25 Facts About Puppies and Dogs

• Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.

Are you getting ready to adopt a new puppy into your family? In addition to getting your home ready and stocking up on all the puppy accessories, you’re probably doing a fair share of research on what to expect with your new puppy.

To help you prepare for your puppy, and have a little fun with it, we’ve got a list of 25 facts about puppies and dogs that may surprise you! Read on for expert insights and entertaining tidbits to help guide you through your pet parent journey.

1. The Word “Puppy” Has a French Origin

Ever wonder where the word “puppy” came from? It likely originated from the French word “poupée,” which means “toy” or “doll.” By the 15th century, “puppy” had become a common English word for a small dog and was immortalized in the English language by Shakespeare, who coined the term “puppy-dog” in his plays.

2. There Are 900 Million Dogs Worldwide

The World Atlas estimates there are currently around 900 million dogs in the world. Out of these, 75-80% are free-range or stray dogs. If you’re thinking about adding a furry family member to your home, consider adopting from a local shelter or animal rescue near you!

3. More U.S. Households Have Dogs Than Children

Research shows around 39% of U.S. family households have children under the age of 18, while approximately 45% have a dog. What can we say? We love our fur babies! And just like we want to protect our human children, getting our pups signed up with pet insurance early on can help plan for the unexpected.

4. Puppies Are Born Rather Helpless

As newborns, puppies are unable to see or hear. Instead, they get a sense of the world through body heat, smelling, suckling, and crawling. At around two to three weeks, they’ll open their eyes and ears. And by the time they’re old enough to go home with you, between eight and 14 weeks, they’ll have transitioned to solid food, already started their socialization, and may be ready for potty training.

5. Puppies Are Born With No Teeth

Similar to human babies, puppies are born without teeth. Between two and four weeks, your new puppy will start to grow their milk teeth (28 in all). Puppies will then lose these teeth by about six months and begin to grow their adult teeth (42 in all).

Even though your young pup will lose all their milk teeth, it’s still a great idea to start brushing your dog’s teeth as soon as they come home with you. Getting into the habit right away will make it easier to maintain good dental health in the future. To get through the bitey horror of teething, invest in some good puppy chew toys so everyone and everything survives this stage no worse for the wear.

6. Some Puppies Are Born Via C-Section

Just like humans, some dogs need C-sections. Vets might consider a C-section if the labor lasts more than four hours. They may also give one if more than two hours have passed between the births of littermates or the puppies aren’t in the right position and can’t be re-positioned by the vet.

If your dog needs a C-section, your vet will probably perform imaging of her abdomen, administer anesthesia, shave her belly, wrap her tail, and help with surgery recovery for both mom and puppies.

7. Puppies Can Have an Identical Twin

In 2014, the first-ever case of identical twin puppies was confirmed by a vet in South Africa. While performing a C-section on an Irish Wolfhound, he found two puppies connected to the same placenta via their umbilical cords. Later, blood samples confirmed the two were, in fact, genetically identical.

8. The Average Number of Puppies Born in a Litter is 6

Breed, age, health, genetics, and nutrition can all affect the size of a dog litter. On average, however, a litter typically has around five or six puppies. In 2004, a Neapolitan Mastiff named Tia broke the record for “Largest Litter of Puppies” with 24 pups in the same litter!

9. Puppies Don’t Need Frequent Baths

Believe it or not, your stinky bean doesn’t need to be constantly cleaned. In fact, pet parents should avoid bathing puppies until they reach eight weeks. After that, a bath once a month is more than enough unless your puppy gets into something messy. Too much bathing can cause their skin to lose the oils that help them maintain healthy skin and coats.

10. Puppies Need to Poop Up to 5 Times a Day

Don’t worry, it’s completely normal! Newborn puppies have small digestive systems, so they’ll poop more often than adult dogs. Between two and four weeks old, puppies might poop three to five times a day. By the time they are 6 months old, this will likely be less frequent, perhaps two to three times a day, and more like an adult dog.

11. Large Breed Puppies Are Born Less Mature

Larger breed dogs have a longer growth cycle because they need more time to fully develop their organs and bones. This means that at birth, larger breed dogs are slightly less mature than small breeds. Similarly, if you bring home a small breed dog, they will reach full size faster than a larger breed.

12. Puppy Coat Colors Change as They Age

It’s pretty common in certain breeds for a puppy’s coat to look quite different as they get older. For example, Dalmatian puppies are initially born without their characteristic spots, which don’t start coming in until 10 or so days later.

13. Some Puppies Are Born Green

Yes, you read that right! In rare cases (less than 1 in 10,000), puppies can be born green. This phenomenon is due to the puppy having an abnormally high level of biliverdin, which is a chemical that makes bile, in their birth sac. If your dog has a litter of puppies and one has a green-tinged coat, fear not. It’s a harmless condition, and the green hue will disappear in a matter of weeks, leaving your little lucky charm to look like their littermates.

