The dog is man’s best friend, and the dogs become ever so caring when they realize that their ‘hooman’ is having a baby. The internet is full of stories of moms explaining that their dog has been acting weird right before the end of pregnancy or after they welcomed new life into this world.
Dogs are very sharp and smart animals. They observe even the tiniest details around them act accordingly. It is a frequently asked question if dogs can sense if their owner is pregnant. Pregnant dog parents have reported that their dog has become more caring, loving, and sometimes even acting downright weird.
This article looks at why dogs act weird when their owner is pregnant. Before we go on bust this myth, let’s take a look at some other superpowers of dogs.
Dogs Have Superpowers
Dogs are sniffing machines, and their snouts are like portable diagnosing machines. Science has proven that dogs can detect hormonal changes in humans by sniffing. Some examples are:
- According to a study published in the European Urology Journal, dogs can detect prostate cancer by smelling urine samples of humans. This proves the sniffing ability of dogs.
- If you have lost your blood sugar testing kit, your dog might be able to help you out. Dogs can detect the fluctuation in the sugar level in the blood of humans through a change in the odor of the body. However, this odor cannot be smelled by humans.
- Have you been struggling to sleep at night lately? Do you have strong urges to sleep in the daytime? Chances are you might have narcolepsy. Dogs can even detect narcolepsy in narcoleptic patients through the odor of their sweat.
Similarly, a human’s body goes through many changes in its hormones. So it is possible that your dog can detect these hormonal changes and start acting weird because of that.
Can Your Dog Smell That You Are Pregnant?
There are a lot of hormones like estrogen, progesterone, oxytocin, and other hormones. The hormones keep on increasing and decreasing throughout these nine months. Your dog might slowly notice that something is changing in your body. However, it is not yet clear if your dog is pregnant or not.
Regardless, they can detect these hormonal changes because they can detect 100,000 times better than humans, not to mention their incredible hearing ability.
Your Dog Might Be Able To Heat Fetal Heartbeat
It has not been scientifically proven that your dog can hear the fetal heartbeat. There is no plausible evidence to support this claim. However, we know that apart from using a fetal Doppler for hearing the heartbeat, we can also use a stethoscope, modified earbuds, or bring our ear close to the belly to hear the sound.
Dogs can hear frequencies from 67-45,000 Hz. Considering a dog’s superb auditory abilities, it is possible that a dog can hear a fetal heartbeat. However, we are not sure until a study with evidence proves otherwise.
Here’s How Your Pooch Behaves During Your Pregnancy
Every dog has a unique personality, so, naturally, their reaction is different from your pregnancy.
Your Dog Does Not Leave Your Side
Your dog might start acting unusually clingy when you are pregnant. The dog will start licking you more, which suggests an increase in their caring behavior. Your dog will not leave your side even if you command it and will not let other dogs and family members near you. He might start growling or barking continuously when someone else approaches you. You will start to notice that your dog will start focusing on your pregnant belly and lay its head on the belly.
Expect a lot of smelling from your dog. The human scent does not change during pregnancy, but it is possible that dogs can sense the change in hormones and can smell that. Please do not get overwhelmed by their clingy behavior. Rather, it shows that your dog cares for you.
Increase in barkingIs your due date near, and your dog has suddenly started barking a lot? Dogs won’t tell you in words that the baby is coming soon, but they can surely bark about it.
Your dog might also increase its alert barking. Your dog does alert barking when it notices some change in the environment. In this case, your dog will start noticing your pregnant belly and the hormonal changes that happen along with it.
Ignoring Behavior
Expecting a baby for the first time? Your pooch might be jealous! Dogs might start sensing that someone is coming to take their place, so they ignore their owners. Most dogs can do well around children, but those that have not been introduced to the baby properly might have some trouble accepting the baby.
A dog can start chewing on items. One dog mom reported that her dog started chewing on undergarments when she was about to have a baby. Your dog can also start urinating on the floor or furniture. However, this behavior is temporary in most cases, and you can expect them to behave normally after a few weeks.
How to prepare your dog for the baby
Do not expect your dog to act normally around the baby instantly. Your dog will need some time to adjust. Here are some things you can do to help your dog prepare for the baby’s arrival.
- Put a leash on your dog the first time you bring the baby into the house. Your dog might be aggressive, but it can get excited at the sight and smell of the baby.
- Train your dog to behave around visitors. Dogs can develop a habit of jumping on visitors. So, train your dog to stay on all fours when someone greets them.
- Get your dog accustomed to the baby. You can play baby sounds on the speaker and put some baby lotion on the blanket to get your dog accustomed to the sound and smell of the baby.
Conclusion
Why My Dog Acting Weird End of Pregnancy? Although it has not been proved that dogs can sense your pregnancy, they sure have a knack for sensing things. Your baby will soon have a guardian and a friend in the form of your dog.