Dog behaving strangely

newter135 · March 2014

So I'm just about 37 weeks, I'm a FTM, and this week my labrador has been acting increasingly clingy. She cries when I go upstairs (she can't go up there), when I am around her she wants to lay with her head on or just below my belly (typically if she snuggles at all it's at my feet), I can count on one hand the number of times she had barked and suddenly she is barking anytime someone is at the door (never has bothered her before). She has just been so persistent and these are out of character behaviors for her. Am I looking too much into this or can she sense that baby will be here in a few weeks and is getting protective because of that?

MadBloom · March 2014

My lab has been a bit more of a cuddle bug. He usually sleeps at my feet but now he likes to be the little spoon haha. He's also been barking more at random sounds and whimpers like crazy and paces back and forth if he knows I'm leaving the house without him.

thejewelster · March 2014

My lab has been acting like a maniac (he's 9 going on 2) but still cuddly if that makes sense. Two hikes this weeks and it was seriously like dog gone wild! Not sure if it's pent up energy or getting it out while he can but he's driving me batty! If he keeps this behavior up after baby is born I have no idea how I will walk him with a stroller. Maybe he's making a case for off leash walking only! ;p

newter135 · March 2014

MadBloom said:
My lab has been a bit more of a cuddle bug. He usually sleeps at my feet but now he likes to be the little spoon haha. He's also been barking more at random sounds and whimpers like crazy and paces back and forth if he knows I'm leaving the house without him.

Yes this is exactly what my lab is doing. The spooning is hysterical but oddly very cozy so I'm not fighting it

campington · March 2014

My dogs be acting off for sometime. When DH is setting up baby items she hides and seems scared of the babies room. Also super needy and cuddly. I'm told it's perfectly normal for animals to be off before and after baby arrives.

Qualera · March 2014

Dogs are definitely weird. One of my friends asked me months ago if my dogs knew I was pregnant yet and I thought she was crazy. A few weeks later, one of my dogs that always sleeps at the foot of the bed came up next to me and cried until I moved some pillows so she could lay next to me and put her head on my belly. The other one isn't happy and will sit and cry unless he is laying on my lap whenever I am in the living room. And he follows me to the bathroom now. He was always completely my husband's dog before.

thomas930 · March 2014

I'll echo what jellysparkles said.

My dog wont leave my side, guards the front door against anyone walking by, cries when I take a shower and so much more. He has no idea that a baby is coming but he is very tuned to my moods and body language so thats what he reacts to.

His newest thing is to go to my phone every time it goes off...now if only I could teach him to bring it to me

ohhhmysushi · March 2014

Omg, ours too! My Maltese has been having accidents in the house on purpose.... like on the couch, plopped one right beside me in the the nursery, on the stairs etc. We had her for 5 yrs and she's never had an accident before. Also, my chihuahua has been barking in the middle of the night for no freaking reason. She's been doing this for 3 straight nights. I don't get it, but I'm getting really fed up with it. It's hard enough falling asleep as is then having to make trips to the bathroom, then repositioning to be comfy, not only to be woken up by the barking!

KatieGummow · March 2014

For sure she can sense the baby!

isamaraguirre · March 2014

My dogs don't want to be around me.

Probably the wobbling throws them off.

Katiecave · March 2014

Both of my dogs have gotten super protective. The big one gets up with me and follows me to the bathroom or kitchen anytime I get up at night and the little one won't let anyone (including my husband and big dog) near the bed if I'm taking a nap lol she stands across my bump and growls if anyone approaches the bed.

Emilyroche3 · March 2014

Oh dogs. My golden retriever was being a freak the other night. It lasted from 1am-11am. I wanted to kill him. Walking around panting and whining, he wanted to go out then in a thousand times. We ended up having a very small earthquake no one felt, but I think my dog sure knew it was coming!

Trgree1712 · March 2014

My dog has been a nervous wreak the last two days. Following me everywhere whining a lot she even threw up last night because of nerves.

calce · March 2014

The night of my water breaking, both dogs and the cat slept in the bedroom. It was definitely unusually to have all three so attentive to me. I suspect they knew something was going on before I did.

hordol · March 2014

My corgi has really upped the whining the past few days, too. My lab has extra energy he normally doesn't. Kind of weird but I didn't really chalk it up to the pregnancy (they have been fairly unaffected this whole time) but maybe it is?

Teresa1896 · March 2014

My dog has known I was pregnant each time before I did. He got very clingy and wouldn't leave my side- and he stopped jumping up on me. At this point he seems normal but he's also very antsy and protective- everybody who walks by the house is a dangerous psycho and deserves to be barked at until they leave!

