Does my dog know that I am pregnant?
We all know that dogs are incredibly intuitive. Dogs have a much better sense of smell than we do. Dogs have been known to be able to smell everything from cancer to cadavers!
- Dogs have been known to detect cancer in humans
- Studies are showing that dogs may be able to detect Covid-19!
- Dogs can smell out humans (dogs are used in search and rescue teams!)
- Dogs can smell out drugs, guns and other illicit items.
- Dogs have been known to smell when a natural disaster is coming!
- Dogs can smell where there has been a cadaver and are used by some police units.
But does my dog know that I am pregnant? Can dogs smell emotion changes during pregnancy? Can dogs smell hormone changes during pregnancy? What behaviours might your dog have to show that they know about these changes? In this blog, I will talk about my personal experience with Fleet and how my dog's behaviour has changed throughout my pregnancy.
Can dogs sense emotion changes during pregnancy?
Hormones during pregnancy cause people to have different emotions. Your dog is bound to notice any emotional changes. Anything that impacts us, will impact our dogs. When I feel excited, so does Fleet, when I feel down, Fleet comes and gives me a cuddle. The picture below was taken during the early stages of my pregnancy (when my emotions were a rollercoaster and I lived in my dressing gown!)
Fleet the dog was my "support blanket" throughout my pregnancy. She always seemed to know when I needed support. Dogs understand their owners and want to make sure that they are ok. When my emotions changed, her behaviour adapted to mine. I love her so much.
Can dogs sense hormone changes during pregnancy?
I couldn't find many (if any) scientific studies on whether dogs can sense hormone changes during pregnancy. What I do know is my dog's behaviour has changed since I have been pregnant. This could be that dogs sense a shift in hormones in our bodies - what else could it be?
Can dogs sense the baby's heartbeat during pregnancy?
Again, who knows? There are still no definitive studies on whether dogs can sense a baby's heartbeat during pregnancy! All I know when I was 16 weeks pregnant THIS happened.
I'm pretty sure this was my dog discovering that there was a baby in my belly. I couldn't believe it; my dog was listening to my baby's heartbeat! She did this once or twice around this time and hasn't done it before or since. It is around 12 -16 weeks that your midwife can find your baby's heartbeat with a doppler. I believe that Fleet can also hear my baby's heartbeat!
Changes in behaviour in my dog since I have been pregnant
- She plays with her toys a lot more. Yup - I have no idea why but since discovering that I was pregnant (maybe hearing the heartbeat), she has been playing with her toys a lot more. Especially the squeaky ones. She has also done this once or twice at night.
- She has started getting up in the morning to greet me and go back to bed. I have no idea why this has started. I can only figure that it is because of the baby. Every time I wake up and come down the stairs, she comes in for a cuddle. She cuddles me for 10 seconds and then goes back to bed.
- She has kissed my belly a few times! I have no idea if this is because she knows, or just a coincidence. She isn't a 'licky' dog, so this behaviour was noticable!
So there you have it, my personal experience with Fleet and my pregnancy. Fleet has been amazing throughout my pregnancy. For those that follow us on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook, you will know that Fleet is a calm, happy and healthy dog who is full of beans when out on a walk. She eats fresh, organic food from Fleetful. I believe her beautiful behaviour is down to the food she eats.
Let us know in the comments below if you have had a similar experience with your dog and your pregnancy.