Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

Did your dog know...

95 replies

Katuk82 · 14/04/2012 16:10

My usually very independant dog has taken to following me around over the last two days, if i'm doing something she'll sit with me leaning against me, and keeps trying to get on my lap (she's no lap dog, but a very fluffy GSD!)

I'm 11 weeks.

Do you think she knows? What you your experiences with pets?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

My1stLittleMan · 16/04/2012 22:58

my partners dog knew before i did, she would sit on my lap and lay her head on my belly.. If me and my partner started to play fight she would stand infront of me and sometimes even growl & attempt to bite my partner.. i thought it was very strange as shes always been over protective of my partner and gone for anyone who tried to move to fast around him.. although i decided she was being moody as she herself was pregnant with 10 beautiful puppies at the time.. But tested 2 weeks later and realised why she was so protective over me :D now 35 Weeks and she's still all over me.. And the one of her pups we kept.. Love them both too pieces :D

Spiritedwolf · 17/04/2012 10:11

My dog has been a lot more sookie with me, cuddling up with me on the sofa etc. I'm wondering if I'm giving off some kind of pregnancy/lactation smell and its making him remember his puppy days.

I don't know if he understands what it means though, he doesn't seem particuarly interested in my belly even when baby is moving. I am enjoying him being a bit more settled though, he's a rather energetic dog.

gwenniebee · 17/04/2012 10:22

I'm sure my dog (family dog, still lives with parents) knew. We went to stay with them literally a few hours after we found out. We didn't tell anyone, but the dog (labrador) was making such a ridiculous fuss of me I couldn't help but think she knew. My DH noticed it too! (The dog being daft, not the pregnancy....)

AdiVic · 17/04/2012 10:31

Hello - my usually aloof airedale has been protective for my 3 pregnancies. I get followed to the loo, and like Moodycat, he will put himself between me and my DH. He is no different when we go for walks - too many exciting distractions I guess. When I am feeling weepy, even if I make no noise he will come bounding up and has even come upstairs and sat by the side of the bed (he never goes upstairs). I still rode my horse for the first couple of months and although folk say "Ah, they just know don't they" - I don't think they do. But now he wraps his head and neck up over and around my shoulder and will breath deeply on my stomach. They say some breeds of dog can detect/smell cancerous tumours, so it makes sense they can detect a baby.

GinPalace · 17/04/2012 10:45

My collie came to live with us as a rehome doggy just before I became pregnant with my first baby, so his first 9ish months settling in with us was with me pregnant.
I am currently pregnant with my second and though he is normally quite aloof - friendly and playful but not cuddly - he keeps coming and leaning on me and wanting to be close.
I wonder whether I smell the same as I did with a time he associated with finding a safe haven or whether he would do this if it wasn't connected to that, but either way there has been a behaviour change.

FamiliesShareGerms · 17/04/2012 12:03

One cat is completely stupid and had no idea. The other (my cat!) knew and would never stand or sit on my bump, even when I was in bed. He was v protective of my son when he was little, too.

Slightly spooky - they must share a gene with those ladies who just "know" you're pregnant before you do!

sherbetpips · 17/04/2012 12:08

Out cat definately knew. She doesnt like to be cuddled or to sit on your lap but loves to be stroked.
When I was pregnant she would jump up on the bed and sit on my belly, when the baby would kick it would set her off purring!

blackcurrants · 17/04/2012 12:55

Yep, my dog was absurdly protective of me, and that extended to DS when he was, erm, finally external. She moved from standing in front of me to standing in front of the pushchair! Now DS is running all over the place (and landing on her, lovingly) she keeps a bit more of a distance. But yes, she knew and it was a really amazing experience. Bless her! :)

MrsMigginslovespies · 17/04/2012 12:59

I'm convinced of this too! I had IVF in Nov, and from the DAY I had the embryos put back in, DTerrier (still only a puppy really then) was much more affectionate and cuddly. She loves to sleep next to me on the sofa, resting her head on the bump. It's very sweet actually! My sister had a similar experience with her dog too, so our smells must change quickly. Was still a nice surprise, however, to find a BFP on the stick two weeks later, backing up DTerrier's findings .

