Can Dogs Sense Human Pregnancy?
Over millennia, the dog has been selectively bred for different behaviours, sensory abilities, and physical characteristics. Dog breeds can vary in size, colour, and shape. Dogs can perform many functions for humans, including hunting, herding and pulling loads. They also assist police and military personnel with therapy and companionship. The human-canine bond is a subject of constant study. Over the centuries, dogs have become uniquely adapted to human behaviour. Their influence on society has earned them the nickname “man’s best friend“.
The earliest remains generally accepted as those of a domesticated dog were discovered in Bonn-Oberkassel, Germany. Contextual, isotopic, genetic, and morphological evidence shows that this dog was not a local wolf. The dog has dated 14,223 years ago and was found buried with a man and a woman. All three had been sprayed with red hematite powder and buried under large, thick basalt blocks. The dog had died of canine distemper. Earlier remains dating back to 30,000 years ago have been described as Paleolithic dogs. Still, their status as dogs or wolves remains debated because considerable morphological diversity existed among wolves during the Late Pleistocene.
The dog is a classic example of a domestic animal that likely travelled a commensal pathway into domestication. The questions of when and where dogs were first domesticated have taxed geneticists and archaeologists for decades.
You’re not the only one who has this feeling that your dog is reading your thoughts. Humans and dogs have been bonded for thousands of years. Although dogs can’t read minds, they can detect changes in their environment and even sense when their owner is pregnant.
How do dogs know if their owner is pregnant?
What happens if a dog’s owner is pregnant? What can a dog detect about her health?
These are some factors that dogs may sense when their owners are pregnant.
Change in the Scent
Dogs can sense subtle changes in smell and distinguish between 30,000 to 100,000 aromas. The mother’s body chemistry, hormones and other factors can change during pregnancy. This can cause the dog’s unique scent (an odour she knows well). It doesn’t end at sniffing out pregnancy. There is evidence that dogs can detect if a person is nearing a seizure or is diagnosed with cancer.
Modifications in body shape and body language
To notice the changes in how a woman looks or moves during pregnancy, you don’t need to be as sharp as your dog. Dogs can spot when an owner has trouble standing or when her gait changes from long, straight strides to short, tilted ones. An attentive dog might notice if its owner shows signs of pregnancy earlier than a human.
Changes in mood and behaviour
You’ll likely have realized that your dog can sense your moods as a dog owner. Your dog can sense when you are feeling down and will cheer you up. They also know when you are happy and join you in celebrating when you feel overwhelmed. When it comes to moods, you cannot fool your dog — one of the many reasons.
