Why your dog cries when it carries toys (Male or Female)

If your dog has been crying when it carries its toys, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you common reasons why dogs do it and what you can do to get yours to stop.

So, why does my dog cry when it carries toys? The most common reason dogs cry when carrying toys is that they want to bury or to hide the toy but they cannot find a place to bury or hide it causing them to cry. It might also be the case that you have encouraged the behavior or that it is excited.

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

Why your dog cries when carrying toys

Below are a number of reasons why your dog cries and what you can do about them.

Excitement

The reason why it does it might be that it is excited. This would be more likely if it does not always cry when it has a toy but it does it more in situations such as when you are playing with it or when you arrive home.

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, treats or other rewards, when it cries with the toy, 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.

Anxiety

Sometimes, dogs carry toys in order to soothe being anxious. It might be the case that your dog holds toys and cries because there is something else that is actually causing it to be anxious. This would be more likely if it shows other signs of being anxious such as pacing and if it does it at a time when it is more likely to be anxious such as when you are leaving home. If it does it when you arrive home, it could be the case that it was anxious when you left or that it is excited that you are home.

It wants to bury or hide the toy

The reason why dogs do it is often because they want to hide or to bury the toy. 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 toy, 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 toys and if it wants to go into the backyard when it has them.

Injury

It could be the case that there is an issue with its mouth such as a sore or loose tooth. This would be more likely if your dog has started doing it suddenly and if you have been seeing other signs of it such as if it has been bleeding. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.

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 toy and if it can become aggressive when it has the toy and you try to take it. This post has some tips on correcting possessive behavior in dogs.

Teething

It could also be the case that it is teething and its gums hurt. This would be more likely to be the case if it is a puppy and it has been trying to chew its toys a lot.

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 your dog first started crying when carrying toys

If your dog did not always cry when carrying toys, 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.

What is different when it does it

It would also help to consider if there is anything different about the timing of when it cries with the toy. For example, if it tends to cry more when you arrive home, it would be more likely that it does it due to excitement or separation anxiety.

What to do about your dog crying while carrying toys

Below are some things you can do in order to reduce how much your dog cries when carrying toys.

Give it exercise

It could be the case that it has some excess energy and that a lack of exercise has been contributing to the behavior. If your dog is healthy, it would help to ensure that your dog is able to get the daily amount of recommended exercise for its age and breed.

Avoid encouraging the behavior

As mentioned above, it might be the case that your dog has learned that it gets rewards when it does it. Instead, it would help to reward it when it is not crying, to stop rewarding it when it does cry and to deal with other possible causes.

Reduce reasons why it might be anxious

It could be the case that it has been doing it because something has been causing it to be anxious. It would likely help to reduce possible reasons why it might be anxious. If it seems to have separation anxiety, you could try doing things such as giving it exercise and food before leaving it for long time periods and giving it a comfortable place to rest while you are away.

Ensure that it is not an injury

It would also help to ensure that it does not have an injury. If your dog has started doing it suddenly and it has been showing other signs of being injured particular in its mouth, the best option would be to take it to a vet.

Why does my male dog whine / cry when carrying toys?

Your male dog might whine or cry when carrying toys for any of the reasons mentioned above. It would help to consider the timing of when your dog does it and to try to reward your dog whenever it does not cry while holding a toy.

Why does my female dog whine / cry when carrying toys?

Again, it could be the case that your female dog has been crying while carrying toys due to any of the reasons mentioned above. It would also help to discourage the behavior by rewarding your dog whenever it does not cry and to ensure that there is nothing in the environment that could be causing your dog to be anxious.