labrador puppy has been crying a lot you’re probably wondering why and what can be done about it.

In this post, I will show you a number of reasons why your Labrador might be doing it and what you can do to get it to stop.

So, why does my Labrador puppy cry so much? It is important to consider that it is not unusual for them to cry a lot. However, other possible causes include illness, fear, wanting attention, hunger, boredom or excitement.

Your Labrador puppy might be doing it for a number of reasons and it could be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are a number of things you can consider when trying to figure out the exact reason. There are also a number of things you can do about it.

Why your Labrador puppy cries so much

Below, I will show you a number of reasons why it might be doing it and what would make them more likely to be the main reason.

Fear

The reason could be that something has been causing it to be fearful. It could be the case that it is going through a fearful stage which is not uncommon in Labrador puppies or it might be the case that there is something in its environment that it doesn’t like which would be more likely if it cries more at a certain time.

It wants attention

It could also be the case that it does it in order to get more attention from you. This would be more likely if it does it when you have not been giving it attention in a while or if you tend to give it extra attention when it does it.

It would help to give your Labrador attention by playing with it and training it. But, it would help to avoid rewarding it for crying unless it seems to be doing it for a reason such as wanting to pee.

Illness

Illness could also be the reason why it has been doing it. This would be more likely if it has started doing it suddenly and if it has been showing other signs of being ill. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.

It’s hungry

The cause could also be that it is hungry. This would be more likely if it cries when you haven’t fed it for a while and if it stops crying when you do.

Boredom

The cause could be that it is bored. This would be more likely if it tends to cry more when it is not doing anything and if it tends to cry at around the time that it usually gets to do something.

Labradors can be very active dogs and it is generally recommended that they get at least an hour of exercise per day as healthy adults. If your Labrador is not getting much exercise, it would help to make sure that it does.

However, Labrador puppies are not supposed to get as much exercise since their joints are still developing. Generally, it is recommended to give a Labrador puppy 5 minutes of exercise for every month of age. So, a 2 month old puppy should get about 10 minutes of exercise daily. (sources: here and here)

Other ways that you can reduce its boredom would be to spend time training it, to play with it or to give it toys to play with.

Excitement

Sometimes dogs will seem like they are crying when they are actually excited. This would be more likely to be the reason why your Labrador does it if it cries more in situations such as when you come home or when you are playing with it.

Nature

It is not unusual for Labrador puppies to cry a lot. Sometimes they will cry without any apparent cause. It is likely that it will begin to cry less as it gets older.

However, if it is crying constantly then it would help to take it to a vet to rule out illness or injury.

Things to consider

What is different when it cries

It would help to consider if there is anything different when it cries since it could be the case that the timing has something to do with it.

If it only seems to cry at certain times it would make it more likely to be due to things such as fear, boredom, excitement, wanting attention or being hungry.

If it seems to cry at random times it could be that it does it naturally or it might be ill or injured which would be more likely if it started crying a lot suddenly.

When it started crying

It would also help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it since an event might have caused it to start.

If it started crying a lot more suddenly it would make it more likely to be due to things such as illness, injury, learning that it gets rewards, or something happening that caused it to become fearful.

How to get your Labrador puppy to stop crying all the time

Below are some things you can do about your Labrador puppy crying a lot.

Avoid negative reinforcement

As mentioned above, it could be the case that you have been encouraging it to cry by giving it things it wants when it does it. If it does not seem to be doing it due to things such as illness or needing to pee, it would help to reward it when it is being well behaved but to avoid rewarding it for crying.

Take it to a vet

If you cannot figure out why it has been doing it or it has started doing it suddenly, it would help to take it to the vet for a checkup. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular Labrador puppy and to rule out illness or injury as a cause.

Ensure that its diet is correct

If it is not getting the nutrients that it needs in its diet it could be causing your Labrador puppy to cry. If you want to get your Labrador to cry less and for it to be as healthy as possible it is important to make sure that it is eating correctly. It would also help to consult with your vet on its diet and to make sure that no one else has been feeding it.

You can look here to see what you should be feeding it.

Avoid punishing it

It would also help to avoid punishing it for crying since it might not know why it is being punished. Instead, it would help to make sure things such as a diet issue are not causing it and to give it positive reinforcement training.

Give it things to be distracted with such as a chew toy

In addition to the above, you could also give it things to be distracted with such as chew toys or puzzle games so that it does not feel the need to cry as much.