Why Do Poodles Cry?

Many who own poodles have noticed that this particular breed of dog is oftentimes prone to whining, whimpering, and crying.

These are just a few reasons why poodles may be behaving the way they do. Crying and whining can mean various things. To fully understand why a poodle is behaving the way they do, we must look at further factors.

Reasons Why Poodles Cry

There are different factors into why poodles cry. Some of it is biological and some reasons have to do with training. In moments of distress or pain, a poodle may also cry.

It’s hard to determine exactly why a poodle is crying, because your dog might be different than mine.

Here are the tops reasons as to why poodles cry and whine.

1. Poodles Whine As a Method of Communication

Many dog owners wish that they could understand exactly what their dog is trying to communicate to them, especially when it comes to whining.

Poodles are a very communicative and social breed and are quick to show their alarm or concern over a certain situation.

Like most other dog breeds, poodles employ whimpering and crying as a way to communicate a want or a need with their owner. Poodles are known to make whining sounds when they are excited, anxious, in pain, frustrated, or seeking attention.

Basically, this whining is like when another dog barking or howling. Or it’s like a cat meowing. It’s just a way to be vocal and it’s not necessarily a bad sign.

2. Poodles are Prone to Separation Anxiety

In addition to that, poodles are very sociable dogs and therefore are more prone to separation anxiety. They love people and other animals so it can be hard when they are not around others.

Separation anxiety occurs when a dog becomes very attached to his or her owner. In the absence of the owner, the dog will become worried and stressed.

This can cause them to resort to crying and whining as a way of coping with being left alone, even if it is only for a couple of hours.

Addressing Separation Anxiety in Poodles

If your poodle cries due to separation anxiety, there are many ways that you can help alleviate their stress and make them more comfortable with being alone.

Many poodle owners find that leaving the TV on or turning on soothing music can help calm the dog. Background noise creates an allusion that someone is home.

Others suggest that leaving a light on if the house is dark will help your poodle combat separation anxiety.

Getting another dog may help as well.

Another thing that may help improve a poodles’ anxiety has to do with how the owner behaves when he/she is leaving. This is also known as a “leaving ritual.”

Owners often have a tendency to make a big deal of leaving their dogs alone.

Instead of patting, hugging, or kissing your dog before you leave try placing them in an enclosed area roughly twenty minutes before you leave and continue to get ready as if nothing is about to happen. Then quietly leave.

Even though this seems difficult and almost counter-intuitive, it has been shown to help poodles cope with separation anxiety.

Additional reasons Why Poodles May Whine or Cry

• Stress – Poodles may express stress about a certain situation through whining and whimpering. As mentioned above, separation anxiety is a form of stress and therefore is expressed through crying.

• Appeasement – Your dog wants to make you happy and that usually makes your poodle emotional and vocal.

• Uncertainty – It is not uncommon for dogs to whine when they meet new people. This is mainly because they are unsure or lack confidence in the new person they are meeting.

• Excitement – Poodle owners will concur that oftentimes they will whimper and whine out of excitement and joy over a certain situation (such as their owner coming home or the prospect of a walk).

• Attention – Poodles employ whining as a way of gaining the attention of their owner. This behavior is often learned and repeated when the desired result is met.

• Pain – Sometimes dogs will express pain in a vocal manner–through whining or whimpering. The majority of time dogs will not vocally express chronic pain.
• It is not uncommon for older poodles to cry more often due to chronic pain or a decline in brain cognition because of old age.

• Frustration – Dog owners will oftentimes notice that their pet will whine when their favorite toy is caught under the couch. This common behavior is an expression of frustration.

• Trained Behavior – Poodles can be trained to communicate with their owner when someone is at the door or when they are in need of going outside to go potty. Many poodle owners may have unknowingly trained their dogs to be employ whining and crying as a tool to get attention, food, or a toy.

Chronic Crying and Whining in Poodles

Generally speaking, whining and whimpering are instinctual behaviors, but can also be learned method used to get more attention, food, etc. Sometimes “crying” in dogs can become chronic. Chronic whining is not normal and can turn into problematic behavior.

Try to not give into whining. This principle is very similar to raising children. You just don’t want to spoil your pup rotten.

If a poodle exhibits unwanted and chronic crying behaviors there a couple of things that a dog owner can do in order to combat this.

The first step is to identify why your poodle has a chronic crying problem. Are they crying because they want more attention? Are they whining due to a stress-related situation? Once you have identified this you will better understand how to address and correct the problem.

Most chronic whining can be combated simply by ignoring your dogs behavior. If your poodle is whining for attention it is helpful to simply ignore him/her in order to break their behavior.

If your dog is crying due to nervousness or stress, confidence will need to be built. For example, if your dog is nervous around new people, increased exposure may be necessary.

Tear Stains are Common for Poodles

It is important to note that it is common for poodles to have “tear stains” below their eyes. This is not related to the whining or whimpering behavior of the dog. These tear stains are caused by certain physical characteristics inherited by the poodle breed.

Although unrelated to whining and whimpering, poodles have tears stains under their eyes.

One such physical characteristic shared by poodles are shallow set eye sockets and hair growth in skin folds. Both of these are common causes of overactive tear production, thus causing tear stains.

In addition to that, poodles are also more likely to develop blocked tear ducts also known as Epiphora. This occurs when the tear ducts don’t properly drain, thus causing a brownish build up under the eyes.

Factors that Cause Tear Stains

“Tears stains” on poodles be caused by many different factors including:

• Reactions to additives found in certain dog foods
• Unfiltered tap water
• Allergies
• Teething
• Tear duct blockage
• Eyelash or eyelid abnormality
• Ear infection

Tear stains can be helped by keeping your poodle in good health and cleaning his or her face often.