A pregnant dog owner from Spain went viral after sharing a video of her German shepherd interacting with her unborn baby.
User @diariodeeme posted the clip on February 17, showing Eme the dog resting her snout on her owner's belly throughout her pregnancy.
"The first clip is from week 9, the second is from today: week 29 and counting. Preparing to be the best big sister," the caption said.
Newsweek contacted @diariodeeme for comment via email. We could not verify the details of the case.
Owners have long wondered whether dogs can detect pregnancy, and the answer is: possibly. On the website Vet Explains Pets, Dr. Jess Kirk said that because of their heightened sense of smell, dogs may be able to sense hormonal changes during pregnancy.
She added that pups are usually "highly attuned" to their owners' emotions, which means they may also be able to pick up on subtle cues that indicate a change in their owner, both on a physical and emotional level.
According to the American Kennel Club, dogs have about 60 times as many smell receptors as humans, and 40 times more brain power dedicated to analyzing it, which allows them to differentiate 30,000 to 100,000 aromas.
That's why dogs can often sense chemical changes in bombs and drugs and with cancer, insulin levels, a person's menstrual cycle, and even pregnancy.
If a dog knows its owner is pregnant, it may show changes in the way it behaves toward them. It may become more attentive and affectionate, exhibit more protective behaviors, become gentler and more sensitive, or even nest for their baby.
It may also try to establish a connection with the baby before it is even born, which the pup can be seen doing in the video—sniffing, nuzzling and even laying her head on her owner's belly.
The video has received more than 896,000 views and 57,000 likes on TikTok.
One viewer commented: "Wish my dog was like this, she's too self centered to notice. She just gets annoyed when she can't sit comfortably on my lap."
"My dog for some reason wants nothing to do with me," another added.
A commenter said, "My dogs have no clue lol I'm 39 weeks and I've tried to get them to realize but they just don't."
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