Caring dog has emotional reaction after new mom returns from hospital — 93% of them can smell stress

Motherhood is often an intricate part of a woman's life, with many looking forward to it for years. The natural process of childbirth is physically as well as emotionally taxing, requiring a solid support system for the wellbeing of both mom and child.  Interestingly, it isn't just the human members that take care of family, but pets also play an equal role in offering silent comfort to new mothers who have just undergone the exhausting process of childbirth. For instance, Amy Marquez, a new mom who goes by @midquez_ on TikTok, posted a heartwarming video where she captured her dog's priceless reaction on meeting her for the first time since she left for the hospital.

In the video, the moment Marquez's dog saw her, he sat quietly in front of the woman, as if confirming to himself that she was present for real. He kept looking at Marquez, and his innocent eyes beautifully conveyed how deeply he had missed her presence. One look at the dog, and there's an instant realization of the special bond he shares with his 'favorite human.' While the precious reunion unfolded on the screen, the overlay text read, "Soulmated so hard that this is my dog's reaction to me coming back from the hospital after giving birth." Moreover, talking about her dog's bond with her daughter, Marquez wrote, "He’s doing so good with her. I’m so proud of him (it’s all fun and games till she starts to crawl and jump on him but we won’t tell him yet)." Studies suggest that early exposure to pet dogs reduce a newborn's inclination towards developing allergies, while also strengthening their immune system.

The National Public Radio (NPR), citing Scientific Reports, claims that dogs can smell when someone is stressed, and the odor of an unfamiliar stressed or relaxed person affects their emotions. This may be the reason why Marquez's dog looked so emotional seeing her, because he perhaps sensed his owner's stress and silently offered her the much-needed assurance. According to the National Institutes of Health, a study published in PLOS ONE in 2022 found that dogs can distinguish between human baseline and stress samples with an accuracy of 93.75%! This means, more often than not, our dogs are snuggling close for a reason.

Marquez's video received an overwhelming response on social media, with people praising the sweet bond between the dog and his human companion. For example. @babsaquabirdie commented, "I think he is tasting the air to get the new scents embedded in his memory. He is so proud of you." Similarly, @taylorspells0 said, "Bless his heart. Those eyes are so pure and are staring at you with nothing but absolute love, joy, and trust." @banafaith revealed, "My dog would sleep on baby's blankets that my MIL brought home while we were still in the hospital; she knew we were coming home with a new human."

Likewise, @aanngx said, "My pup would try his best to be as close as he could to my baby! But then I noticed he was acting strange; his eyes seemed to be squinting like crying for almost a day! I ended up in the hospital a week later for emergency surgery, and when I got back, he was back to his normal self." @chicamendoza pointed out, "I think it’s because he knew prior to you leaving forever (days at the hospital because time is different to them). He knew that you were pregnant, and probably, he was worried about your life, and then he saw the other house human return first(to get the house ready for you and the baby). He worried more to see them wait at the door. He knew it was you but was filled with so much relief. That baby loves you. You are his life!"

You can follow Amy Marquez (@midquez_) on TikTok for more dog-related content.