If you’re anything like us, you celebrate puppies every day of the year with a regular dose of aww-mazing photos, videos and more.
So on National Puppy Day, March 23, the designated day on the calendar to honor the fluffy, smile-inducing animals, we expect that your puppy passion will reach higher than normal levels.
To help you in that quest, we gathered some very important information about puppies — all about their adorable habits, milestones and more — which you can totally read during breaks from your all-day puppy movie marathon (assuming you’re taking the day off of work).
Puppies are born blind and deaf.
Dogs arrive here on earth with their ear canals and eyes closed. According to Psychology Today, they’re born that way so that their eyes and ears can continue to develop healthily. As they age, both begin to open at about the same time.
Puppies are pure sunshine.
We have zero scientific evidence to support this, but it’s definitely true. Just look at that face.
Puppies sleep 15-20 hours a day.
Just like little humans, these babies need lots and lots of sleep. During sleep a pup’s central nervous system, brain, immune system, and muscles are developing, says the American Kennel Club. Shuteye also helps puppy deal with those all-important growth spurts.
Even some cats like puppies.
And, let’s be honest, cats don’t really like anyone. Felines, like this exceedingly affectionate kitty in the video above, find the charms of puppies irresistible. We totally get it.
Puppy paws are so much more than just cute.
Those giant feet, which they’ll one day grow into, are more than just insanely adorable, they’re where a dog’s merocrine sweat glands are located, according to the American Kennel Club. Ever seen doggy paw prints on your floor after spending time outside on a super hot day? That’s the sweat glands in their paws working to keep them cool.
There are approximately 5-6 puppies born in most litters.
Except for that one time in 2004 when Tia, a Neapolitan mastiff, gave birth to a whopping 24 pups (not pictured). The blessed event became a Guinness World Record.
The age at which a puppy graduates to adulthood varies.
The general size of your dog will help determine when he or she moves on from the utterly uh-mazing puppy phase and over to full-time adult-ing, Pedigree explains. Large dog breeds will become an adult at about 15 months, while smaller breeds will be puppies for only 9 months (tear).
If you say “puppies, puppies, puppies” three times real fast you’ll feel so much better.
Just try it and you’ll see. Note: “Kittens, kittens, kittens” has a similar effect. BTW, National Kitten Day is October 29, so go ahead and request that vacation day now.
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