Living With a Reactive Dog While Pregnant: What's Actually Helped Me
Nobody tells you what happens to your dog when you’re pregnant. They get weird about it. Or at least Luna did.
I’m C — a stay-at-home mama in the Netherlands with a baby boy born in 2025 and a reactive dog called Luna who, bless her, has very strong feelings about everything. Pregnancy with a reactive dog is its own special challenge, and I couldn’t find a single honest post about it when I needed one most.
So here’s mine. The messy, tired, still-figuring-it-out version. I hope it helps.
In this post: adjusting walks, slow mornings, baby prep training, keeping your dog’s safe space intact — and being kind to yourself through all of it.
How Luna's Behaviour Shifted During My Pregnancy
Luna knew before I did. I’m not even joking — before I’d even taken a test, she started following me from room to room, pressing her nose into my stomach, refusing to settle unless she was touching me.
For a reactive dog, that kind of clinginess adds a layer. She was already anxious about the outside world. Now she was anxious about me too.
If you’re noticing changes in your dog’s behaviour — more velcro-dog energy, more reactivity on walks, sleeping closer to you — you’re not imagining it. Dogs pick up on hormonal shifts and changes in your scent. It’s real, and it’s worth working with rather than against.
Adjusting Walks When You're Exhausted and Nauseous
In early pregnancy I powered through our usual morning and evening walk routine. Then first trimester fatigue hit like a truck and I had to be honest with myself: I couldn’t keep it up.
Here’s what actually worked for us:
Shorter, more frequent walks instead of one long one. On the worst days — the nausea-and-horizontal days — I leaned heavily on enrichment indoors. This puzzle feeder became my best friend. It burns mental energy without burning mine, and for a reactive dog, mental stimulation can sometimes do more than a walk anyway.
I also started scheduling the longer walks for weekends when my partner could take over. Letting go of being the sole dog-exercise person was hard, but it was necessary.
Give yourself permission to adapt. You’re growing a human — your dog can have a quieter week.
Our New Slow Morning Routine (for Both of Us)
Luna expects breakfast, cuddles, and her walkies like clockwork. Pregnancy fatigue does not care about clocks.
My solution was to build a gentler version of our morning that worked for both of us:
I set up a cosy corner in the living room — cushions, my pregnancy pillow, a blanket — where I could sip tea and actually exist without having to be vertical and functional. I’d put on some soft background music (this genuinely calmed her down), and she’d eventually settle beside me.
The pregnancy pillow helped both of us — me for obvious reasons, her because she had something large and squishy to lean against while I read or scrolled on my phone like a functional adult.
Slow mornings became our thing. Honestly? I miss them now.
Preparing Luna for the Baby Before Birth
I started narrating. Yes, out loud, to my dog.
As I unpacked baby items, folded tiny onesies, and moved furniture, I talked Luna through it. She sniffed everything. I rewarded calm with treats. We practiced “place” and “wait” near the bassinet and crib before the baby ever came home.
For a reactive dog, these rehearsals matter more than they do for a relaxed breed. Luna needs time to process new things. Giving her gradual exposure — treating her calmly and consistently every time she encountered baby gear — meant that by the time our son arrived, the things were already boring to her.
The baby himself was a different matter (more on that in this post on teaching your dog to respect the baby’s space) — but the objects weren’t scary, and that was a win.
Protecting Her Safe Space Before Everything Changes
Nesting instinct is powerful and it will have you reorganising every corner of your house. I learned early to plan around Luna’s spaces rather than through them.
Her bed stayed in our bedroom — not because I’m soft (I am), but because routine is everything for reactive dogs and disrupting her sleep location would’ve added unnecessary stress during an already disorienting time.
I also got her a new, proper dog bed — one that was hers, that smelled like her, that wasn’t going to be moved. That consistency matters more than people realise.
The goal: her world should stay as stable as possible while yours turns upside down.
Giving Yourself Permission to Do Less
Some days Luna got a 10-minute potter around the garden and that was it. Some days she watched me nap from the doorway. Some days she whined and I just didn’t have it in me to fix it.
I had to learn that doing enough is enough. My love for her hadn’t changed — just the way I was able to show up for a few months. She didn’t hold it against me. Dogs are remarkably good at forgiving imperfection, which is something I’m still trying to learn from her.
If you’re in the thick of it right now — tired and guilty and wondering if you’re failing your dog — I promise you’re not. You’re just pregnant. It’s temporary. They’ll adjust. You’ll adjust. And soon they’ll have a tiny best friend who drops food on the floor constantly and that will make up for everything.
📌 Save this for later — pin it for when you need it most. Or join the newsletter for more honest mama tips.
You're Not Doing This Alone
Pregnancy with a dog at home is its own kind of challenge — especially when that dog has big feelings about the world. But you’re figuring it out, same as the rest of us.
If you’re navigating life with a reactive dog and a new baby on the way, you might also love: → How I’m Teaching Luna to Be More Independent Before the Baby Comes → How I’m Teaching My Dog to Respect the Baby’s Space
And if you have tips of your own — drop them in the comments. I genuinely want to know what’s worked for you.