This might sound daft....

but can dogs sense if you're pregnant?

I ask because I'm 9 weeks pregnant with my first baby and Roxie is acting so strange around me, normally she's not really a dog that follows but recently every where I go she has to come eveb if she is out in the garden and move to the couch she will come in to check where I am. She sits outside the bathroom if I use the loo, she will not leave me to go the OH even if he has treats, if my OH cuddles me she will try jump in the middle and if I lay down she will rest her head gently on my belly and I lay on my side ahe curls into a ball next to my belly.

I.know it might sound silly but this is very unlike her normally she's all over my OH but recently she will not leave me alone!

 

I believe it has been known for dogs to be able to sense these things as well as illness.

 

Don't see why not. They can tell if a diabetic is heading for a hypo, an epileptic heading for a seizure and have been used to detect cancer, so I would imagine they would be able to detect the hormone change in pregnancy.

I think that's why some dogs stay with their owners when we are poorly, the seem to know when we're not well too. Lovely aren't they?

 

My dog is very much a one person dog. He suddenly wouldn't leave my daughters side, a few weeks later she announced she was expecting child number 3

 

I most definately believe they can, yes!

When I was pregnant, but didn't know, Jess went SUPER protective over me outside of the home - she started randomly barking at the odd person, which is something she has NEVER done, and was a nightmare with reactions to things. It was comforting to know she knew I needed a bit more protection though

Harley didn't have a clue, but I'd only got him about 3 weeks before I knew I was preggers, so that smell was probably the norm smell for me in his eyes.

 

I believe they can

 

It's nice to know she is looking out for me. Right now our next door neighbour is banging doors, Roxie must think it someone downstairs and normally she will run off to investigate but she has plonked herself on my lap and its watching the bedroom door protectong me

 

There are asistance dogs for people with epilepsy, diabetes and other life threatening conditions, admittedly trained but they can detect chemical changes in the body and know before their epileptic owner actually has a seizure and warns them and gets them to a safe place, diabetic dogs again detect the chemical changes when the owners levels change and they need their insulin before it gets critical. There are even dogs that have been trained to detect cancer from samples and they are more accurate sometimes then other tests available.

So if dogs can check hormonal and chemical changes for these reasons I should thing they would pick up on hormonal changes as in pregnancy too.

 

Wish mine would do that, im 17 weeks and the only time they've paid any attention was when we brought the buggy home. No difference in their behaviour at all, i wouldnt mind some cuddles!

 

I think so yes when pregnant with my first son my friends dog followed me everywhere didnt go home for first few months when pregnant with middle son my mum inlaws cat came sat on my lap (half feral ) never sat on anyones, lap my mum inlaw said your pregnant went to docs 2 days later and i was pregnant

 

aww congratulations, yes i think they can sense it, my mums dog wouldnt leave me alone when we went to visit ( which was unusual.she normally wanted fuss of everybody) a day later i found out i was expecting my 4th
( this was 2 yrs ago im not expecting now lol my baby days are done )

 

I definitely think they pick up on it, could be the change in hormones. When my daughter comes to visit us (she's 25 weeks pregnant) Willow & Harvey get so excited - which they always do - but they seem to hold back from being too much in her face, they stand back with the waggiest tails ever and wait for her to make a fuss of them. When my daughter sits down Willow will sit on the floor at the side of her with her head on my daughter's lap and her ear to her belly as if she is listening to baby - it is rather sweet

 

I'm glad i'm not the only one who thinks it right now i'm in bed and Roxie has her head on my belly everytime the OH puts his hand on my belly she gently pushes it off with her nose it's like she sayin 'no daddy i'm lookin after mummy' she makes me laugh lol

 

My dog walking ladies , one had a baby last year, the other is 5 weeks from due date- they told me that from the first few weeks of their pregnancy he started to change around them... doesn't leave their sides!


currently we're having issues with his recall- .. maybe a baby is the key kidding! ha.

Happy pregnancy to you and what a sweet girl you have

 

My apologies in advance for bringing down the thread but I do believe so. I was recently unexpectedly naturally pregnant and Molly was terribly protective. She can jump up a lot and we were worried but she just stopped. Stopped sitting on my lap and began following me all over the place and was so gentle. I can't really articulate it but just so tender. I have lots of problems conceiving that mean we're IVF veterans of some 10 years and require lots of medication. This sadly meant our natural miracle didn't make it.

Molly still isn't jumping up as I think she knows something isn't right, she's being so extra cuddly and a real comfort.

I wish you well with your pregnancy

 

we had a pregnant friend come round a while ago and although CJ was jumping up everyone in the room he did not try and jump up her, as if he knew that was too far lol

 

Aww wee Molly, some dogs really get it don't they- i really believe that.
Thanks for sharing that

 

What lovely stories - had never thought about dogs being able to "detect" pregnancy but on thinking about it, it looks like they can.

My aunt says she gives full credit to her last dog for detecting her breast cancer, this normally not too clingy dog suddenly wouldn't leave her alone and kept sniffing and nosing what turned out to be the site of the tumour.
Well done Maggie

 

I've heard the same. I've known a few people to be pregnant and said that dogs have acted differently around them. Protective, but very gentle is what i've heard. Some have even been looking at their belly and doing that cute tilting head thing that they do when they're confused about something.. I'm sure they must know something's going on.