Why Your Dog Cries When you Leave it Outside (6 Reasons)

If your dog cries when you leave it outside, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you six common reasons why they do it and what you can do to get it to stop.

So, why does my dog cry when I leave it outside? Possible reasons why your dog cries when you leave it outside are separation anxiety, hunger, coldness, being worried that you won’t let it back in or being fearful of something outside.

It is actually possible that there is a combination of causes at play. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main causes and there are many things you can do about them.

Why your dog cries when you leave it outside

Below are six common reasons why your dog might be doing it and what would make them more likely to be the main reason.

Separation anxiety

The reason why it does it could be that it has some separation anxiety. This would be more likely if it also tends to become anxious when you are leaving, if it also cries when you are leaving home and if it does it more at times when you tend to leave it for longer periods.

If you are currently leaving it outside for a long time, it would likely help to avoid doing so since it is likely to be what has been causing it to become anxious and to cry. Instead, it would help to give it positive reinforcement training and nothing in life is free training so that it behaves the way you want it to while indoors.

Hunger/thirst

The reason why it does it might be that it is hungry or thirsty. This would be more likely if it does it more when it has not been able to eat or drink for a while.

It’s cold

The cause might also be that it is cold and it wants to come inside where it is warmer. Obviously, this would be more likely if it has been doing it more when it is cold outside. In this case it would help to let it inside when it is cold and to train it to behave the way you want when it is inside.

It’s worried that you will not let it back in

The cause could also be that it is worried that it will not be allowed to come back in for a long time. This would be more likely if you often leave it outside for long time periods. As mentioned above, it would help to avoid doing so and to give it training so that it is better behaved around the house.

Fear

The cause could also be that there is something that has been causing it to be fearful when outside. Reasons why it might be fearful could include hearing other people or dogs, hearing noises such as sirens or something else.

It wants you to watch over it

It could also be the case that it does it because it wants you to watch over it when it is outside. This would be more likely if it tends to look back at the door a lot to see if you are there.

Things to consider

Below are some things you can consider when figuring out the main reason why it has been doing it.

What else happened when you first left your dog outside

If it did not always cry when you used to leave it outside, it would help to consider what else happened since you started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as if you started leaving it outside for long time periods or if the weather became colder.

What is different when it does it

If it does not always cry when left outside, it would also help to consider what is different when it does not do it. For example, if it only does it after a certain time period, it would be more likely to be because it is worried you won’t let it back in or because it wants to come back in.

What to do about your dog crying when left outside

Below are some things you can do about your dog crying when left outside.

Avoid making it stay there for too long

If you are currently leaving your dog outside for long time periods, it would help to avoid doing so. As mentioned by the RSPCA, it is very difficult to meet a dog’s needs when it is left outside for long time periods. Additionally, it will run the risk of either becoming too cold if it is cold outside or getting heatstroke when it is hot outside.

Train it to behave the way you would like it to

Instead of leaving it outside for long time periods, try to give it lots of training so that it learns to behave the way you want it to when inside. By training it to behave the way you want it to, it will not be necessary to make it stay outside for so long. I would recommend giving it a combination of positive reinforcement training and nothing in life is free training.

Ensure that it is able to get the right amount of food and exercise

It would also help to ensure that it is currently able to eat the right amount of food and get the recommended amount of exercise for its age and breed since it could be the case that it has been crying due to wanting those things.