Dog’s Protective Reaction To Pregnant Owners Baby’s Kicks

Quick Smiles:

• A video of a husky’s protective behavior towards her owner’s pregnant belly has taken the internet by storm, amassing over 12.1 million views on TikTok.
• Research suggests that dogs may be able to sense pregnancy due to their heightened sense of smell and their ability to pick up on subtle changes in behavior and mood.
• TikTok users have been charmed by the husky’s protective behavior, with many predicting that the dog will be a wonderful big sister to the unborn child.

A delightful video has been making waves on the internet, specifically on the popular platform TikTok.

The video, posted by @milperthuskyofficial, showcases a husky’s seemingly protective behavior over her owner’s pregnant belly. Since its posting on January 29, the video has garnered an impressive 12.1 million views.

https://www.tiktok.com/@milperthuskyofficial/video/7329566069167901984?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

The video is overlaid with a message stating, “Unborn baby kicks my husky in the head!” and is accompanied by a caption that reads, “Her reaction is priceless.”

The footage captures the husky resting her head on the pregnant woman’s belly, swatting away a hand that attempts to touch the belly, and continuing to shield the belly with her head.

A voice in the clip comments, “She’s so protective,” as the husky continues to lay her head over the woman’s belly. Eventually, the dog allows the hand to caress the belly. The husky appears wide-eyed as there seems to be some movement within the woman’s belly before the clip concludes.

This adorable interaction raises the question: Can dogs truly sense pregnancy? While it’s challenging to confirm, research has shown that a dog’s heightened sense of smell may allow them to detect a woman’s change in hormone levels during pregnancy. Dogs have been known to sniff out various conditions from cancer and seizures to stress.

Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, a staff veterinarian at New York City’s Animal Medical Center, explains that canines have 60 times as many smell receptors as humans and 40 times as much brain power devoted to smell.

In a June 2021 article for the American Kennel Club (AKC), she noted that this enables dogs to differentiate between 30,000 to 100,000 scents.

Russ Hartstein, a certified behaviorist and dog trainer in Los Angeles, told the AKC, “Dogs are highly sensitive and intimate in studying behavior and subtle movements.”

This implies that dogs may notice something different about a pregnant woman on a physical and behavioral level and respond accordingly.

Veterinarian Dr. Rachel Barrack, the owner of Animal Acupuncture in New York City, told the AKC that dogs are intelligent enough to also pick up on changes “in an emotional way, such as your feelings and your mood,” during pregnancy.

She noted that many expectant mothers have reported their dogs becoming more affectionate and/or protective, likely due to changes in scent, hormones, and mood.

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