Dog Community

Can Dogs sense pregnancy?

Posted : 12/30/2006 3:52:38 PM

Hi- I did a little research about this on some pregnancy sites, and the consensus is "Yes." My husband and I are frustrated because our 8 month old female Chocolate lab pup seems really agitated by me (and him too, but to a much lesser extent) lately. We don't know if it's related to my pregnancy (3 months.) or what?? She has been barking at me (us) A LOT lately, acting frustrated, "talking" to us more. Women on other websites related that their dogs acted more clingy, and protective. Not this one! She's not like this ALL the time, but there has been a change. She gets her exercise daily- maybe her energy level has spiked more than ours?? We don't know how to curb the barking or what she needs or what she's trying to tell us?? Any help is appreciated.

Xerxes

Posted : 12/30/2006 4:41:10 PM

The short answer is yes. During pregnancy a woman emits different pheremones, and her body chemistry is changed sufficiently to alter her particular and unique scent. Dogs pick up on the subtle nuances of any smell, and therefore can "sense" that something is different.

espencer

Posted : 12/30/2006 8:12:26 PM

Some dogs can even smell cancer and tumors

calliecritturs

Posted : 12/30/2006 11:57:27 PM

My Foxy the Mostlie Sheltie could smell cancer (twice - on two different dogs, and then once he actually 'told' my vet that one of the dogs in the waiting room had cancer -- the vet picked right up on it because she knew Foxy had found Muffin the Intrepid's cancer and had gotten me to 'look' at it.)

Male and female dogs tend to respond differently to pregnancy but YES, they 'smell' the difference. We often forget how incredibly complicated the Jacobsen's Organ that dogs have is -- they 'smell' things we don't even know are things TO be smelled. Think about the fact that a male can 'scent' a bitch in heat up to FOUR MILES AWAY.

So yeah, definitely they scent the difference -- it's just one more of those things dogs 'know' so much more easily than we do.

The interesting study in your case is WHY the dog is reacting that way. Is the dog being over-protective or dominant? I'd probably have my husband feed him for a while (hand feeding) and I'd do NILIF for sure -- you don't want that problem to escalate as you come closer to your due date and you want to set the dog up to see the baby as "yours" and also as higher in pack order than the dog.