Can Dogs Feel a Baby Move?

Pregnant women rejoice the first time they feel their baby move inside of them. This remarkable sensation is often a big moment in a pregnancy. While our dogs are incredibly intuitive, and often realize that changes are happening in a woman’s body that signal pregnancy, they don’t really know what is going on inside a pregnant woman’s body. 

Incredibly, dogs can smell hormonal changes in pregnant women, as well see the changes happening in their body, but can dogs feel the baby move like humans can? Wag! wants to help you figure out whether or not your dog can feel your baby move.

Humans have discovered numerous ways that dogs can sense that a woman is pregnant. These include your dog using many of their senses, including sight, smell, and sound. In fact, your pet’s nose is so amazing that it can smell the hormonal changes happening in a woman’s body while she is pregnant.

Additionally, dogs can see a variety of changes, such as the appearance of a pregnant woman. As the baby grows, so does the woman’s belly, and dogs can see that change, as well as the changes in posture and body language that take place.

When expecting a baby, there are often changes in the family’s routine, which your dog is likely to take notice of, especially when it affects them. For example, pregnant women may need more rest than they did before they were pregnant. This means that there may be fewer walks and more time spent on the couch. Your dog will see this and know that something is up.

Dogs also have a great sense of hearing and can probably hear the baby’s heartbeat and cries in the womb. Since dogs can do all of that, it is also likely that when they are close enough, they can feel the baby move inside its mother.

Dogs have lived with humans for thousands of years. It is easy to speculate that during this time, dogs have probably experienced pregnant women many times. Over all this time, dogs learned how to sense pregnancy, and they were able to hear, see, and smell the presence of a change in the mother’s body, even if they didn’t know what it really meant. We can also speculate that dogs have been able to feel babies move in the body during this time as well, but again, they probably don’t really know what it means.

Since we know that dogs can sense babies in utero, we shouldn’t really be surprised that they can feel them as well. When a dog lies on the belly of a pregnant woman, they might feel the baby moving around inside, just like a person who puts their hand on the belly of a pregnant woman would. 

You may even see your dog jerk its head up when it feels the baby move because it is likely to be confused by the sensation, as it can’t see anything, but it feels something moving around. This is much like when a dog sees you move your hand under a blanket. It may even try to pounce in a playful manner, so be careful that your dog doesn’t injure the baby.

We all know that dogs are able to sense pregnancy in a variety of different ways now. You shouldn’t be surprised that they can also feel babies move in the womb, just like humans can. When your dog is close enough to a pregnant woman’s belly, they will be able to feel and see the baby move just like we can. 

You can even let the dog bond with the baby while it is in utero by letting your dog see, hear, and feel the baby move. This bond can make it easier for the dog to acclimate to the baby after it is born, which is important for their coexistence.

Dogs can’t understand that there will be a new baby in a few months, but they do notice the changes that happen leading up to the baby coming. Since dogs don’t really know what a baby is, they don’t understand how fragile they are. When your dog feels or sees the baby move, they may think it is a game or their instincts may start to kick in. It is important that you don’t let your dog jump on your stomach. Also, if you have a large dog, don’t let it lie directly on your stomach. The pressure could cause harm to a developing baby in the womb.

Once the baby is born, you are going to have more hurdles to climb. First, dogs aren’t used to the smells and sounds associated with a new baby. Babies are loud and have a lot of unfamiliar smells that your dog will be drawn to. You can help make the introduction easier by taking it slow. You want to allow your dog a little time near the baby each day so that they can get used to these new sights and smells. You also want to restrict access and never leave your dog alone with the baby.

Also, allowing your dog to be near the baby before it is born can help the dog form a bond with the child. While the dog might not understand how pregnancy works, it can hear the baby while it is in utero and may associate those pregnancy sounds with the baby once it is born. You can also encourage your dog by giving it treats and affection when it is near the belly of a pregnant woman.

Remember that all of these changes can be hard on your dog, so be patient and calm throughout the first few weeks after the baby is born.