14. The Most Popular Puppy Name is Luna

To quote Shakespeare again, “What’s in a name?” If you’re one of the many dogs named Luna, you’d probably say you’d smell just as sweet (like Frito feet, not a rose) if you were named Bella, Charlie, Max, or Daisey—the other top puppy names leading the pack.

15. Puppies and Dogs Have Paw Preferences

Research shows that, similar to humans, dogs have a preference over which hand—er, paw—they use. One large-scale study showed that out of the 18,000 dogs they sampled, a whopping 74% had a paw preference. Among these pups, the majority preferred using their right paw. However, the difference wasn’t as stark as with humans (who are predominantly right-handed), with 58.3% preferring their right paw and 41.7% preferring their left.

While some studies question the validity of paw preference, saying dogs choose a specific paw depending on the task, we think it’s a fun thing to test out with your pup. To try, give them a KONG and see which paw they use to hold it. Or take note of which paw your dog tends to hand you when you cue a “shake.”

16. Puppies Get Mean When They’re Overtired

Puppies need a lot of sleep. In fact, most young pups need between 18 and 20 hours. Like human babies and toddlers, puppies can get pretty cranky if they don’t get the rest they need. According to Dr. Wayne Johnson, a veterinarian at Birdneck Animal Hospital, sleeping can help curb unwanted puppy behaviors like chewing and biting. It can also reduce stress, support memory and learning, aid in potty training, and promote independence.

17. Puppies Breathe Faster Than Adult Dogs

Puppies do everything faster. The reason? According to Dr. Linda Simon, a veterinarian at Senior Tail Waggers, puppies have smaller lungs than adults and typically have resting breathing rates between 20-45 breaths per minute. An adult dog, on the other hand, usually only breathes 12-30 times per minute. Additionally, puppies may breathe fast during REM sleep, when they’re overheated, overexerted, anxious, or dehydrated. If you’re concerned about the rate of your puppy’s breathing, talk to your veterinarian!

18. Puppies Need to Drink Water More Often

Is your puppy always hanging out by the water bowl? Dr. Paige Adams, a veterinarian at Etowah Veterinary Hospital, says puppies need to drink about 1/2 to one ounce of water for every pound of weight. This means that a puppy who weighs 10 pounds should drink between five and ten ounces every day. Because their blatters are quite small, they’ll be drinking smaller portions more frequently throughout the day until they get older.

19. Puppies Can Reduce Stress, But Sometimes They Do The Opposite

While adding a puppy to your home can bring a lot of joy, excitement, and fulfillment, it can also be quite stressful. Many new pet parents often experience a period of regret and depression called the puppy blues, where they miss their pre-puppy life. If you just adopted a puppy and are feeling down, the best thing you can do is ask for support. Go for a coffee with another new pup parent to vent, or hire a pet sitter to give you a much-needed break.

20. Puppies Can Start Training as Early as 8 Weeks

Ideally, most puppies will have already started socialization training via their breeder or a loving rescue home before they get to you. Regardless, you can hit the ground running with training as soon as they come home with you. At around 8 weeks, you’ll likely want to focus on potty training, handling, name recognition, and settling either inside or outside of a crate.

21. The Most Important Socialization Period is Between 3 and 16 Weeks

Known as the “socialization window,” this period is when puppies are the most malleable. Since everything is still shiny and new, puppies are more readily able to accept new experiences, more so than when a dog is older. Ideally, this window will start while a pup is still with their mother and last a month or two after you’ve adopted them. To make the most of this time, build as many positive experiences as you can based on the life you envision with your pup.

22. Most Puppies Go Through 2 Fear Periods

Fear periods usually happen twice between birth and 18 months. During this time, puppies become extremely sensitive to everything around them. The timing will be different for every dog based on factors like breed and size. However, fear periods typically happen around 8 to 11 weeks and then again between 6 to 14 months.

23. Dogs Are as Smart as a Toddler

Research shows that the average dog may have the intelligence equivalent of a 2-year-old child. These findings are based on a language development test that shows that most dogs can learn around 165 words, similar to a toddler.

24. The Most Words a Dog Has Learned is 1,022

Some dogs can learn more words than others, with dogs in the top 20% of intelligence (we see you, German Shepherds and Poodles) learning up to 250 words! One Border Collie named Chase, however, took the cake with learning over 1,000 words, expanding his vocabulary to that of a 3-year-old child! If you want to give it a shot, consider trying dog talking buttons.

25. It’s Normal to Think Puppies Are as Cute as Babies

Some evidence suggests that dogs have evolved their features to tug at our heartstrings. Characteristics like big eyes and raised inner brows create baby-like expressions that make us want to take care of them. If you think your puppy is as cute as a baby, we won’t judge. We think puppies are pretty adorable, too!