Can Your Dog Hear Your Yet-to-be-born Baby in the Womb?

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Your dog's hearing ability is much better than any human. It permits dogs to hear a number of sounds which no human can hear. Many dog owners assume that their best friend can also hear the heartbeat of a yet-to-be-born child who is still in the mother's womb. Although it is a matter of debate as to whether it is possible for the dog to hear a child in the womb, it can detect the presence of the baby through other ways, not least by its sense of smell.

Acute sense of hearing

Dogs can hear four times better than any human. This is as they have more muscles in the ears compared to humans. A human ear has six muscles while a dog's ear has 18 muscles. The muscles provide the dog the ability to move its ears so that the desired sound can be amplified. It helps that the shape of the dog's ear helps in hearing. The curved ear shape assists sound to reach the eardrums.

It is entirely believable that your dog can hear your baby's heartbeat. It can even hear the baby cry inside the stomach. A human baby can cry after 28 weeks post conception. Even though your dog may not understand what is happening, it understands that your body is undergoing some changes. Dogs are naturally intuitive creatures which can sense a variation in the mood, body chemistry, and behavior of their human friends. Other than excellent hearing, dogs also have an excellent sense of smell. They can smell hormonal changes in a pregnant woman. It is entirely possible that your dog knows you are pregnant even before you realize your condition. Many new mothers recall their dogs staring at their bellies when they were pregnant. The ears of their dogs would perk up, and they would look at the human mother's belly.

Pregnancy protection The proof that your dog knows you are pregnant? It becomes overly protective of your welfare and becomes more affectionate towards you. It also likes to lie or sit beside you given any opportunity. The reaction of every dog will not be the same. A few dogs would shrug the matter away while others cannot bear the sensory overload. It is hard to figure out in advance how a dog may react. Even docile dogs are observed to become agitated by all the changes taking place around them. It is essential that the dog is given extra attention at this time. If your dog has done basic behavior training, provide the training once more to the animal. Think it as a kind of refresher course. It is important that the dog must be well-behaved during this critical juncture of your life.