Puppies are sometimes even cuter than dogs! These mini man’s best friends aren’t just adorable. Their development (and antics) are pint-sized showstoppers! Here are 10 amazing facts about these bundles of fluff.
#1: Mother dogs are only pregnant for about 2 months. Puppies don’t develop as fully as human babies do in the womb, so they’re born blind, deaf, and without any teeth.
#2: Just like humans, puppies have baby teeth and adult teeth. Their 28 baby teeth come in when they’re 2-4 weeks old and drop out about 10 weeks later. This makes way for a full set of 42 adult teeth by the time they’re 6 months old.
#3: Some light-colored puppies are born green! This is likely due to an excess of biliverdin (a green pigment found in the womb) in their fur. Fortunately, the green hue fades away after a few weeks.
#4: Puppies aren’t susceptible to “contagious” yawning, but adult dogs are. This is thought to be a sign of developing empathy. As puppies become more aware of their fellow canines, they may begin to unconsciously copy their movements (like yawning).
#5: Along with senior dogs, puppies dream more frequently than adult dogs. They also get in more hours of rest per day compared to grown-up dogs. Puppies can sleep for up to 20 hours a day!
#6: Puppies don’t have fingerprints like humans, but they do have nose prints. While humans develop their fingerprints in the womb, puppies’ nose prints don’t appear until they’re two months old. This textured pattern on the skin of their nose is completely unique and can be used to tell one puppy from another!
#7: Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts trained a Weimaraner puppy named Riley to sniff out bugs. Textile-eating moths and wood-boring beetles might damage the museum’s art, so Riley’s efforts are keeping priceless museum masterpieces safe!
#8: The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain is home to a sculpture called Puppy. This 40-foot tall, 17-ton sculpture of a West Highland terrier puppy is covered with 37,000 live flowers!
#9: A puppy once destroyed half of Of Mice and Men! In May 1836, author John Steinbeck’s Irish setter puppy, Toby, began teething. One night, Toby ripped up John’s only copy of the Of Mice and Men manuscript! John took it as a sign that his writing needed some work and rewrote the destroyed chapters from scratch. Maybe Toby was just trying to provide some constructive criticism!
#10: Studies show that looking at cute things can help you focus more easily. Sounds like a great excuse to browse some puppy pictures!
There’s no doubt that puppies are incredible - and adorable - animals. It’s hard to find an activity that’s more fun than hanging out with them! What’s your favorite way to spend time with a puppy? Click the blue button below to vote! 👓