Does My Dog Know I'm Pregnant?

Dog lovers know that canines are highly attuned to the people and animals around them.

But can dogs be so sensitive that they pick up on when their human is pregnant?

"Dogs are far more sensitive to changes in their people than we are to changes in our dogs," K.C. Theisen, director of pet care issues for the Humane Society of the United States, told The Dodo.

Many dog lovers believe their pets definitely notice the change when a family is expecting a baby.

One YouTube user filmed his two dogs, Munster and Dunder, acting differently around his pregnant wife as proof. "Since my wife has become pregnant," he wrote, "Munster and Dunder have started to act a little different. Munster always wants to lay with his head against my wife's belly. And Dunder no longer jumps on her when she gets home."

"Dogs can hear our heartbeats and smell changes in our hormone and pheromone secretions," Theisen said. "So imagine what a change they might perceive when they discover two heartbeats coming from their guardian!"

It's likely our dogs know that "mom" has changed, Thiesen added, but what remains a mystery is whether dogs understand that these changes signal the arrival of a bundle of joy.

Once the new baby arrives, well, that's a whole other kind of sweet.