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Back to Top You’ve read the stories or heard them from your friends, and maybe you’ve even experienced it yourself: a dog that senses its owner is pregnant even before she knows herself. But is it really possible that dogs can sense you’re expecting? Here’s what the research can — and can’t — tell us about your dog’s perception of your pregnancy. Can dogs sense pregnancy in humans?Anecdotally, at least, dogs have been known to start following around a newly pregnant owner or suddenly becoming overprotective. Although there is no study (yet) showing that dogs can sense pregnancy in humans, it’s really not that much of a stretch to assume that they might be able to sense when an owner has a baby on board. If you do notice changes in your dog’s behavior during pregnancy, it may be linked to shifts in your hormones along with changes in your behavior — both of which research shows dogs can sense. Changes in your pregnancy hormonesReceptors in a dog’s nose can pick up on hormones. And research suggests that the hormones emitted by your body can lead to a change in body odor that’s detectable even by other humans. Therefore, it stands to reason dogs might also pick up on the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy — in essence, smell that you’re pregnant. During pregnancy, your body is filled with a new cocktail of hormones. The human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels in your blood, for one, skyrocket from somewhere around 50 mIU/L max in week 3 of pregnancy to up to 426 mIU/L by week 4 and 288,000 in the last weeks of the first trimester. Estrogen, progesterone and prolactin levels also all rise during pregnancy. Meanwhile, dogs’ sense of smell is notoriously sensitive: Scientists say they can smell as much as 100,000 times better than we humans can, allowing them to pick up on a wide range of chemical compounds. And, like us, dogs have not one but two senses of smell. One picks up on important survival stuff, such as food odors. The other (known as Jacobson's organ or vomeronasal organ) picks up on what’s known as pheromones. These chemical compounds transmit signals to other dogs, helping them to detect, for example, a dog’s readiness to mate and even potentially another dog’s health. Using that incredible sense of smell, dogs have been shown to sniff out health conditions in people with incredible accuracy. Research suggests that dogs can sense cancer, including prostate, colorectal, ovarian and lung cancers, as well as infectious diseases including COVID-19 and malaria— sometimes by merely sniffing a person’s breath — with nearly 100 percent accuracy. Dogs have even been shown to detect low or high blood sugar levels in people with diabetes or body odors that occur before a seizure, and they can be trained to alert owners by whining or licking their hands. Given these abilities, detecting changes in a person’s pregnancy hormones doesn’t seem too far-fetched. Changes in your behaviorDogs are very attentive and socially responsive, especially with their owners. They notice slight changes in an owner’s behavior, which is why some are trained to be registered emotional support companions for people with PTSD, anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders. During pregnancy, your behavior or routine may change in ways that your dog notices. For example, your dog might notice that you’re more tired than usual, that you have major nausea, that you’re in nesting mode — or even simply that your baby bump is growing. Will your dog’s behavior change during your pregnancy?Even if your dog may be able to sense that you’re pregnant, it doesn’t necessarily mean his behavior will change. While some dogs might become more protective and clingy, yours might seem more fearful around you or simply indifferent. Can dogs sense if you’re going into labor?Major hormonal changes to levels of oxytocin, endorphins, prolactin and adrenaline all play an important role in triggering and sustaining labor and delivery — from instigating contractions that dilate and efface the cervix to preparing the body to breastfeed. Given that dogs can smell hormones, they may also be able to sense hormonal shifts that occur as you’re going into labor. There’s no hard science that proves your dog knows you’re pregnant or about to go into labor. But if it seems like your dog is acting unusual during your pregnancy, you could be right in assuming that he is really is sensitive to the changes going on in your body. Either way, it’s always a good idea to start preparing your dog to welcome a new baby even before your little one’s arrival.
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Dogs can notice changes in body language, behavior, and environment. They can also use their nose to help find a missing person, detect contraband, and even alert humans to epileptic seizures before they happen.
