Dogs sensing pregnancies in their owners is a fascinating topic and a curiosity among many pet owners. And for the ones that do not have dogs, it may feel like when did dogs go from being loyal companions to unlicensed OB-GYNs?
But this is not another superstition attached to dogs. There is some logic to the argument. Dogs are highly attuned to changes in their environment. They have heightened senses when it comes to things, especially related to their owners. Now, imagine if this is actually true. If they can identify pregnancies, it would be goodbye to pregnancy tests forever!
Some people say that their dog seems to be sniffing the womb like a steak, walking around like a shadow and being extra gentle. These subtle changes in a dog’s behavior make a lot of people feel that dogs can actually sense pregnancies.
To understand this more and find out the science behind it, let’s start with a dog’s senses -
How do Dog Senses Work?
Dogs are known for their scenting capabilities. There’s a reason that the police forces and search and rescue teams around the world appoint them. Just to put a perspective for you; a typical dog’s nose is 100,000 to 1 million times as sensitive as a human's. And if the dog is a bloodhound, the most sensitive dog breed, it could even be 100 million times more sensitive. (3)
To top this off, dogs even have very keen observation skills. Dogs have an eye for the slightest of movements around. This is how they’ve become great at tricks and games. They can use observation to assess the competence of others. This includes predicting how far a human will throw a ball.
Crazy, isn’t it?
Now, we need to understand if dogs can use their super-senses to detect a pregnancy.
Signs Dogs May Detect During Pregnancy
Hormonal Changes: Pregnancy releases many new hormones in a woman’s body that can alter her body smell and with a nose like that, it would be really difficult to miss it.
Behavioral changes – You must have seen that many dogs are used in therapy, including for conditions like depression. This is because they are very good at reading emotions and responding to them. A man’s best friend for a reason!
Now, if you’ve been around a pregnant lady (or been one), you would know that she does go through many mood swings primarily because of the changing hormones. Dogs can easily pick them up and respond to them.
Physical Changes: You don’t need to be a super detective to tell if someone’s pregnant if the belly has started showing and is growing. Not only that, but your dog will also observe the difficulties the lady is having while getting up or doing other physical tasks.
While your dog is most likely to observe and react to all the above signs, there is no scientific evidence that a dog can detect pregnancy in humans. However, you will definitely see some behavioral changes in your dog if they’ve detected pregnancy in your family.
How do dogs react when their owner is pregnant?
More Attention – Dogs are already very affectionate creatures, but you would see them become much more affectionate, caring and watchful near the pregnant lady. You’ll see them spend more time with her.
More protection – You’ll see the dog become more protective of the mother. The guardian inside them awakens even if they don’t belong to a guarding breed.
None of the above: There is a high chance that your dog will react in the ways mentioned above, but some dogs face a hard time adjusting to new behaviors and moods around the house. What we need to understand here is that while dogs are our loyal companions, they do feel insecure at times. (1)
You may even see behaviors like excessive barking or growling, uncooperating, urinating around the house or chewing the items brought into the house for the baby. Most of these behaviors will go away with time as the dog eventually gets used to the changes.
Can Dogs Predict Labor?
There is no scientific evidence of dogs predicting labor but there is a high chance that they can. There is enough research done on dogs and their capabilities of sensing the environment around them. One report even mentions that dogs can not only sense if we are stressed but can actually smell our stress through our sweat and breath.
Multiple hormonal changes occur in the body of the pregnant lady during the onset of labor. So, those become one of the big signs of sensing labor for your dog. On top of that, they can sense your emotional state, which in most cases is anxiety and stress, and confirm their hypothesis of labor. (2)
How to Support Your Dog During Your Pregnancy
Irrespective of whether your dog is able to sense pregnancy or not, you need to address the fact that a new member is going to join the family, and your dog needs to be prepared for it. It is like convincing and comforting your child about another child who is now going to eat in the same room, play with the same toys and run for the attention of the same people. It can be difficult at times, but if managed properly, it can result in your dog showing the first two types of behaviors as against the later ones.
Here's what you can do to help them –
Redo basic training – You would want your dog to follow your commands more strictly with a baby in the house. So, revisit the ones like ‘sit’, ‘lie down’, ‘stop barking’, etc. You may even want to revise bed training if your dog tends to jump on your bed at night as you may not want this to happen once the baby is home.
Reinforce Positive Behavior: Reward your dog with a lot of praise and even treats if needed every time they are calm and not anxious about the situation.
Introduce New Scents and Sounds: You can introduce items like baby lotion or baby sounds to help your dog acclimate to the upcoming changes.
Introduce routine changes – If your current routine with your dog, which is the walk time, mealtime, etc., is going to be affected once the baby comes, gradually change them during the pregnancy itself to get them familiar with them.
Don’t reduce the love – Most importantly, show the same amount of love and excitement to your dog every time you come home so that your dog doesn’t feel insecure about the existence of the baby. If possible, try and include your dog in the baby routines so that they don’t feel left out of the family.
Can Spot Pet Insurance help?
Dogs can be great siblings to young kids, especially if there is only one child in the family. Most dogs won’t react badly to the news of a new baby coming, but some dogs can. Sometimes, these can turn into long-lasting behavioral problems as well. Apart from this, you would also want your dog to be infection-free as the dog and the baby will probably be in the same room for a lot of time in a day. This is where we can help lower your costs significantly to ensure regular vet visits and treat behavioral problems if needed.
Spot accident and illness plans can be used with any licensed vet in Canada or the U.S. Whether you are home, or traveling to the U.S., veterinary services your pet receives for the diagnosis, treatment, or management of covered conditions can be eligible for reimbursement. Spot’s accident and illness plans can help cover a variety of conditions including broken bones, lacerations, aggression, kidney disease, diabetes, and more. With the addition of Wellness Riders for an extra cost, you can also receive reimbursements for wellness exams, certain vaccinations, dental cleanings, and more.
Learn more about dog insurance or get a free quote!
Can dogs sense human pregnancy? (2023, May 12). PEDIGREE®. https://www.pedigree.com/dog-care-articles/can-dogs-sense-human-pregnancy
Bradley, S. (2024, October 24). Can dogs sense pregnancy? https://www.thebump.com/a/can-dogs-sense-pregnancy
Wikipedia contributors. (2024, November 15). Dog sense of smell. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_sense_of_smell
