Dogs shed joyful tears when reunited with their owners: Japanese researchers

By Sumeyye Dilara Dincer

ANKARA (AA) - Dogs shed joyful tears when they are reunited with their owners, according to a study by Japanese researchers.

The study, published in the Current Biology science journal, was based on the reactions of 22 dogs who were reunited with their owners and familiar non-owners after being separated for five to seven hours.

Researchers measured the tear volumes in dogs before and after the reunions using the Schirmer Tear Test.

"Results suggest that emotion-elicited tears can facilitate human–dog emotional connections," they said in the study.

"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 the authors of the study.