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25 Fun Puppy Facts for Kids
This next post in our fun facts series are the highly anticipated puppy facts for kids!
Puppies and dogs are gooshy no matter how old you are. They are so popular and loved they have been universally dubbed, man’s best friend. Pet dogs are a common interest amongst kids. They are often the first animals or domestic pet that children come into contact with.. From there, they easily develop a relationship deserving of the term “man’s best friend”.
While you may think that you are pretty familiar with dogs, were you aware that the American Kennel Club recognizes almost 200 different breeds? With over 200 official breeds, there is so much to know and learn about puppies!
Some may think all puppies act the same and want the same things. That is certainly not the case. Puppies are so different from adult dogs and different breeds are so different from one another. If you are looking for some interesting facts about puppies, check out the lists below!
Fun Facts about Puppies
Here is a fun list of facts all about puppies! This list is a great mix of simple-to-read, brief facts and others with a little more detail.
- A puppy litter is a group of puppies born from the same mother at one time. Big dog breeds, like Dalmatians, usually have large litters. Small dogs, like a Yorkshire Terrier, may only have one or two puppies!
- When puppies are born, they cannot see or hear. They have to use their sense of smell to get around and find their mom!
- Around two weeks old, puppies begin seeing and hearing.
- Puppies are born without teeth and do not get any until they are almost a month old! There is no need to worry about your newborn puppy chewing up your socks just yet.
- Chew toys help puppies while teething. They also help the puppies release boundless energy.
- Puppies do not open their eyes until they are a couple weeks old, and doesn’t develop full sight until 6 weeks old.
- Baby dogs are just like baby humans! They spend a lot of time sleeping. They sleep for over fifteen hours a day right after they have been born!
- After a couple months, puppies can start to understand our body language and hand gestures.
- Puppies and dogs may have been domesticated almost 15,000 years ago! Domesticated means they went from wild dogs to becoming pets for humans.
- While puppies mostly drink their mothers milk, when they grow up they become omnivores! This means they eat all sorts of foods. They like grains, vegetables, and meats. Most dog food that you buy in a store includes all three!
- The largest litter of puppies recorded was twenty four! This large litter of puppies was born to a Mastiff named Tia. She had 15 male puppies and 9 female puppies!
- Owners that want to enter their dog in competitions must start training their dog when they are very young! This helps them learn important behavior habits at a young age and keep them for a long time!
- The average life span of dogs is usually somewhere between 10 and 14 years old! Puppies learn to walk somewhere between two and five weeks old!
- Puppies are considered to be “adult” dogs when they turn one year old. A dog that is one year old is about fifteen years old in human years. We would still consider that a teenager!
- The scientific name for dog is Canis Lupus Familiaris. If you have never heard that term before, it is what scientists call domestic dogs.
Types of Popular Dog Breeds in the United States
With almost 200 different recognized dog breeds, everyone has a different favorite breed. This is a list of some of the most popular breeds in the United States.
The list is decided and created out of registered ownership. The breed with the most registered owners makes the top of the list! Labrador Retrievers top the list nearly every year. Their energy, personality, and easy-going attitude make them the #1 choice for many aspiring dog owners. Let’s look at some of the different dog breeds:
- Labrador Retrievers
- French Bulldogs
- German Shepherds
- Golden Retrievers
- Bulldogs
- Poodles
- Beagles
- Rottweilers
- Pointers
- Dachshunds
- Pembroke Welsh Corgis
- Great Danes
- Scottish Terriers
- Cocker Spaniel
- Australian Shepherds
- Yorkshire Terriers
- Boxers
- Siberian Huskies
As you can see, there are many different breeds of dogs. This makes it challenging when searching for man’s best friend – or should we say a kids best friend?
Below is an informative picture book about puppies. When teaching puppy facts for kids, this would be a great book to add to your collection.
More Fun Puppy Facts for Kids
The list below includes some of the most popular breeds in the United States (listed above) and some more details about each one. This is a great piece to read if you are looking to adopt!
German Shepherd Puppies
The German Shepherd breed is in the top three for most popular dog breeds! They make great guide dogs and police dogs. This dogs nose is one of the reasons they make great police dogs. Shepherds are sniffer dogs and love to use their nose to explore! They are incredibly smart and protective of their families.
Chihuahua
These little dogs live to be, on average, 12-20 years of age. The world’s smallest dog is a Chihuahua, standing at a whopping 4 inches tall.
Great Dane Puppies
Great Danes are the tallest dogs! They may be large, but they are incredibly sweet to humans and are very social. They need a lot of exercise and proper training is extremely important! Their average lifespan is 8-10 years.
Golden Retrievers
A Golden Retriever is often thought of as the best pet dog. These popular pets need lots of exercise. Golden Retrievers have so much energy! They also make very good therapy dogs. Golden Retrievers are excellent at calming and soothing humans!
Labrador Retriever Puppies
The Labrador Retriever is the most popular breed in the United States. They love playing in water, and have so much energy! Because of this, obedience classes are often very necessary. Having had a lab in our family, I can verify they have a great personality! Did you know that they were originally brought to England to be hunting dogs? Labs make great family dogs, and excellent service and guide dogs.
Scottish Terriers
Throughout history, royalty has loved this breed! Kings and queens often had this breed around their palaces. According to the dog experts, these puppies love to dig!
Yorkshire Terriers
A Yorkie has a coat that has almost the same texture as human hair! If you don’t cut it, their hair can grow to be over two feet long!
Bulldogs
This breed is old school! Bulldogs were inducted in to the American Kennel club 130 years ago! Many bulldogs have to be delivered via C-section! Their heads are sometimes too big to be birthed naturally! This breed is extremely gassy and snores a lot!
Poodles
The poodle breed is actually from Germany and not France! They were made to be hunting dogs because they are so smart. They are extremely active and come in three different sizes: Toy poodle, Miniature Poodle, and Standard Poodle. Poodles have hair and not fur. This is why they do not shed!
Beagles
These dogs were made for hunting. Their big ears keep scent particles close to their nose. This is why they are so good and finding and sniffing stuff out! They do not like being left alone and will make sure that you know! This dog’s ears are distinguishable even as a puppy.
Before you go, here are more fun facts for kids:
