puppy dogs are particularly sensitive and vulnerable animals. At birth they are completely dependent on their mother, as they need her help to feed, urinate or receive warmth among others. In addition, puppies are altricial animals, that is, they are born blind and deaf.
In this article on our site we will resolve one of the most common doubts that may arise upon the arrival of cute newborns: When do puppies open their eyes?Below we will explain when they begin to see, how they do it and many other curiosities. Do not miss it!
Newborn dogs are blind
At birth, puppies are deaf and blind, as their ear canals and eyes remain closed. They are not ready to see The third eyelid and iris remain undefined and highly sensitive to light, so during this very vulnerable stage, the eyelids and eyelashes protect them.
The central nervous system is also developing when they are born. For the first few days, they use their sense of touch to clumsily navigate to their mother, who provides them with warmth and food. In fact, they depend on her for everything, even to make her their needs, because the dog stimulates them by licking. Thus, during this period, if the puppy does not open its eyes, it is normal.
Why are they born without completing their development?
There is no definitive answer as to why altricial animals are born before they are fully grown. We find intermediate stages in different species. Birds, for example, develop very quickly, thus minimizing their exposure to predators. But in the case of altricial mammals, it is considered that they have a slower and more complex development because it is closely related to the longevity and/or intelligence of individuals.
In herbivorous animals, for example, it's completely different, so we talk about precocial animals Mostly we talk about prey, which they need to be fully developed at birth, in order to run away from predators
But then, how long does it take for puppies to open their eyes?
When do puppies open their eyes?
It is from the second week of life when we can begin to appreciate changes in their mobility and poise, although puppies they are still deaf and blind. It is not until approximately days 12 to 16 when puppy dogs open their eyes, and on day 14 when they uncover their ears, although it can vary by individual. There are dogs that take even a week longer to take these steps.
In any case, the opening of the eyes of puppies is a gradual process, which can take even a month, moment in which the puppies can already open their eyes fully. But do you see clearly as soon as you open your eyes? The truth is that no. Just because the eyelids peel back and allow the pup to open their eyes fully doesn't mean they see clearly.
When do the puppies start to see?
During the puppies' first month of life, sight is not a useful sense. Puppies primarily use smell, touch and taste, while hearing and vision develop at a slower rate, making it difficult to orient and visual recognition at this stage.
The retina of the eyeball develops at its own pace, and it's not until about day 25 that the puppies begin to change the lights and shadows without defining for sharp images. As was the case with the opening of the eyes, visual perception also develops gradually, not being until three months of agewhen the puppy achieves vision of it is fully developed
However, after one month of life, we can easily perceive that the puppy shows a greater interest in knowing the environment and playingwith her brothers. That is when the first steps take place and the first teeth develop, although they continue to sleep a large part of the day.
My puppy won't open his eyes, is that normal?
When the puppy is 20 days oldwe should start looking at his eyes. If they haven't opened yet, it's probably taking a while. The cause can be as simple as the accumulation of rheum on the eyelids, which are producing a "glue" effect that makes this step very difficult.
If you think this may be the problem, you can clean the area very gently with saline solution and clean gauze pads. However, we recommend that you first visit your veterinary to answer any questions.
If you observe secretions, inflammation or any other strange sign, do not apply serum and go directly to the specialist. Remember that at this stage the puppies are very delicate and it is preferable not to put the puppy's he alth at risk.
Likewise, it is very important that we never try to open the eyes of the puppies by force. If you touch them too much out of curiosity or nervousness when they do not open, you may be damaging your vision. It is very possible that if they have not been opened yet it is because they are not developed and, by forcefully opening them, you will leave them unprotected causing serious eye damage Don't! do never!
The sight of the dogs
Once the puppies have opened their eyes and fully developed their vision, they can see everything clearly. However, how do dogs see? Surely you have heard the false myth that dogs see in black and white. Next, we explain how they really see:
Dogs are capable of differentiating colors, although they don't do it like us, but they perceive a smaller quantity. Specifically, unlike people, who have three types of color receptors, dogs have dichromatic vision, being sensitive to two colors: yellow and blue That is to say, are unable to differentiate objects of other colors, such as red and green.
However, although they perceive fewer colors, they have much more advanced vision than ours in low light conditions. They have a thick membrane called " tapetum lucidum " that serves to reflect light rays, like a mirror, thus giving them a night vision between 4 and 5 times better than ours. This layer is also the reason why our dog's eyes shine especially in the photos.
