It’s no secret that dogs, being the sensitive creatures that they are, have an innate ability to sense changes within the environment around them. This includes all things and people they interact with. Eyesight not being their best ability, a dog’s nose and sense of smell default to their main method of interacting with the world. As such, a dog’s sense of smell is among its strongest ability.
Through time, dogs have been found to possess the ability to not only sense pregnancy, but also other things, such as cancer cells, and when an epileptic seizure is about to occur.
Before officially receiving the good news, soon-to-be mothers oftentimes begin to notice their dogs acting differently around them. After receiving a positive test result, many tend to wonder, “Can dogs sense human pregnancy?” If so, how early can dogs sense pregnancy in humans?
Today, we’ll cover this topic, and look into some interesting facts that help dogs with finding this information out, and how they can sometimes even figure it out before you.
What happens for a dog during your pregnancy?
As you’re likely aware, a dog’s bond with its human tends to be a pretty strong one. Our furry friends possess the ability to understand and predict our emotions, reactions, and our behavioral patterns. With this in mind, what seems to happen for your pooch when a human parent becomes pregnant?
Below, we’ve included a few key things that can explain how a dog is able to sense when someone is pregnant.
1. A change in odor
When a pregnancy occurs, a woman’s body chemistry begins to change. This ultimately results in her odor being different to her dog. The distinct smell your dog has always been accustomed to getting from its beloved “hooman” is, all of a sudden, no more.
In its place is a new scent, which hasn’t been noticed before. While you may look the same, you begin to smell like someone else. Keeping in mind, the great sniffer that canines have for a nose, which helps them to detect the slightest of changes in how things smell.
Now add this great ability to a dog’s human, and it’s not hard to imagine how such a loving and loyal creature like a dog can easily tell that something is going on.
2. A change in body language and shape
This next one is a bit more general and can also apply to others, in addition to a dog’s parent. While dogs can be great observers of behavior, it doesn’t take a great observer to notice the physical changes that occur when a woman becomes pregnant.
These physical changes that occur in a woman’s body also tend to result in a change in the physical movement and body language that is also displayed. As pregnancy progresses, a woman will usually tend to walk differently, stand differently, and just move in a different way, as a result of the growing baby within her.
As such, a dog can easily notice things like difficulty getting up, a change in the way you or others may move or walk, and also a change in appearance, from the newly formed baby bump that is showing.
3. Changes in your behavior, and mood
In addition to recognizing your scent and body language, our furry friends also tend to pick up on our moods, and behavioral patterns. Dogs are great at knowing when their parents are sad and love to join in celebration when you’re over the moon with happiness.
As a result, dogs will tend to pick up on even subtle changes or differences easily whenever they occur. Changes in mood and behavior between mom and dad, and also any general changes from mom are all additional factors that help a dog to further determine the changes that are occurring.
Changes in a dog’s human will tend to result in a change in your pooch
As covered above, the changes your doggo notices within the home, especially in its human mom, will usually result in some changes in your fur baby too. As soon as a dog has begun to notice these changes occurring, this usually is met by changes that can also be displayed in your pet’s behavior.
Changes will ultimately depend on your pal’s personality, along with the changes displayed by mom, or the pregnant woman they have noticed. These changes from your pet will typically include the following, listed below.
- Attention-seeking behavior. This can typically include:
- Chewing on new things being brought into the home for the baby on the way
- Peeing in different areas around the home
- An increase in protective behavior toward the pregnant woman
- An increase in affection, and desire to be near the pregnant woman
- Additional behaviors may include an increase in barking, being uncooperative, and growling
That said, you can rest assured that as time goes on, rover will become more familiar with the changes they first started noticing in their beloved pregnant human. In time, any changes in their behavior should begin to return to the normal you’re used to seeing from your pet.
Some dogs may have trouble adjusting to the changes that are typically brought on when pregnancy occurs. However, in most cases, giving your pooch some additional attention can help to provide some reassurance and encouragement.
While planning a family can be a big step for a household it’s worth remembering that changes occurring within the home, and between members of the family, will also play a role in affecting not only your behavior but also the behavior of your beloved canine.
Now that you know all about dogs and their ability to sense pregnancy, read some of our other great articles we know you’ll LOVE, by clicking here for more!
