When Do Puppies Open Their Eyes? - VitaPet

Maybe your like

close nz aus arrow-down arrow-left arrow-right arrow-up chevron-down chevron-left chevron-right chevron-up paw paw-prints search tick facebook instagram twitter youtube This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Find out more on Privacy Policy and Terms And Conditions. Close Close Lifestage mascot

How old is your dog?

Pre-Puppy

What’s better than puppies? That’s right: your own puppy. So, what do you need to know before you take the plunge into pet parenthood?

0-2 months

Welcome to the world little one. It’s all grow-grow-grow for your puppy right now, so there’s many things to prepare.

2-3 months

Your puppy is ready to come home and turn your world upside down. It’s time to put your preparation into practice – and remember to take it all in!

3-6 months

You’re entering a period of immense growth, lots of learning and new adventures. Bring on the play date with the big wide world!

6-12 months

Your fur-baby is nearing adulthood. Can you see their grown self coming through? Sigh…they grow up so fast, don’t they?

12-18 months

Your puppy has turned one and they might not be so little anymore. Make sure to book their first annual check-up.

18 months - 3 years

Your dog is one an established family member now. Enjoy who they have become and the bond you now share at this special stage.

3 - 8 years

Your dog is a full-grown adult now. They understand where their place is in your home and the wider world.

8+ years

Just like many senior citizens, senior dogs have some extra needs. Learn to look after your best friend and support their health as they grow older.

Health
Development

When do puppies open their eyes? Dr Gretta Howard - Vet profile picture

Dr Gretta Howard - Vet

BVSc (Hons), MVS (Sm.Anim.Pract.), MANZCVS (Sm.Anim.Med.)

Dr Gretta Howard is an Australian veterinarian with over 20 years experience with a strong interest in growth and development, nutrition and small animal medicine of dogs and cats.

When puppies are born, their eyesight and hearing is not yet fully developed and a lot of their behaviour is ‘pre-programmed’ as part of their survival instinct. During the transition phase of a puppy’s development, which is days 11-21, puppies develop their senses of vision and hearing.

It is important to provide puppies with an interesting environment so that their nervous system can develop as best as possible1.

When do puppies start to see?

Unlike human babies, puppies do not open their eyes immediately after birth and their eyes remain closed until they are 8-16 days old (there is some individual variation here).

When puppies first open their eyes, they will have a bluey-grey appearance and are cloudy compared to an adult dog’s eyes. In addition to this, their ability to control how much light gets into their eyes does not fully develop until 4 weeks of age (known as the pupillary light reflex)2. So, it is important to keep the lights fairly dim until then and avoid direct sunlight during this time.

Puppies younger than 4 weeks of age have a reduced ability to protect their eyes with a blinking reflex2, so they are at an increased risk of damage to the surface of their eyes (known as the cornea). This is important when managing your puppy’s environment to reduce the risk of injury.

A puppy’s vision and ability to see distance continues to develop until 8 weeks of age and by 16 weeks, a puppy’s eyesight is fully developed for distance.

When do puppies start to hear?

Puppies cannot hear properly when they are born because, like their eyes, their external ear canals are closed at birth. Between days 12-14, the external ear canals open and puppies will tend to respond to sounds from 2 weeks of age2.

At 3-4 weeks of age, healthy puppies can generally hear very well. At this time, they can even be desensitised to sounds that might be a bit scary to an older puppy or adult dog2.

So, it is a good idea to gently expose puppies to various sounds during this stage of their hearing development.

If you notice that your puppy is having difficulty seeing or hearing after 4 weeks of age, be sure to organise a veterinary assessment to ensure there are no problems with their sensory development. It’s important that puppies develop to their full potential and most of all, that they remain safe while exploring the new world around them during this exciting time in life.

References:1. Luescher A. Puppy Development and Problem Prevention. Western Veterinary Conference 2004, Purdue University, USA.2. Pierce B. Pediatrics: What’s Normal in the First Year? Atlantic Coast Veterinary Conference 2014, Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, USA.

Guides
Health

Puppy 0-2 Months - Physical Milestones

Puppies do a lot of growing in their first two months of life and this includes a number of important physical milestones. Let’s take a look at the physical milestones puppies reach during the first 2 months.