Forum Nice chat

Pregnant and pet (dog)

9 replies

Kim1989
Hi everyone!

I was wondering if there are any ladies here who are pregnant (or already have a child) and have a dog (or other pet) that has started behaving differently since the pregnancy (especially towards the end).

I've been living with my partner for over 2 years now and I'm currently almost 39 weeks pregnant with our first baby. When I first met my partner, he had a dog that moved in with us. It's a 5-year-old female Jack Russell.

My partner has a very good bond with her. She's actually a very well-behaved and calm animal (not a typical Jack). She also gets along quite well with me, and we're pretty good friends.

Since I've been pregnant, I've felt like she hangs on me a bit more, though not excessively. However, it's gotten quite a bit worse in recent weeks. It's even to the point that when I go to sleep, she spontaneously crawls into her crate (which is in the kitchen) and doesn't stay on the couch with my partner anymore. When we come home, she always comes straight to me and only greets my partner afterwards.

I can see from my partner's reactions that he doesn't find this pleasant. I'm trying to hand everything over to him and give her as little attention as possible. So I let him feed her, give her treats, and sometimes push her away from me, but nothing seems to help.

Are there any ladies here who have experienced this? Did it go away once you were no longer pregnant, or did it stay like that? Somewhere I don't mind her love and attention, but I feel bad for my partner because he does care...

Replies

  1. madelene #2

    Hi Kim, congratulations on your pregnancy!
    I don’t really have experience with this—I have two little girls, but we don’t have a dog.
    I do think pets, especially dogs and cats, can really sense that changes are coming.
    Now that you’re pregnant, she probably feels it too, which is why she’s clinging to you more.
    It might sound strange, but dogs really do pick up on these things.
    Well, I can imagine it’s a bit uncomfortable for your partner. Try to see it as something the dog is sensing—you and he can’t really do anything about it. I think it’ll pass on its own.
    Once the baby arrives and you’re spending a lot of time with the baby, he’ll probably start gravitating back toward your partner again.
    That’s just my opinion, how I see it.
    Wishing you all the best with your little one!
    Best wishes, Madelene

  2. Mom #3

    Funny how they sense that, right?
    During our first pregnancy, my in-laws' dog also kept coming to lie by me or on my feet, while normally he preferred to rest quietly in his bed. So I'm sure they do sense the change, especially in your situation where it's your own dog and you see it every day. By the way, after the birth it was back to normal here. Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy

  3. Muus86 #4

    Hi Kim, wow, 39 weeks already!
    This time around, we already noticed the dog was reacting differently during pregnancy. He keeps looking at me everywhere and really likes to sit in front of the toilet door when I go. He’s always been very affectionate with me, but now he feels like absolutely no one else is allowed to get close to me. It was like this during my previous pregnancy too. When I had a miscarriage, his behavior changed back after 2 weeks. I really think they notice the hormones. Maybe they can smell them? It’s quite mysterious, but really special.

    Good luck with the final stretch!

  4. Kim1989 started this #5

    Glad to hear you've had similar experiences, thanks ladies! Wishing you all the best with your pregnancies too!

    Love, Kim

  5. Amy #6

    First off, good luck with the final stretch! I totally recognize that behavior from my own dog. She also became more affectionate towards me than towards my partner when I was pregnant. She really wanted to lie on my belly, which also led to interaction with the little one. My dog sensed the baby earlier than my partner did.

    From the moment I gave birth, it was over with that..... She then became the big protector of my son, and still is. During the postpartum week, she kept a close eye on the midwife and postpartum care worker, and if we didn't respond quickly enough to her howling, according to her, she would come fetch us.

    Now, even when she thinks we're not paying attention, she makes sure to watch him.

    Maybe your dog does this too, so you can take that into account in advance.

    (Maybe it's the breed, I also have a female Jack Russell and one that's not typical for the breed, calm.)

  6. Kim1989 started this #7

    Thanks for your reply, Amy! It really puts my mind at ease regarding the introduction between our little one and the woef!

    I often think about how she'll react once he's born. She's a really sweet dog and wouldn't hurt a fly. I don't have any fear that she'll do anything harmful, but I am very curious to see how she'll react!

    Here too, the dog sensed the baby before my partner did, which is pretty funny!

  7. Bunny Guest #8

    Most dogs are very protective of little ones. My parents' dog also always lies right next to my brother's baby and thinks everything is fine, even if it gets a bit rough. Of course, you do need to protect the dog from that so he keeps liking kids. And the previous dog also always lay in front of the neighbors' crib when they had twins. It's kind of instinctive behavior.

  8. amy #9

    And kim1989. How are you and your little one and the dog doing? I see a baby as your profile picture, so I assume you've given birth by now.

  9. Kim1989 started this #10

    Hi!

    Everything is going great with the dog! She's super enthusiastic and sweet with our little one! As soon as he makes a sound, like in his playpen, she quickly goes to check it out. She's really so sweet with him! I'm so happy about that!

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