However, caring for a pitbull puppy can take some significant work, especially during the first few weeks of the puppy’s life.
Pitbull puppies develop at a slightly different pace than other dog breeds, and they present certain challenges to owners.
For instance, sometimes owners of pitbull puppies find themselves becoming concerned that their puppy has yet to open its eyes.
When do pitbull puppies actually open their eyes? Is it a problem if they take some time to open? These are questions that often worry owners of pitbull puppies, but luckily, we have the answers that you have likely been searching for.
If you want to know when your pitbull puppies will open their eyes, then read on below, because we are going to tell you!
When Do Pitbull Puppies Open Their Eyes?
Put simply, it can take upwards of 14 days, and around 18 days at the longest for a pitbull puppy to finally open its eyes. This means that for over two weeks, and in some cases, just under three weeks, a pitbull puppy is not able to see.
During the first three weeks of life, pitbull puppies have also yet to fully adapt to their sense of hearing and are often deaf until they adjust.
Why Do Pitbull Puppies Take So Long To Open Their Eyes?
Compared to some other dog breeds that tend to open up their eyes within a week of life, pitbull puppies take a significant period of time to open up their eyes. There is actually a very good reason for this.
The main reason for this is that pitbulls are Altricial. ‘Altricial’ refers to animals that are born depending on their mothers to rear them to survive.
These are very different from ‘Precocial’ animals that are able to move about and be self-sufficient as soon as they are born, such animals are born as such because they often need to hide from predators constantly.
Pitbull puppies are heavily altricial and require that their mothers survive for them for at least the first three weeks of life while they learn to navigate the world.
The job of a mother pitbull can be very demanding, as the puppies require feeding, and at that point in their lives, all the puppies know and understand is their mother, due to not yet having a sense of sight or sound.
How Do You Know If A Pitbull Puppy Is Taking Too Long To Open Its Eyes?
If a puppy seems to be taking longer than 18 days to open its eyes, don’t worry, as it could just be that the puppy is developing at a different rate.
Simply monitor the other functions of the puppy, as the time in which puppies begin to open their eyes is also the time in which they begin exploring the world around them.
This means that you can look out for bodily movements such as first steps, or even tiny barks as they get used to vocalizing.
If the other behaviors are beginning to make themselves present, then it is likely that the puppy will be opening its eyes anytime soon!
Of course, if you are worried that it has been too long and your puppy still has not opened its eyes, it is recommended to contact your vet and have them consult the pitbull puppy, to try to discern whether it could be a larger issue or not.
How Do The Eyes Of A Pitbull Puppy Develop?
Pitbull eyes develop in a very unique way, and even once they have been opened there is still much developing left to be done.
When a pitbull puppy’s eyes are first opened, its vision will be hazy and blurry as it will begin to adjust to different light levels.
You may notice that a pitbull puppy’s eyes have a slightly hazy look to them, and this is thanks to the light film that is wrapped over their corneas to protect them from harsh light.
With time, that film layer will begin to dissipate, and you will begin to see the puppy’s natural eye color beginning to shine through!
By eight weeks, most pitbull puppies will have developed their adult eyes and will be able to see and hear the world around them, and be able to make out distinct shapes in the environment.
To Wrap Up
Pitbull puppies can take some significant time to begin opening their eyes, which means that many owners find themselves becoming concerned when, at the 1-week period, the puppy still has not opened its eyes.
Luckily, the simple answer is that pitbull puppies just take a little bit longer to develop their sense of sight and hearing, thanks to their altricial nature, as they depend on their mothers to feed them and to help them to understand the world around them for the first weeks of their lives.
If your pitbull puppy is taking a little bit longer to develop its sense of sight, don’t worry, because it could just be developing at a slower rate, and you can always consult your vet if you are concerned.
Frequently Asked Questions
When Can Puppies Drink Water?
You should generally wait until a puppy is around 3 to 4 weeks old before giving it bowls of water. This is because until that time they will be depending on their mother’s milk to feed and be hydrated.
Can A 3 Week Old Puppy Survive Without Its Mother?
While it would always be best to have a puppy be raised by its mother, it is possible for a 3-week-old puppy to survive without the mother, provided it is monitored and fed adequately.
How Long Does A Mother Dog Sleep With Her Puppies?
Generally, mother dogs tend to sleep with their puppies until around 12 weeks of age, at which point the puppies become more independent and more able to survive on their own.
Hi everyone, I’m Emily Andrews and I can’t wait to explain why Bullypaw.org means so much to me.
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a veterinarian. I loved every dog, horse, bird, and squirrel. But from an early age, I noticed that bully dogs like Pitbulls and Staffordshire Terriers were given a different treatment than their friends.
Everyone said they were prone to aggression, but I didn’t believe it. They seemed just as friendly as my family Labrador. Turns out I was right. These dogs are loyal and were once considered the perfect nanny dogs.
My love for animals wasn’t just a childhood fantasy. In 2002 I graduated from my veterinary school in New Zealand with a BVSc. I wanted to travel the world and help rejected animals as I went, but to do that I needed to pass the American Exams. It didn’t take long for me to earn a DVM, and soon I was heading to Florida.
We want to show everyone why bully dogs can be amazing pets. If you like any of our work, share it among your friends and help reduce decades of misinformation.
