Golden retriever has heartwarming reaction upon realizing that her owner is pregnant

Editor's note: This article was originally published on June 15, 2023. It has since been updated.

Pet dogs are incredible companions who bring joy, love, and endless devotion into our lives. They have an uncanny ability to sense our emotions, offering comfort during difficult times and celebrating with us during moments of happiness. A TikTok video purportedly shows a moment when their dog realized her owner was pregnant — and her adorable reaction has gained people's attention online. Liz Lovery—who goes by @lizlovery on TikTok—was eight months pregnant at the time and was snuggling with her golden retriever, Winnie when the baby began kicking.

According to a TikTok video, Winnie looked around after sensing movement. She then leaned in closer, her head against Lovery's belly. The video was captioned "My dog realizing that I'm pregnant," and has gained around 1.9 million views. 

As Winnie snuggled on the belly and felt the kick, she got her head up and once she realized what she had felt, she went back to her snuggling. Later in the video, 1-year-old Winnie stood up and placed a paw on Lovery's shoulder, looking at her belly. She then rested her head against Lovery's stomach. Winnie then got a kiss and a heartwarming headbutt from Lovery.

People who viewed their interaction were awe-struck by this moment. "My heart! We, as humans, sure don’t deserve the goodness of dogs. Your sweet pup has a pure loving heart," commented @joyheart71. "The first clip: 'Uh, mom? How many tacos did you eat? I think they just kicked me and are trying to escape!'" joked @tt.wigglebutt. "My girl dog had the same reaction! I feel like girl dogs know and protect you and the baby more," shared @chief.toadd. 

Winnie knows that Lovery, who lives in San Diego, California, is expecting her first child, a daughter, in August. The mom-to-be told Insider that Winnie's reaction wasn't surprising because she's "naturally very intuitive and curious," whereas her other dog, 5-year-old Teddy, "is still oblivious to the pregnancy." She added, "But I was glad to have captured those moments on camera since her reaction was incredibly heartwarming. I'm glad [she's] so in tune with me that she was able to figure out what was going on. If anything, I'd say she follows me from room to room MORE than she did before."

Philippa Pavia, vice president of medical strategy at Bond Vet in New York City, previously stated, "Although there isn't clear research to confirm dogs' ability to sniff out pregnancy, there are lots of anecdotal reports." While no studies have been conducted to prove that dogs can detect hormonal changes in pregnant women, evidence suggests that dogs can notice other human hormones in addition to scent changes.

Rachel Barrack, a doctor of veterinary medicine, agreed that while a dog may detect changes in a pregnant person's scent, the dog is unlikely to understand why. She also mentioned that dogs will most likely detect other changes at home. "In pregnancy, a woman's hormonal milieu changes so dramatically that it would make sense that our canine friends would pick up on that scent difference. Your dog is smart enough to pick up on these changes during pregnancy, both in a physical way — which is how your body will be changing, your stomach, your smell — and in an emotional way, such as your feelings and your mood," she told the American Kennel Club.