Yes they most definitely can! My grandmas chihuahua would always sit on my lap or when I'd lay down he'd come lay on my belly /side and he followed me everywhere

@meganeliza, I think so too I have a pitbull who’s always been really friendly and attached to me and before I found out I was pregnant she was smelling and licking my stomach so much 😂💞 and my mother in law has a puppy he literally bites everything and anyone but when I sat him on my lap he started to sniff my belly then licked it so I’m really starting to think they can sense it