Does A Male Dog Know When The Female Dog Is Pregnant?

Dogs are super intelligent creatures that also happen to be extra observant.

If you are a dog owner, you must have noticed that a dog can even detect your mood swings on numerous occasions.

Dogs’ senses are pretty sharp in humans or other animals.

Because dogs are excellent at reading body language and behavior, they can also detect if their female owner is pregnant.

A female dog also undergoes similar body changes as any other mammal.

A male dog can also detect when a female dog is pregnant.

Dogs Are Highly Gifted Animals

Of all domestic animal species, dogs have the sharpest sense of smell. 

For the simple reason that they have far more olfactory cells than we do, making them better equipped.

Dogs have 60 times as many smell receptors and 40 times as much brainpower is dedicated to smell.

In comparison to our 5 million scent receptors, the average dog has 220 million.

The typical dog’s nose contains enough smell receptors to cover its body 1 1/2 times.

It makes them susceptible animals.

They are also highly observant of their owners’ emotional and physical states.

That is a reason why many dogs are trained as support animals.

Additionally, dogs are currently used in drug detection and disaster search and rescue, as most people are aware.

Any dog with a good nose and a strong desire can perform scent work with the right training, with the exception of some toy breeds.

German shepherds, retrievers, Brittanies, pointers, border collies, Australian shepherds, Jack Russell terriers, and beagles are the breeds that are currently used in this endeavor with the greatest degree of success.

Moreover, research proves that dogs can sense cancer and other infectious diseases by just sniffing a person’s breath.

Dogs can detect whether the blood sugar levels are high or low in people with diabetes.

People who suffer from seizures develop certain body odors before a seizure.

Dogs are trained to alert their owners by whining or licking their hands.

Dogs And Pregnancy

A dog can also notice if the female owner is pregnant due to the changes in her mood and routine.

Often, a dog will know the female owner is pregnant even before she is aware of herself.

Dogs can always tell if you are more tired than usual or have extensive nausea.

Ultimately, with the baby bump showing, your dog is sure to find out that a human is growing inside you.

With pregnancy in female owners, a dog’s attitude will also change to become over-protective.

Signs Male Dogs Can Pick Up On When The Female Dog Is Pregnant

Dogs have two senses of smell. One sense of smell detects food odors, while the other detects pheromones.

These are the chemical compounds that transmit signals to other dogs.

This sense of smell helps dogs detect the health of another dog health and know when a female dog is ready to mate.

The changing hormones in female dogs can alter the body scent during pregnancy.

Male dogs have the ability to detect pregnancy symptoms in female dogs.

They have the ability to detect changes in a pregnant woman’s behavior, mannerisms, and hormone levels.

Dogs can pick up on this changed body scent through their sharp sense of smell.

They are also quick to observe any change in the female dog’s mannerisms.

It can happen before the female dog’s body even begins to show obvious physical signs.

Not only that, but a dog can also smell out whether a female dog is having a ‘false pregnancy.’

A female dog, once pregnant, also goes through many physical and physiological changes.

A female dog can suffer from morning sickness and gets tired and lethargic.

During the earlier stages, female dogs can lose their appetite and gain weight.

There is also a change in the mood of female dogs.

Pregnant dogs can become more affectionate or moody and act grumpier than usual.

If there is a male dog around, it will sense the many physical changes a female dog goes through.

It is not just the sense of smell that gives dogs an advantage, but also the sense of hearing.

Dogs can hear the fetal heartbeat because of their sharp hearing senses.

Because he can’t mate with her, a male dog may display nervous behavior around her.

The Silent Communication Between Male And Female Dogs

Male and female dogs reproduce through a complex process where they first emit signals to let each other know.

Female dogs, on the other hand, can be extremely cranky during pregnancy, so these signals may be one-sided.

The female dogs, however, do not share the same feelings because of their condition, despite the male dogs’ attraction to them.

Due to the expectation that female dogs will become anxious, male dogs’ behavior may also change.

Some male dogs are even more attracted to female dogs during whelping.

However, because he can’t mate with her, sometimes a male dog may display nervous behavior around her.

This situation does not help either, as male and female dogs can experience anxiety.

It is another indication that male dogs can tell if a female dog expects her puppies.

Not All Dogs Are Experts

For dogs, the ability to find out about female dogs’ pregnancies can vary.

For example, young and inexperienced male dogs can miss these signs.

These male dogs may not know the difference between a female dog in estrus and one who is expecting.

Nonetheless, the male dog quickly learns why the female dog is in no mood to reciprocate this attraction in such cases.

Keeping Away Male Dogs From Pregnant Female Dogs

If your female dog is pregnant, you need to provide her with a safe and comfortable environment.

Doing so also includes keeping any male dogs away from the pregnant female.

In the final weeks of the pregnancy, the female dogs undergo specific hormonal changes.

Not only that, but 48 hours before giving birth, the female dogs will begin to have milk.

These changes are undetectable to humans, but male dogs can easily detect them as they have sensitive noses. Dogs are also able to detect labor.

Male dogs will be more attracted to female dogs than ever before.

While the male dogs’ urge to smell the female dog may seem innocent, the latter will not welcome it.

There is a chance of scuffling between male and female dogs as pregnancy can cause crankiness in female dogs.

While some dogs may continue to behave generally once a female dog gets pregnant, male dogs’ behavior changes most of the time.

Male dogs can get anxious around pregnant dogs, and it can further create anxiety in female dogs as well.

Anxiety and stress is the last thing your pregnant dog needs in this condition.

In any case, you must watch the dogs to determine whether or not they can be together by observing their behavior.

Keeping the male dogs away would be best if you noticed any sign of stress in your female dog.

Ensure that the male dog does not disturb the female dog’s safe space.

Isolating the female dog also prevents the likelihood of any disease transmission that can be fatal to the puppies.

Key Takeaway

The ability of male dogs to detect pregnancy in female dogs, let alone humans, is a fascinating phenomenon.

Yet many scientists believe that the dynamics of an ancient wolf pack are traceable back to this incident.

It is always hard to predict how a male dog will react toward a pregnant female dog.

Nevertheless, it is essential to observe your dogs and note how they behave around each other.

If your pregnant female dog shows signs of anxiety or discomfort, keep your male dogs away to avoid complications.

After all, the health of your female dog should be your top priority.

Mike

A passionate content creator on pet behavior, nutrition choices, and health, Mike is an experienced pet expert. He has been writing on multiple websites to compensate for his passion for cats. Mike grieves around plenty of pets in his parents’ house. At the start of his career, he had a sturdy intention to be a part of pet care by any means.

With his affiliation to Purrfect n’ Pawesome, he found a way to satiate his craving to participate in pet health, wellness, and behavior analysis. He has been a significant part of our team and a major contributor in equipping our site with useful, authentic, and research-backed articles.

“I love pets as much as I love to travel to explore multiple places and lifestyles. I have been attached to this pawsome platform for many years, and my experience regarding pets has enhanced significantly by using various devices to write articles. I believe in writing my thoughts and experiences, so I try to write down the experience and learnings for my readers no matter where I am and what my mood is.”