20 Fun Facts About Puppies | Pupford

Puppies have a way of melting the hearts of everyone they meet. With their silly antics, bounding energy, and don’t even get me started about puppy breath.

In this blog post, you will learn some fun facts about puppies that will make you love the little pups even more.

20 Fun Puppy Facts

1. Super Smellers: Once they are born, a puppy’s first sense they have to explore the world is their sense of smell. As they grow up, their sense of smell continues to be their strongest sense. Dogs have approximately 300 million scent receptors, whereas humans only have about 6 million. Check out this blog post for even more information on a dog’s sense of smell!
   
2. Milk Teeth: By 4 weeks of age puppies have their incisors and canine teeth. These sharp teeth start to inflict pain on their mother during nursing, which starts the weaning process, and they begin to look for other food sources. By 8 weeks old, puppies have their full set of ‘Milk Teeth’, also known as deciduous teeth, which is typically 28 teeth in total.
   
3. Unique Nose Prints: Like human fingerprints, every puppy has a unique nose print. No two nose prints are alike!
   
4. The Teething Phase: The dreaded puppy teething phase, if you’ve ever raised a puppy you know exactly how hard this can be. It’s like having a tiny shark living in your home 😉 The puppy teething phase starts around 3-4 months of age and ends at 8 months when they have all of their 42 adult teeth.
   
5. Jacobson’s Organ: Puppies are born with something called a vomeronasal organ, commonly known as the Jacobsen’s organ. The organ is located in their nasal canal and opens up into the roof of their mouth. This organ detects pheromones. This is how puppies find their mother’s milk and how they differentiate their mother from other female dogs. Learn even more about the incredible Jacobon’s Organ & how it impacts dogs sniffing each other's butts!
   
6. Hearing Development: Puppies are born deaf and do not start to hear until they are about 3 weeks old. This is their last sense to develop. Once they begin to hear, they can hear 4 times better than humans!
   
7. Puppy Love Hormone: There is a reason we love being around puppies so much, and it’s the puppy love hormone! Interactions between puppies and humans trigger the release of oxytocin, often called the “love hormone”. This enhances the emotional bond between the puppy and their owner.
   
8. Millions of Puppies: Approximately 1.2 million puppies are born every day worldwide! This is about 3 times more than human babies.
   
9. Night Vision: Puppies can see better in the dark than in the light! This is because they have more rods in their eyes compared to humans.
   
10. Type of Birth: Just like human babies, puppies can be born through the birth canal or via C-section. Most commonly, breeds born through C-section have larger skulls than other puppies.
    
11. Sleeping Champions: During their first few months of life, puppies sleep a lot! Typically 18-20 hours a day. This is essential for their growth and development.
    
12. Puppy Play: Playing is more than just a form of fun for puppies. Play helps them learn social skills, bite inhibition, and body language stress cues and builds confidence.
    
13. Losing Puppy Teeth: When puppies start to teeth at 3-4 months of age, the first teeth they lose are their incisors! These are the small teeth in the front between their canine teeth.
    
14. Coat Changes: It is not uncommon for a puppy’s coat to change as they age. Most puppies are born with a very soft, sometimes fluffy coat. The texture and color can change as they get older.
    
15. Puppy Breath: Some vets believe that the sweet smell of puppy breath we all know and love comes from how their body breaks down sugar in their mom’s milk.
    
16. Fast Heartbeats: Puppies have a faster heart rate than adult dogs, sometimes reaching up to 220 beats per minute. This is due to their high metabolism and boundless energy.
    
17. Twin Puppies: It is rare, but puppies can be born as twins! In 2014, veterinarians confirmed the first recorded case of identical twin puppies, which were Irish Wolfhound puppies named Cullen and Romulus. Find out even more about Cullen and Romulus.
    
18. Sight Development: Puppies are born blind and do not start to see until they are 14-21 days old, but their vision is still blurry until they age.
    
19. Rapid Growth: During the first few weeks of life, puppies undergo rapid growth. A healthy puppy will double their weight within a week of being born.
    
20. Largest Litter Ever Recorded: Tia the Mastiff holds the Guinness World Record for the largest litter of puppies ever recorded. On November 29th, 2004, Tia birthed 24 beautiful babies - 15 males and 9 females! Learn more about the largest litters!

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Fun Facts About Puppies Recap

There's no denying that puppies are remarkable creatures, from their unique nose prints to their incredible sensory abilities that far surpass our own.

Whether you're a current puppy parent or just a dog lover, understanding these fascinating facts about puppies helps us appreciate just how special these little ones are – from their lightning-fast growth rate to the scientifically proven way they make us feel happier by releasing oxytocin.

Have other fun facts about puppies? Share them in the comments below.

And if you've got a puppy (or older dog) who LOVES tasty treats, be sure to shop our full line of treats, chews, and toys. Shop here!