Can Dogs Sense Pregnancy in Humans?
Dogs are known for their sharp instincts and a strong sense of smell. They can readily tell when something has changed by its scent. Can dogs sense pregnancy in humans? While some would say yes, it is important to note that this idea still needs to undergo more profound research and the acquisition of scientific data to prove it.
What science has proven about the matter is that your dog can smell when something is different. A pregnant woman’s body scent changes when she undergoes hormonal changes brought about by the pregnancy. Once you become pregnant, your body changes in form and from within.
Your dog’s behaviour may change once they pick up or sense something. They are intelligent animals that become more protective upon sensing the changes. They would want to stay near you more often.
Let’s get into the article.
If you do not have a dog but have a cat instead, why not read our article: can cats sense pregnancy?
How Early Can a Dog Sense Pregnancy?
As you become closer to your canine, they become more acquainted with your scent. How you smell becomes so familiar to your pet up to the point that it becomes your bond. This is why some pet owners who have been away from home for a long time are greeted by their dogs with warmth and excitement. They don’t forget their owner’s scent despite the changes in their appearance.
Your dogs can sense that you are pregnant due to the hormonal changes you go through when a new life starts growing inside of you. As a result, they become more cautious around you and are more protective to the point that you’d wonder – can dogs hear babies in the womb?
Can Dogs Hear Babies in the Womb?
Dogs cannot hear the baby in the womb- but rather smell the changes that occur within your body during pregnancy. Dogs’ abilities to sense and remember scents, even after many years have passed since they first got exposed to them, is one of their unique skills. They detect something through smell, even before other people can. This makes some people come up with the conclusion that dogs can detect pregnancy.
No matter the dogs’ gender, they can smell when something’s different from the people whose scents they are familiar with. They have 60 times more smell receptors than their owners. They also have 40 times more intelligence than humans when it comes to smell. This is why dogs are utilized in sniffing things as guard dogs or in military operations. Science has proven that canines know the difference between 30K to 100K kinds of scents and aromas.
Dog trainers and behaviourists agree that dogs can pick up changes in scents because the bigger part of their brain functions in analyzing odours. This ability makes canines receptive to changes in scents due to a woman’s menstrual cycle, chemical changes, drugs, bombs, insulin levels, cancer, and pregnancy.
Dogs sense human pregnancy by the hormones that change in your body- They can sense the changes in your scent due to your hormones without knowing the exact reason why. You may find that one day, after smelling you, your dog’s behaviour may change. Your dog’s behaviour change may be caused by the fact that they have sensed a change in their pregnant owner- in terms of their smell, behaviour and even posture.
You may not understand what’s going on initially or sense that something has changed, but your dog does.
You have to understand that dogs would not know the reason for your behavioural shifts and changes in smell. This is one fact that researchers still need to prove through thorough research and scientific studies. For now, the connection between a doggy parent’s pregnancy and the belief that dogs smell pregnancy remains a conjecture.
Despite not wholly understanding the exact reasons for the changes in their owners, dogs can pinpoint the differences. The changes prompt them to show an interest. This is due to dogs’ high sensitivity and being intimate in observing people’s subtle movements and behaviour.
The reaction of dogs to the changes that their pregnant humans undergo also varies. While many of them would become protective, sweet, and intimate, some dogs might act indifferent. Some dogs fear the changes or whatever the outcome of these changes would be. However, most dogs react positively to pregnancy. More than being curious about what’s to come, they become more protective of their owner and want to help them in ways they can.
Do Dogs Protect Their Pregnant Owners?
Once you are pregnant, you will notice how your dogs would often sniff your belly. This is a sign that they are becoming protective of you, hence the change in their demeanour. It will usually begin a few weeks into your pregnancy.
When you are engaged in something which your dog senses might get you into trouble- for example, playing something physically intense with a family member- you might notice that your dog runs towards you or barks when the game becomes more intense. This is their way to check and protect you. They may not know the exact reason why you need protection, but they do so because of the bond you have formed.
Final Thoughts
Your dogs can’t detect your pregnancy, but they may be able to tell that something is different because of your smell. They are intelligent animals that can help you cope with the changes and make your pregnancy easier.
My name is Louise and I am the Digital Marketing and Administrative Assistant at MyBump2Baby. I have been writing in the parenting niche for over 2 years specialising in fertility, pregnancy, baby and baby name support articles.