Can Dogs Sense a New Baby?

When a woman gets pregnant, a lot of changes take place. While we don’t think of dogs as being super-observant creatures, they actually pick up on a lot more than most people believe. In fact, dogs are pretty tuned into the changes that happen in a woman’s body when she is pregnant, and even though they may not be able to determine what these changes mean, they do notice them.

Dogs will be able to see and smell a number of different changes happening in the life of their pregnant owner. So, how do dogs know that these changes mean something important?

Pregnant women often report that they notice changes in their dog’s behavior after they become pregnant. While most pregnant women say that their dog doesn’t seem to really understand what is going on, they definitely start to behave differently. 

For example, many friendly dogs will suddenly become extremely protective of their pregnant owners. They might even show aggression toward husbands and other family members that they perceive as a threat in the moment. When dogs start directing aggression towards people who come near the pregnant woman, it can be scary.

Dogs can also smell hormonal changes in humans, which means that they are able to smell the difference in a pregnant woman’s body and that of a woman who isn’t pregnant. The change in body chemistry signals that something is happening to a dog.

Additionally, dogs can see that a pregnant woman’s physical appearance is changing, as well as her body language, posture, routine, mood, and more. Plus, as you bring more and more baby items into your home, your dog is likely to take notice. The biggest changes that your dog will notice are the ones in their daily routine. If the pregnant woman is too tired for daily walks, the dog will notice.

Dogs have been home with humans for thousands of years, which means that dogs have been around children and pregnant women for thousands of years. During all this time, dogs have given numerous clues to humans that tell us that they can tell there are changes happening in a pregnant woman’s body. Even though dogs don’t necessarily know what pregnancy means for humans, they can definitely tell that there are changes going on in the body, and many dogs will start to act differently due to these changes.

Many dogs will become very protective of their pregnant owners. This protective instinct may even be taken to the extreme, and some dogs will attempt to protect the pregnant woman from members of the household, such as the husband. In these instances, you should be very aware of the changes in your dog’s behavior to ensure that nobody is injured as the dog tries to protect its owner.

During all these changes happening in your life, you should be considerate of your dog’s feelings. Some of the changes happening may cause your dog to become upset, and you will notice that your dog starts to act out by urinating in the house, becoming withdrawn or aggressive, or destroying the new items brought into the home for the baby. If your dog continues to display negative behaviors, you may need to consider some additional training.

We all know that dogs have an amazing sense of smell that humans just can’t quite understand. Humans can’t smell hormonal changes in the human body, but dogs can, which is part of the reason that dogs can tell there are changes happening when a woman is pregnant. The smells associated with pregnancy may also cause your dog to have some sort of reaction, such as affection or aggression. Additionally, dogs can see a number of the changes that happen during a pregnancy.

Dogs don’t really understand what is happening when a woman gets pregnant, but they do know that something is going on. They can sense these changes, which tells us that dogs know a lot more about the world around them than many people believe.

Dogs, like humans, all react to situations differently. While some dogs will be just fine throughout their owner’s pregnancy, others will be obviously upset by all the changes taking place. These changes can put your dog into sensory overload, which can make them extremely uncomfortable. If your dog reacts poorly to all these changes, you may notice a variety of behaviors, but you need to attempt to stay calm and patient with your pooch throughout the pregnancy.

You should definitely closely monitor your dog’s behavior throughout the pregnancy. If you start to notice unwanted behaviors, you may need to intervene and get your dog some help. With the help of a trainer, you can work on behaviors such as urinating in the house, chewing on baby items in the house, and aggression towards others. These behaviors may be caused by the anxiety that your pooch is feeling during this crazy time. This anxiety is difficult for your pet to cope with, and a trainer or pet behaviorist can be a huge help. To find a trainer or behaviorist, speak to your veterinarian for recommendations.

Once the baby comes, you will need to be careful, regardless of how your dog acts throughout your pregnancy. Even the friendliest of dogs can accidentally harm a fragile baby, so you need to be sure that you are taking all the precautions you can to prevent any problems. 

To do this, you should start by never leaving your baby alone with your dog. You should also attempt to introduce your pooch to the new baby slowly. You need to allow your dog to get comfortable with the baby in its own time. Moving too quickly could lead to problems between your dog and the baby, so take it slowly and be considerate of your dog in the process.