🐶 Puppy
Also known as: pup
The young of a dog.
A puppy is a baby dog. Puppies are born blind and start suckling from their mother almost at once. Their eyes open on day 9–11, but at first they see poorly.
For the first weeks a puppy lives only on its mother's milk. The very first milk, colostrum, is especially valuable. It contains substances that protect the puppy from infections. If a litter has more than six puppies, the weakest may not get enough milk. Then they are given extra feeds from a bottle.
At about a month old, puppies start moving gradually onto solid food. At this time the mother may bring up half-digested food for them or share her own food. She usually stops nursing them, but sometimes still lets the puppies suckle to calm them. Cow's milk is no substitute for dog's milk: orphan puppies are fed special formulas.
How it connects to milk
Links
- Fed with milk by
- 🐕 Dog
Frequently asked questions
When do puppies start eating solid food?
At about a month old. The change happens gradually, and by then the mother has almost stopped nursing them.
When do puppies open their eyes?
Usually 9–11 days after birth. At first they see poorly.