Embryonic, Puppy and Dog Development

Following on from our dog anatomy, dog world records and dog training information infographics we’ve researched how a dog goes from just a couple of a cells to a walking, barking canine companion.

When I decided to put a blog post together about dog and puppy development it sounded like a fairly straightforward task. Research things like canine gestation periods, find out how a puppy learns to interact with the world, and finish off with some fascinating facts and figures. Easy to say, but far more difficult to achieve but (hopefully) I think the result gives some great insight into the development of man’s best friend.

The first section of our graphic shows the embryonic development process of a dog. Using some fantastic information and photo’s sourced from National Geographic’s ‘in the womb’ series we’re able to show just how quickly an embryo develops. From just a few cells at the start of week two an embryo grows to 2cm in size within the next couple of weeks and, by 40 days, is officially a fetus.

For me, the most interesting part of a dog’s development comes while it’s a puppy. Being born blind and deaf, unable to regulate its own body temperature a puppy is entirely reliant on its mother. There is then just a few short hops to being able to walk, interact, learn social boundaries and become, for the most part, independent. This takes us as humans over a decade but puppies do it in just a few months.

Researching this section uncovered a whole wealth of information, much of which had contrasting views. Hopefully, however, we’ve managed to capture the essence of a puppy’s growth process and illustrate the most important stages. For more information and a detailed write-up it’s worth taking a look at Cesar Milan’s site.

Finally, adult dogs differ wildly depending on their breed and size. As a general rule smaller dogs live longer and, as the graph shows, there’s a link between dog and human years (although the ‘multiply the age of your dog by 7’ rule isn’t quite true). During their early years dogs mature much faster than humans, with a 1 year old dog being the equivalent of a 10-15 year old human. This then slows slightly as the years progress.

I hope you enjoyed the graphic and would love to hear what you think and answer any questions – feel free to comment below.

We hope you enjoy our dog development post and, if so, don’t forget to browse through our collection of stunning dog coats, waterproof dog collars and dog beds.

Dog and Puppy Development
34 Comments
  1. Excellent, very impressed at the amount of work which has gone into the site…easy to follow and understand….I think it will facilitate the novice puppy/dog owner to understand why puppies/dogs should not be purchased without research and thought. *****

  2. Wow, very well written infographic. I love the way you all approach this, and spread knowledge in a fun and entertaing way 🙂

  3. I love it! Matt and team your very talented.
    The layout exceptional and easy followed by anyone even if your not in the world of dogs!
    Keep the information on all dog aspects coming!

    Well Done!

  4. Very well done!!

    Wonderful visuals and easy to understand!

    Your site is a great additional source of info for any resonsible breeders to use as a pointer for their prospective puppy/dog owners.

    I would have no hesitation recommending your site! : ))

  5. Amazing innovation! Really fun way to educate all ages about those lovely furry cutie pies that make our lives whole!

  6. This is a very informative web site. Really enjoyed visiting. Thanks for all the hard work put into gathering all this valuable information.

  7. This is really lovely, I will definitely share it…my only concern is that I have issues with the use of the word “correction” of behaviours at the 3 month stage as it can be misinterpreted..I would have rather seen management/prevention used in conjunction with this instead.

  8. Matt – this is fantastic! You should definitely be up for an award sometime soon. I cannot imagine all the work and hours that go into this undertaking, but I am sure everyone will learn a lot from you!
    Your friend, Fisher

  9. I like this one. So informative, really inspiring! I read them all carefully, don’t want to miss a single word !

  10. facinating stuff, really interesting facts – a puppy goes through so much in his first few weeks and months .