ScreamIfYouWantToGoFaster · 17/04/2012 13:04

My cats don't have a clue! The older cat still likes to spend her evenings precariously perched on my now non-existent lap (I'm 38+4), and even when the baby kicks her through my stomach she doesn't react at all.

RIZZ0 · 17/04/2012 13:07

I'm convinced my dog knew. A few days before I found out I was pregnant he started following me around a lot, once coming in from the garden, then sitting looking at me whimpering and then wet himself.

Then at the end of my pregnancy when I was overdue I came home one evening and he'd urinated on my pillow!

Backinthebox · 17/04/2012 13:20

My horse knew. It still makes me sad that the horse that looked after me so well through 2 pregnancies had to leave because he couldn't cope with not being ridden as much once I had 2 kids.

bilblio · 17/04/2012 13:29

We've had our cats for 12 years. The only time either of them has come to sit on my knee/belly has been the 2 periods when I've been pregnant then they both did it almost constantly.
It was great fun as I got bigger and the bump kicked them. After a few kicks they'd walk of with a look of disgust on their faces.

whomovedmychocolate · 17/04/2012 13:50

I know when people are pregnant because they do smell funny. I also know when they've got their periods. I don't think I'm a schnauzer but you never know

GinPalace · 17/04/2012 13:53

Whomoved you can smell if someone is pregnant!!!! really!!! Wow. My DH thinks my nose is good cos I can smell sunshine, but that's another level.

What is 'funny' can you describe more precisely?

SarryB · 17/04/2012 14:39

I can smell when it's about to rain ginpalace. We'd make an awesome weather reporting team.

LemonTurd · 17/04/2012 14:41

whomoved What's the smell?

Never been pregnant, but on my period now

BadDayAtTheOrifice · 17/04/2012 14:56

I was about 7 weeks pregnant and had told no-one (later miscarried) when I went round to a friend of my DP's house. I'd never been there before and I'd been siting down for about 1 min when his cat came straight over to me and sat on my knee. DP's friend said straight away "Are you pregnant or something? That cat never likes anyone".
I was a bit taken aback as I didn't want it as common knowlege yet and was a bit about it. But the cat knew.

bumperella · 17/04/2012 15:29

I keep bees and when PG every blessed drone (male bee) in the hive would come and chillax on with me whenever I went near. Was really strange - they continued to behave completely normally with anyone else.

LadyClariceCannockMonty · 17/04/2012 15:33

Slightly off-topic but I remember reading about a dog that started persistently licking its owner's leg, the same spot every time. She eventually went to the doctor to get her leg checked out (think there was a mole there) and it was skin cancer, but because they acted promptly she recovered.

TwllBach · 17/04/2012 16:15

I think it must be a smell thing. I can smell when it is going to rain too SarryB and I can smell when DP is going to be poorly. I can also smell when my dog is scared/distressed, and that's with a human nose. With an animal nose that surely has to be more sensitive, all the different hormones and things flying around when someone is pregnant must make them smell like they need protecting, maybe?

SmellsLikeTeenStrop · 17/04/2012 16:24

In the first few weeks of this pregnancy, my dog would sit right in front of me whenever I sat down, or stopped moving. Like she was guarding me almost. I'm pretty sure it was pregnancy related because she never does this normally and she doesn't do it with anyone else.

CupOfBrownJoy · 17/04/2012 16:33

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 17/04/2012 16:40

When I was pregnant with ds1, the cats wouldn't let me go to the bathroom on my own - they used to follow right on my heels, and sit on the edge of the bath, opposite the loo, watching me. It was as if they thought I needed supervising because of my pregnancy - and if I nipped upstairs without them noticing, they would come haring up after me as soon as they noticed - it was almost as if they had some sort of rota for who was supposed to be watching me!

It all stopped as soon as I had ds1, and they didn't do it when I was pregnant with the other dc - maybe having got through one pregnancy without a loo-related incident, or falling downstairs, they decided I could be trusted.

bumperella · 17/04/2012 16:58

SDTG, I'm now trying not to think about what a cat's idea of a pregnant lady having a toilet-related accident would be...

Flip

1 2 3 4