Rapid Growth: Puppies grow to half their adult size in just a few months. This rapid development phase is crucial and shapes their physical and behavioral traits.
Born Deaf and Blind: Puppies are born deaf and blind, with their eyes and ears fully opening only around two to three weeks of age, relying on their sense of smell to navigate their early days.
Unique Nose Prints: Much like human fingerprints, each dog has a unique nose print. From the time they are puppies, these prints can be used to identify them individually.
Teething Like Babies: Puppies go through a teething process similar to human babies. They start getting their baby teeth at about three weeks old, and by six months, they usually have their full set of adult teeth.
Sleeping Patterns: Puppies sleep between 18 to 20 hours a day, which supports their rapid development, both physically and mentally.
Large Litters: The size of a puppy litter varies widely with breed and size, with larger breeds typically having more puppies. The record for the largest litter ever is held by a Neapolitan Mastiff with 24 puppies.
Early Socialization: The period between three to twelve weeks of age is considered crucial for puppies to be socialized to different people, places, and experiences, which helps them develop into well-adjusted adult dogs.
Puppy Coat: Puppies are born with a single layer of soft fur, and as they mature, they develop their adult coat, which can have a different color and texture compared to their puppy coat.
Puppy Breath: The sweet-smelling breath often noticed in puppies is due to their diet of mother’s milk and the lack of bacteria in their mouths, which changes as they grow and start eating solid food.
Learning to Communicate: Puppies learn to bark at around 2 to 3 weeks of age. Initially, this is a form of communication with their mother and littermates, and as they grow, they use barking, whining, and howling to communicate with their human families and express their needs and emotions.