There is some data that glucemia-alert dogs can sense low blood glucose levels in their owners. This can be helpful for people who have diabetes, especially Type 1. This is possible due to the structural and physiological features of dogs’ brains. Their brains are adapted to be particularly good at recognizing smells. That’s why even minor changes in a person’s chemical structure can be noticed by the dog’s nose. But can dogs sense pregnancy in people too? How early can a dog detect pregnancy?Some people say that their dog started acting differently around them even before they knew they were pregnant. Some people who are trying to conceive may watch their dog’s behavior to see if they respond in different or unusual ways. It’s possible that a dog might notice something is different even if their owner is only a few weeks pregnant. It’s also possible a dog might not notice someone is pregnant until their belly starts showing or their routine changes. A dog noticing that someone is pregnant can be a fun story, but a pregnancy test is a more reliable way to determine if conception has occurred. How can dogs sense pregnancy before you know?So, what might give dogs the ability to detect pregnancy before the pregnant person knows themselves? The answer may lie in their physiology or their temperament. A dog’s sense of smell is substantially better than a human’s. In fact, dogs can differentiate between anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 different scents and have 60 times more scent receptors than humans. But can dogs sense pregnancy in humans? Although there haven’t been any scientific studies that have examined specifically whether dogs can pick up the scent of a pregnant person, anecdotal evidence suggests that it may be possible. The hormonal changes during pregnancy may cause subtle changes to the person’s scent that are detectable only to their canine companion. It’s likely that the dog senses some change in the owner's smell, but cannot identify such a specific reason as pregnancy.
Hormones change during pregnancy, and this could affect the owner’s familiar smell that their dog knows and loves. While it may not be accurate to say that dogs smell pregnancy, they may be able to smell these hormonal changes. Hormones can influence not only the smell of a person’s body, but also the state of their health, appearance, and behavior. One of the first pregnancy hormones that the body produces is human chorionic gonadotropin, which occurs during the second week after fertilization. This is the same hormone that urine or blood sample pregnancy tests detect. This hormone is responsible for the nausea and vomiting that often comes during pregnancy. Other pregnancy hormones that may influence scent, physical changes, and behavior include:
Although the pregnant person might not notice a difference in how they smell, these hormones will probably start to change how they feel. Hormonal changes correspond to physical changes in the body, such as:
How else might dogs sense pregnancy? Dogs are very observant creatures and can pick up on different body language cues, moods, and emotions. Any new change in behavior can make a dog suspect something unusual. A dog might notice if their owner is feeling worried, or they might respond differently to fatigue or alertness. Dogs are also highly sensitive to their environment, especially if what is familiar to them starts to change. If walks have become shorter or their daily routine has changed, they are likely to pick up on it. If they notice that a room is being redecorated or new furniture and toys are arriving, they may figure out that something is happening. Will a dog’s behavior change?Many pregnant people say that their dog became more affectionate, cuddly, alert, and protective toward them when they became pregnant. A dog’s behavior might also change based on their owner’s pregnancy symptoms or mood. For example, if someone is experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions, their dog might respond to the change in behavior if they appear uncomfortable or concerned. If real pregnancy contractions start and their owners are preparing for labor and delivery, the dog may react to what’s going on around them. Below are some common behaviors that dogs exhibit when their owner is pregnant:
A dog’s behavior depends on their personality, and some dogs may react more strongly to pregnancy than others. But over time, most dogs will get used to the changed state of the owner. Being pregnant and having a baby can be emotional for the whole household, including dogs. Knowing how sensitive dogs are, many parents-to-be wish to help them adjust to changing family dynamics. Continuing to give them lots of love, attention, and affection and being patient with them if they start to act out can help them adapt. Asking friends, family, or even a dog trainer for support may also be a good option for people whose pregnancy symptoms impact their ability to care for their dog. Tracking symptoms like stress in the Flo app can help monitor how pregnancy may affect relationships, including those with a pet.
Updated on March 12, 2021
Nicola J. Rooney, Claire M. Guest, Lydia C. M. Swanson, Steve V. Morant. “How effective are trained dogs at alerting their owners to changes in blood glycaemic levels?: Variations in performance of glycaemia alert dogs” NCBI, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Accessed Jan 15,2019, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6333402/ Alexandra Anastasio “Can Dogs Sense Pregnancy?” American Kennel Club, Accessed Aug 02, 2018, https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/can-dogs-sense-pregnancy/ “Human Chorionic Gonadotropin” Embryology, UNSW Embryology, Accessed Jan 9, 2021, https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Human_Chorionic_Gonadotropin “1st trimester pregnancy: What to expect.” Mayo Clinic, MFMER, Accessed Feb. 26, 2020, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy/art-20047208 “Can Dogs Sense Human Pregnancy?” Pedigree, Mars and Affiliates, Accessed 2021, https://www.pedigree.com/dog-care/dog-facts/can-dogs-sense-human-pregnancy |
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