17 Fun Facts About Puppies for National Puppy Day
Yes, National Puppy Day is actually a thing. And we’re all for it! Observed every year on March 23rd, National Puppy Day celebrates the little bundles of fur we all know and love.
While we’re softies when it comes to these tail-wiggling fluff balls, National Puppy Day is also a day to raise awareness about puppy mills and encourage prospective pawrents to adopt, not shop when looking for a puppy to start their furry family.
It’s impossible not to smile at a pup, and we hope these puppy facts will delight you too. Plus, you can impress your pals with your new-found puppy knowledge!
So without further ado, here are…
17 Fun Puppy Facts to Impress Your Pals With
1. Puppies are undeniably cute
Fact.
Okay, now let’s get into some facts you don’t already know.
2. 1.2 million puppies are born every day
The number of puppies born every day is far greater than the number of babies delivered. It’s estimated that 1.2 million puppies are born each day, compared to 360,000 babies. That works out as three times as many puppies as babies!
3. Puppies are born deaf and blind
Puppies are born blind and deaf with no teeth. They’ll begin to open their eyes when they’re around 13 days old and their ear canals will open once they’re 18-20 days old. As for teeth, these tend to erupt once they’re about 4 weeks old.
4. The largest puppy litter ever recorded is 24
In 2009, a Neapolitan Mastiff named Tia broke the Guinness World Record for giving birth to the largest puppy litter. She delivered 15 male puppies and 9 female puppies.
To put this in perspective, a normal litter size can range from 1 to 12 puppies, depending on the breed of dog, with 5 or 6 being the average across all dogs.
5. You can estimate how big your puppy will be by their paw size
Generally, the larger the paw, the larger the dog. While this isn’t always foolproof, it’s a good way to estimate how big a puppy will get. Have you seen the size of a Great Dane puppy’s paws?
6. Puppies lose their baby teeth by the time they’re 6 months old
Puppies can start teething when their first set of teeth emerge, however, they’re likely to start “teething” once these teeth are pushed through by their adult teeth, which tends to happen at around 3 and a half to 4 months old. It’s always a good idea to make sure your pup has plenty of dog toys to chew on, rather than the furniture!
Toys with interesting textures, like rope and woven toys, will give your pup something for them to really sink their teeth into. Rubber toys are also an ideal solution for teeth grinding.
7. You can predict how long your puppy can hold their bladder for by their age
Generally, puppies can hold their bladder for approximately an hour for every month old they are. For instance, a puppy that’s 3 months old is likely to go about 3 hours between toilet breaks.
8. Puppies spend up to 20 hours a day sleeping
This may sound like a lot, but all this glorious sleep will help a puppy’s brain, body, and immune system develop. Plus, it’s pretty tiring being so cute.
To give your pup the sleep of their dreams, make sure to check out Yappy’s range of luxuriously comfy dog beds and soft blankets for them to curl up on.
And, if you’re curious about how much sleep your four-legged friend should be getting, find out here!
9. Your puppy’s coat will change as they get older
While this might seem like a given, it can be surprising how different an adult dog’s coat can be to their puppy coat!
Puppies are born with a single layer of soft fur, which they shed when they’re 4 – 6 months old when their adult coat comes in (unless you have a puppy that’s hairless!). Their adult coat will be thicker and coarser than their puppy coat, it may change color too.
10. Pregnant dogs will deliver their pups after two months
While a human pregnancy normally lasts about nine months, dogs usually deliver their litter after just two months.
11. Puppies can be born green
Green fur can occur when pale-coloured pups are in the womb and they encounter a green pigment called biliverdin, which is the same pigment that makes bruises appear green. If a puppy is born with green fur, like this pup called Pistachio, it usually fades as they get older.
This phenomenon is pretty rare, and it doesn’t mean your puppy will turn into the Hulk!
12. A puppy’s weight will double after one week
If a puppy is growing at a healthy rate, ideally they’ll double their birth weight after just one week.
13. There’s a deep psychological reason why we find puppies cute
And it’s not just puppies that we find cute, humans tend to find babies of all species adorable. Simply put, scientists believe that the powerful nurturing instinct and affection that we have towards our own offspring can be felt towards anything that resembles them.
Known as the “baby schema” effect, this theory suggests that looking at puppies (and babies) can release “happy hormones” in our brains and make us admire and want to nurture these little cuties.
14. Shakespeare’s King John is the first known work to reference the word “puppy”
The dictionary tells us that William Shakespeare is responsible for about 2000 new words and phrases, including “puppy dog”, which he mentions in his play, King John.
15. Puppies are considered adults after a year
Depending on the breed, puppies typically become adult dogs between their first and second birthday. Large breeds like Labrador Retrievers can take up to 2 years to be fully grown, while a smaller pooch like a Chihuahua will be fully grown by 10 months.
16. Puppies find their voice at around 3 weeks
A puppy's vocalisation will start around 3 weeks and their full “big bark” will develop by the time they’re 16 weeks.
17. All puppies are born with blue eyes
Varying from bright blue to bluish with flecks of brown or green, all puppies are born with varying shades of blue eyes. While some puppies will keep their blue eyes into adulthood, other pups will experience a change in eye color, and some may keep just one blue eye while the other will change – this is common for Huskies in particular.
Discover Puppy Essentials and More at Yappy
At Yappy, we’re all about creating amazing products for both pets and pet lovers.
Whether a new four-legged friend has just joined your family or you’re wondering what to put in a new puppy gift basket for a pal, we’ve got plenty of puppy essentials and so much more.
From stylish tote bags that are perfect for showing off your fur baby on shopping trips or stashing your dog’s things, to beautiful notebooks and unique dog mugs, we’ve got more personalized pet gifts than you can shake a stick at!
