We adore the little rascals! Who wouldn’t love them? Here are some favourite fun facts about puppies.
1. Born helpless
Did you know that puppies are born deaf and blind, with no teeth? It’s one of our favourite interesting facts about puppies. Even the famous canine sense of smell isn’t active when a puppy is born, and their eyes and ears are closed. Their eyes open when they are between 10 and 14 days old, with eyesight fully developing at about 7 weeks.
2. The first sense to develop is touch
The first sense that puppies develop is touch. From the very moment they are born, a puppy’s mother will lick and nuzzle them, stimulating their sense of touch. Touch continues to be important for your puppy throughout their lives.
3. Puppies can be twins
There are often many puppies in a litter, each genetically unique – but did you know that puppies can be twins? The first confirmed case occurred in South Africa in 2016, with vet Kurt de Cramer delivering them via Caesarean section. There may have been other unconfirmed cases of genetically identical canine twins, but this was the first officially recorded instance of identical puppies being born.
4. They have baby teeth
Puppies lose their first set of teeth – their baby teeth. They will be replaced with adult teeth at about 4 months of age.
5. Their coat colour may change as they grow
The colour of puppies’ coats may change as they get older. Patches of colour can shift and grow, and how they do so depend on their breed. Dalmatians, for instance, don’t develop their famous spots until they are two or three weeks old. If your pup is purebred, you’ll be able to predict their appearance by how their parents look, but for crossbred or mixed breed pups, it can be more complicated.
6. Estimated 1.2 million born worldwide
The number of pups born each day overtakes the number of human babies born into the world, with approximately 1.2 million pups to 360,000 babies. That’s roughly 3 times as many puppies as humans!
7. Puppies double their birth weight after the first week
If your pup is growing healthy and strong, they should ideally double their birth weight after the first week!
8. At a year old, they’re considered adults
Puppies are officially considered adults when they reach a year old, although the age at which they reach maturity varies by breed. Small dogs like Chihuahuas will be physically mature at about 9 or 10 months old, while large breeds like the Labrador Retriever takes up to 2 years to be fully grown!
9. Largest litter ever recorded was 24 puppies
One of the most amazing fun facts about puppies is recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records! In 2004, in the UK, a Neapolitan mastiff called Tia, gave birth to 24 pups by Caesarean section!
10. Puppies can be born green
Although the colour fades after a few weeks - there are a few recorded cases of puppies being born surprisingly green! Veterinarians think the unusual colour is caused by a green bile pigment found in the dog’s placenta mixing with the amniotic fluid.
How’s that for 10 interesting puppy facts?
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