ASasquatch · March 2014

My guy has definitely gotten more clingy. I usually sit and play with him for a few minutes right before I leave for work and then all I have to say is "Mom has to go to work" and he'll run off to his crate. The past week it has resulted in him throwing himself on top of me whining and spazzing out licking me as much as he can.
My cats have also started stalking me. My boy won't let me use the bathroom or shower alone anymore and my girl is suddenly trying to block the front door every time I put my jacket on.

hlm184 · March 2014

My dog just wants to sniff my junk.

ambarnett1 · March 2014

He can definitely tell something is changing. I know he doesn't know it's a baby, but he knows I've been different and something is coming. Very clingy and spazzy. I asked my vet about it just last week and he said dogs are good at sensing this stuff.

reillyea · March 2014

Most of mine are fine, but my male bulldog seems like he hates me lately. When I try to take him out in the morning he won't go. I open up his crate all day long and he just sits in there. Until husband comes home then hegets all excited. Makes me pretty sad actually.

*sparky* · March 2014

My dog has been driving me insane. He is my shadow 24/7. I am shocked I have not fallen over him yet because every time I turn around or go to take a step he is right there. I cannot go to the bathroom without him and he has even been coming into the basement with me when I exercise and in the 10 years we have lived in our house he has never voluntarily gone down there until now. This past week he has started barking at everything.

MNeforos · March 2014

We have two rescue pups and both have a lot of anxiety on a good day. We recently started breaking out the baby's things (swing, bouncer, pack-n-play) around the house to expose them to it in advance of his arrival. Needless to say we have seen some strange behavior from them as a result. We have seen everything you ladies have described - excessive barking, the shadowing, clingy behavior, the separating from us, etc.

I called a behavior consultant for dogs to see what we could do to help them since I didn't realize the level of impact all of this would have on them - even without the baby physically being here! The consultant told me dogs fear losing "the pack" and will exhibit these signs leading up to a baby's arrival. She suggested a product by Comfort Zone so I bought their diffuser with pheromones for dogs. She said it would help ease their anxiety. It is cheaper on Amazon than in the stores! They have it in a spray as well. We also are starting them on a 3 mg dose of melatonin so they are more relaxed. When we bring the baby home we will put them on 6 mg.

The consultant encouraged us to have direct conversations with our pups (uhhhhh????) about our son's arrival. Of course we started it and it has becoming amusing for us. The consultant said we shouldn't refer to the baby as "the baby" but instead we should call him by his name so they can create a "visual" of him. Ohhhh geeeezzz.

All of this starts tomorrow. Wish us luck!

hlm184 · March 2014

mamrotu73 said:

hlm184 My dog is an uncomfortably close sniffer. It doesn't bug me because I'm used to it, but surprises others when he sneaks up from behind and gooses them.

Hahah, see, she doesn't do this to anyone else. And only started doing it to me the past month or two. I figure it's baby related.

aliotter · March 2014

My dog has always done the same. She is super protective of my kids and me when I'm pregnant. My husband says she's in a panic any time I'm gone. She has to constantly check on the kids, she smells and licks them when we come home and periodically through the night. She can usually tell when I have braxton hicks and stays extra close

nicole mackenzie · March 2014

My dog has been hanging out with DH more lately

maybe because I'm boring now?

The cat however wants to be on my belly at all times. She's always been friendly but never really a lap cat...

HNRomance · March 2014

Dogs have a very keen sense of smell and we are putting off a lot of pheremones (and the baby is too) and a lot of dogs are very sensitive to the changes in hormones. My male heeler has always been pretty cuddly so that isn't different but he follows me around a lot more intently now and has been on amber-alert in protecting the house. My female rott mix who has been attached at the hip to my hubby since we got her has changed allegiances and spends most of her time cuddled with me with her head near my belly or lap. This is normal pack behavior. When an alpha female is pregnant, the males tend to take on protective roles of the den and usually one or two of the other females of the pack take turns caring for the alpha female. They will bring her food, try to comfort or groom her, etc. Dogs can pick up on seizures, heart-attacks and people that stop breathing with sleep apnea. It shouldn't surprise anyone that they can pick up on pregnancy!

Edrami · March 2014

I was actually googling this exact thing yesterday! My dog and my ILs dogs have been acting really weird. My ILs dog follows me to the bathroom, and always wants to cuddle which is unusual behavior for her. My dog jumps off the bed randomly and just starts sniffing all around my room like he's looking for something, and this just started last week he's never done this before.

Dog behaving strangely

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