Sings of a Dog Sensing You’re Going Into Labor
With so many stories all over the web about dogs sensing their humans were going into labor before they even knew it, there are a few common signs that suggest a dogs intuition about detecting labor is very real. Many dogs are very clingy when their human mom is pregnant. They may follow them around a lot, sleep with them, and always want to be by their side.
However, when you are near the end of your pregnancy, and your due date is fast approaching, many doggy moms claim their dog became even clingier and more present throughout the day. Your dog may seem extra needy, they may follow you to the bathroom, outside, into the kitchen, or even just across the room if you need to throw something in the trash. Your dog is probably doing this to make sure you are okay at all time because they know what is coming next.
Additionally, many dogs will even go a step further and rub and heads and snouts on your belly on the day or day before you go into labor. Its as if they are trying to alert you to prepare yourself. Or, perhaps they are trying to get a closer listen to what is happening inside of your belly!
These are some signs you may notice if your dog senses youre going into labor:
Here are some other signs you might notice if your dog senses youre going into labor:
Dogs have always had to rely on their incredible noses to help them navigate through the world. In fact, sense of smell is one of the oldest senses to exist. Dogs noses and sense of smell were particularly critical many thousands of years ago where dogs and their wolf ancestors lived in the wild.
Wolves would rely on their sense of smell for just about everything. They would use their nose for hunting and figuring out where their prey was and where they were going. Wolves would also use their sense of smell to pinpoint where their pack was and who was part of their pack as well.
Dogs and wolves also use their sense of smell to determine when foods are safe or unsafe to eat. Although they do not have to worry about this as much today, it is still a useful trait.
Regarding a dog using their nose to sense labor, we can assume they have had this ability for many thousands of years. Dogs are very in-tune with their human owners and can sense emotions, sickness, and much more. Many dog moms have stories about their dogs rubbing their faces on their bellies all day long until they eventually began to have their first contractions.
Jeff Werber, Ph.D., the president and chief veterinarian of the Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, claims that it is possible dogs can sense you are going into labor before you even know. He states that dogs have 200 million sniffing receptors in their noses, which allows them to pick up on even the tiniest changes in scent. These powerful noses will enable them to detect when you are getting sick. These furry friends can even tell when someone is about to have a seizure. It is not too far of a stretch to believe dogs can sense impending labor in female humans as well.
Scientists and animal behaviorist claim that dogs sense oncoming labor due to a combination of scent and feeling the changes in human behavior. Although not every dog will show these signs and not everytime they act oddly means you are going into labor soon, be aware that it is a possibility.
Your Dog Starts Acting Super Clingy
If your dog suddenly becomes your shadow — more than usual — you might be going into labor very soon.
“The night before my induction my dog was acting super clingy and protective. He would not leave my side for anything and whined if I went somewhere he couldnt go,” said Gingermom15 in a forum on The Bump. “I woke up at 1:30 that morning with irregular but strong contractions. I certainly think animals can sense these things,” she said. Askeland says this isnt out of the realm of possibility. Because your pup has probably noticed you acting a little strange, they can “become glued to their owner’s side, maintain contact with their owner (like resting their head on them or following them closely), or try to provide comfort,” she says.
As your due date approaches, be on the lookout for your dog getting extra sniffy, especially in the crotch region! “According to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES), a dogs sense of smell is about 1,000 times keener than that of their two-legged companions — and many dog experts claim its millions of times better,” according to Animal Planet. And this entry from BibleMommy in a Baby Center community forum really confirms it:
“My cousin has two dogs, which never paid me much attention, and one night when I was by her house the dogs kept walking circles around me and smelling my crouch (sic). I was 38 weeks and just left the dr office, which she said I was not having this baby anytime soon so I thought they were just acting weird. Went home and about an hour later my water broke and I went into labor.”
Sure your vagina does change in scent when youre pregnant, but this instance seems like it was something more than just an unfamiliar smell that perked these pups interests. “Dogs can smell changes in the body when their owner goes into labor — these smells come from hormones associated with the pregnancy and labor process such as oxytocin, estrogen, and progesterone,” Askeland says. “They may even be able to smell placenta.”
Can my dog smell my baby in my stomach?
When someone is pregnant, their body chemistry changes and that causes changes in odor. No matter how small of a change has taken place, your dog can smell it. Your dog has ultrasound-level hearing, too, so it’s likely they can hear crying in the womb, which can happen as soon as the 28th week of pregnancy.