Husband convinced dog getting “in between” marriage, and photos prove it

A California man has gone viral after highlighting how his dog’s behavior has changed since his wife became pregnant.
Parker Ray, from Menifee, California, told Newsweek it was by “sheer luck” that Mabel the cockapoo became a part of their lives.
“We actually found her on Craigslist, which is such an unconventional way to find a pet,” Ray said. “My wife, Kelsey, and I got married on April 3, 2021, and by May realized we wanted a dog. Both of us grew up in families with dogs, so being in a house without one just didn’t feel right.”
Once she arrived, it didn’t take long for Mabel to settle in. “She quickly became the center of everything we did,” Ray said. “Playing with her, training her, and taking her on adventures all became some of our favorite things to do.”
Making Mabel the center of everything wasn’t always easy, particularly when Ray had to do things without her. “She has some separation anxiety, and it was tough leaving her alone when we both went to work,” he said. “Whenever we leave the house, she howls by the door until she falls asleep and will stay there until we get home. It’s heartbreaking.”
Ray took steps to alleviate that, taking a remote job that allowed him to be at home all day with Mabel, a “persistent” player of fetch. “Now, she’s my co-worker and constant companion while I work,” he said.
Ray put Mabel’s clinginess down to her “pack mentality” and her innate belief that they should “stick together at all times.”
And the owner wouldn’t have it any other way. “We take Mabel with us as much as possible. We love to travel, and whether it’s the mountains, the lake, the snow, the beach, or even the mall, she’s always right there with us,” he said. “She’s incredibly loyal, intelligent, and so expressive, especially in her eyes.”
That expressiveness has come to the fore in recent months following the news of Kelsey’s pregnancy. Ray has noticed a change in Mabel’s behavior, as seen in a video he posted on TikTok last week under the handle @saucyray.
TikTok/saucyray
Experts have long theorized over whether dogs can tell if a human is pregnant.
Dogs boast 60 times more smell receptors than humans and are capable of differentiating up to 100,000 aromas.
Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, a senior veterinarian and the director of Pet Health Information at the Animal Medical Center of New York City, suggested that with their numerous smell receptors, dogs might be able to detect the hormonal changes in the human body brought on by pregnancy.
“I suspect that dogs can smell something we cannot,” Hohenhaus told the American Kennel Club in August.
This might be why Ray was able to capture a series of photos that appear to show Mabel getting “in between” his marriage during his wife’s pregnancy.
The TikTok video includes a series of pictures of Mabel cuddling with Kelsey while seemingly shooting dirty looks in Ray’s direction.
Ray was keen to stress that Mabel was far from the “tough and intimidating guard dog” presented in the pictures.
“While she definitely has been extra attentive to my wife since she got pregnant, she’s really just a big teddy bear,” he said. “She is an angel and a lover to all, wouldn’t hurt a fly. Nonetheless, as we are Mabel’s biggest fans, she is also our biggest fan, and she is very clingy to us and protective in that sense.”
He added, “She’s our first baby, and we’ll forever be grateful to her for that.”