When dogs were reunited with their owners after five to seven hours of separation, they "significantly" increased tear production in the ensuing five minutes, researchers found
Dog owners know the pure joy of returning home from a long trip to be greeted by their tail-wagging, uncontrollably jumping, face-licking companion.
But those ecstatic canines might be shedding more than just fur on your clothes -- they might also be tearing-up, according to a new study published Monday in the journal Current Biology.
"We had never heard of the discovery that animals shed tears in joyful situations, such as reuniting with their owners," said Takefumi Kikusui, one of authors of the study, which he called a possible "world first."
The scientists measured the amount of tears in the dogs' eyes with the widely-used Schirmer test, which consists of placing a specialized strip under the eyelids. For a baseline reading, they performed the test on dogs during a normal interaction with their owner.
When dogs were reunited with their owners after five to seven hours of separation, they "significantly" increased tear production in the ensuing five minutes, the researchers found.