by Tom Keer
Lead photo courtesy of Eukanuba Sporting Dog
Not all people love dogs, but everyone loves puppies. Puppies represent the future, and with that they bring hope. Some might win a National Championship or climb to the top of the hunt test ladder. Others live active lives that involve lots of training and hunting. Puppies change so quickly in the year between whelping and adulthood that it’s almost difficult to remember those early days of soft pads and puppy breath. To celebrate the uniqueness of their early lives, here are 18 fast facts that remind us of how inspiring puppies really are.
Dr. Franck Peron, DVM, PhD, is part of the Global Scientific Support Team for both Eukanuba and Royal Canin. He is a scientist, a veterinarian, and an ethologist who studies animal behavior, with a significant focus on puppies. He’s got a lot of knowledge about all things puppy, and here are some of his top picks.
#1: “When puppies are one-month old, their brain is small. In fact, it is only about one third of its adult size. Their brain grows very quickly, and when the puppy is two-months old, his brain has nearly doubled in size. By the time the puppy is six months old, his brain has reached 80 percent of its total size. Full growth is reached when the puppy is about 12 months of age.”
#2: “Learning is dramatic when puppies are young. Their brain produces docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which helps facilitate learning, but research has proven that they need more DHA than their bodies can make. As a result, many dog food companies add DHA to their puppy and even their adult dog food formulas. DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid commonly found in fish or alga oil.”
#3: “Puppies are born with nearly no antibodies. Their immune system is entirely reliant on maternal antibodies, which are found in their dam’s colostrum. Colostrum is produced by the dam following whelping, and it contains antibodies that help protect the puppy from sickness and disease. This protection starts with the puppy’s first feeding after birth and continues until the puppy is weaned.”
#4: “To support their active lives, puppies need to develop strong bones. By the time they reach adulthood, the puppy’s bones have strengthened to be about four times stronger than concrete. That strength is what allows them to live successful, healthy, and active lives.”
#5: “Newborn puppies cannot self-regulate their body temperature. As an adult, a dog’s normal core body temperature is a range of between 99.5-102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. When born, a puppy’s temperature range is lower and falls somewhere in the range between 95-99 degrees Fahrenheit. Their core body temperatures begin to rise by the time they are two weeks olds and falls to somewhere between 97-100 degrees. Puppies reach their adult temperature range around their fourth week of age, and that is between 99.5 and 102.5 degrees. Because of those low core body temperatures, it’s important to keep very young puppies warm. They will stay warm by maintaining a close proximity to their dam, but many breeders position a heat lamp above their whelping box.”
#6: “Puppies gain weight at a rate that is up to six times faster than a human. Puppies will double their birth weight in their first week of life and add between 10-15 percent of their weight every day. Larger breeds grow faster than smaller breeds.”
#7: “Puppies are born without teeth. Deciduous teeth erupt at approximately two weeks of age. Puppies will have 28 deciduous teeth by the time they are six or seven weeks old. When they are about two months old, the puppy will begin losing those teeth. The puppy will have a full complement of 42 adult teeth by the time he is seven to eight months old. It’s not exactly known where the puppy teeth go when they fall out. Some are occasionally found on the floor or in a kennel, but many go undetected.”
Read the rest of Tom’s puppy facts in the February/March issue, available now! What else will you find in the issue?
Season One: Upland. By E. Donnall Thomas Jr.
Ringneck Revolution. By Chris Smith
Clean Up on Aisle 6. By Charlie Jurney
A Chessie in the Last Frontier. By Isaac Martin
Grouse Hunting with a Flusher. By Steve Smith
18 Puppy Fast Facts. By Tom Keer
Favorite Covers: Dixie. By Lou Pasqua
The Wingshooter: Shooting as athletics. By Steve Smith
Waterfowling North America: Pioneer ducks no more. By Doug Larsen
Training Champions: Advancing your retriever. By Danny Farmer
The Vet’s Office: Puppy questions. By Dr. Ben J. Character
Your Dog & You: The first four months. By George Hickox
Subscriber Forum
Subscriber Photos
The View From the Pier. By Casimer “Cas” Cecum
