Pregnant dog owners often have a special place for dogs, as they can notice things that are not typical of their pets. Can dogs sense pregnancy? The question is exciting because dogs are attentive to all the changes around them. Dogs remain known for their extraordinary ability to detect different diseases as well.
Dogs have excellent olfactory abilities, which allow them to recognize slight variations in the body. It is not far-fetched to think that a dog might pick up an ongoing pregnancy feeling in the family. Well, let’s find out about it in this blog.
Signs Your Dog Knows You Are Pregnant
Dogs and Their Amazing Sense of Smell
A dog can tell if its owner is pregnant just by using its superior power of smell. They do so as a result of their excellent olfactory senses. Hormonal shifts during pregnancy cause significant changes in body chemistry for women. Thus changing their unique scent. Therefore, dogs detect this difference through smelling.
Changes in Body Shape and Body Language
By means other than smell alone, even minor body shape differences and human movements attract dogs. When women become pregnant, they change physically, including getting bigger bellies or some alterations in walking style. Observant animals like dogs are, they can still see this. Furthermore, a person’s gait may change while moving from one place to another.
Emotional and Behavioral Shifts
Besides, dogs tend to be very sensitive to any variations in the owners’ feelings and actions. They can sense their owner’s moods and react accordingly. Women often experience different emotional and behavioral changes during pregnancy that dogs can notice. This implies they may know when their owners are pregnant due to either sensing enthusiasm or stress.
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Increased Bonding and Protective Tendencies
Since they detect these pregnancy-related changes, dogs may also display increased bonding behaviors and protective instincts towards their pregnant owner. The faithfulness of dogs and the bond they can establish with human beings is well known. When a dog detects that its owner will give birth, it may show more concern, attention, and protective instincts.
How Do Dogs React To Human Pregnancy?
The family dog is also not immune to changes when a woman is pregnant. Dogs and pregnant women react differently in many ways to the new dynamics at home.
Growing Affection and Protection
Some dogs may portray growing affection as well as protective behavior towards the pregnant mother. They often detect the changes, making them feel more bonded with their owners.
Uneasiness and Non-cooperation
Conversely, some dogs might go restless, growl, or even bark. These transformations could be a reaction to unfamiliar alterations in the surroundings.
Unusual Urination and Chewing
In addition, several abnormal behaviors, such as peeing or chewing newly arrived baby stuff, are ones that these animals do due to stress or anxiety.
Adjusting to Changes
Owners find it difficult for their dogs to adapt eventually and for their behavior to return to normalcy. During this transition period, giving your pet extra love and attention is good. If, despite all these measures, a dog becomes uncontrollable, there is a need for one to seek advice.
One must always keep in mind that dogs are sensitive members of our families, too. They are just like us humans as they get affected by such changes emotionally.
Source: Freepik
Tips for Preparing Your Dog for the Arrival of a Baby
Gradually Decrease Attention
As an expectant parent, your focus will shift dramatically to the new infant. Therefore, try to reduce the attention given to your dog gradually. Do this because your first child’s arrival is on the way. As a result, dogs might feel neglected, but this will last for a while only, so do not feel bad in this phase.
Introduce Baby Sounds
Babies are noisy, and this can be overwhelming for some dogs. You can familiarize your dog with baby sounds by playing with crying and other sounds. This way, they will be ready for the extra noise when the baby comes.
Familiarize yourself with Baby Scent
The sense of smell in dogs is highly developed. Before your baby’s actual birth, apply a lotion that you plan to use on a blanket and let your dog sniff it. This way, they become less anxious or curious once the baby comes home.
To Sum It Up
Dogs are brilliant animals that can quickly detect subtle changes like pregnancy. However, properly introducing these pets to newborns typically creates an atmosphere where they coexist well. Also, strong relationships between children and their dogs are expected. This, in turn, strengthens the emotional support within families. Undoubtedly, it will be no surprise if your kid becomes best friends with her dog. The same is true even before it dawns on you because, more importantly, expanding one’s family to infinity brings joy.
References
Pedigree. (n.d.). Can dogs sense human pregnancy?
Higuera, V. (2019, August 22). Can dogs sense pregnancy? Healthline.
