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When Do Puppies Open Their Eyes?

November 11, 2026 • Dog Due Date Calculator Team • 9 min read • Newborn Puppy Care
A tiny newborn puppy with its eyes still closed, held gently in a person's hands.

Most puppies open their eyes in the second week of life, between day 7 and day 14. A veterinary source at the American Kennel Club gives a slightly wider range, 10 to 16 days, so a puppy that opens its eyes on day 15 is not necessarily behind. The rule to follow is the stricter one from VCA: if a puppy's eyes have not opened within 14 days, it should be examined by a veterinarian. Eyes usually open one at a time, and a puppy's vision is blurry for the first few days. Never force a puppy's eyes open.

Why puppies are born with their eyes closed

Puppies are born with their eyes closed because their eyes and nervous system are not finished developing at birth. The eyelids protect the eyes while the retina and the nerves behind it mature. The same is true of their ears, which are also closed at birth, and of their ability to keep warm and to eliminate on their own. Dogs are born less developed than many other mammals, and the first two weeks of life are a continuation of development that happens inside the womb for other species.

That is also why the first two weeks are so quiet. Puppies should eat or sleep about 90 percent of the time before their eyes open, according to VCA. They find the teat by smell and warmth, not by sight. Once the eyes open, development speeds up noticeably: puppies become alert, start trying to stand, and begin exploring.

The day-by-day picture

Age What the eyes are doing What else is happening
Days 0–6 Eyes sealed shut Puppies eat and sleep; they cannot see, hear, or keep warm alone
Days 7–10 Some puppies open one or both eyes First attempts at standing; hearing starts to develop
Days 10–14 Most puppies have both eyes open Alert, trying to stand, reacting to movement and light
Days 14–16 Late openers; still within the AKC vet range Walking attempts begin; teeth appearing
Day 14 VCA vet trigger if eyes are still closed Book a vet examination rather than waiting longer
Day 21 Outer limit in some secondary sources If eyes are still closed at three weeks, vet care is urgent

The spread matters. A puppy that opens its eyes on day 8 and a littermate that opens them on day 14 are both normal. What is not normal is a puppy whose eyes are still closed at 14 days with swelling or discharge, or a puppy whose eyes open but look cloudy, swollen, or painful.

Is 14 days or 16 days the right cut-off?

This is the one point where the authoritative sources disagree, and the disagreement is worth stating plainly rather than hiding.

  • VCA, "Raising Puppies": most puppies' eyes open during the second week, from day 7 to day 14. If the eyes have not opened within 14 days, the puppy should be examined by a veterinarian.
  • VCA Canada, "Caring from Birth to Weaning": puppies are born with their eyes closed, but they open after one to two weeks. If the eyes have not opened by two weeks of age, seek immediate veterinary care.
  • AKC breeder guidance (Dr. Melanie A. Barnes, DVM): puppies' eyes do not open until between 10 and 16 days, and their ears do not function until between 15 and 17 days.
  • Secondary sources (PetMD, breeder guides): most describe 10 to 14 days as typical, and suggest a vet visit if eyes are still closed at about three weeks.

Two of the three primary sources agree on 14 days as the trigger for a vet visit. The AKC range describes what is common, not when to worry. The safe rule is the stricter one: 14 days. If a puppy's eyes are still closed at 14 days, have the vet look at them. Waiting until three weeks, as some secondary sources suggest, risks missing an infection that could damage the eye.

The same 14-day rule applies to discharge. If there is swelling, bulging, or discharge under the eyelids before they open, that is not normal development. It can mean an infection behind the eyelid.

What to do if the eyes are swollen or discharging

If you notice swelling, bulging, or discharge under a puppy's closed eyelids, do not ignore it and do not try to force the eye open with your fingers. VCA's guidance is:

  1. Ideally, have your veterinarian open the eyelids. The vet can tell whether the swelling is fluid, infection, or a structural problem.
  2. If a vet cannot do it, you can open the lids gently by massaging with a cotton ball or soft cloth dampened with warm water.
  3. If pus emerges when the lids open, contact your veterinarian immediately. Pus means infection, and an eye infection in a two-week-old puppy needs treatment the same day.
  4. If the eyes have not opened by 14 days, the puppy should be examined by a veterinarian even if there is no swelling or discharge.

Do not use eye drops, ointments, or any medication on a puppy's eyes without a veterinarian's instruction. Newborn puppies are extremely sensitive to medication, and the wrong product can damage the eye.

What puppies can actually see once their eyes open

Not much, at first. A puppy's vision is blurry when its eyes first open, and it improves over the following weeks. Puppies do not have full adult vision for some time. In the first days after opening, they react to light and movement more than to detail. That is normal and does not need any action.

What you will notice is behaviour, not eyesight. Once the eyes open, puppies rapidly mature physically. By two weeks they should be alert and trying to stand. By three weeks they try to climb out of the nest. By four weeks they should be able to walk, run, and play. VCA Canada is direct about the stakes: a puppy that fails to meet these basic developmental milestones is at significant risk for death or permanent impairment, and you should notify your veterinarian if you observe abnormal development.

So the eyes opening is not just a cute milestone. It is the start of the period when you can judge development by watching the puppy move and respond. Before the eyes open, weight gain is the main thing to watch. After they open, movement and alertness join the list.

When do puppies' ears open?

Puppies' ears open after their eyes, usually around 15 to 17 days, according to the AKC veterinary guidance. Before that, puppies cannot hear. You will notice the change when a puppy starts reacting to sounds: turning toward a voice, startling at a sudden noise, or waking when you speak near the box.

Hearing and vision develop together in weeks 2 and 3, which is why week 3 is when puppies start to respond to the world around them instead of only to warmth and smell. That is also why gentle, brief handling and normal household sounds from week 2 onward help them get used to people. Keep it calm and short; loud noises and rough handling can frighten a puppy whose senses are only just coming online.

Eyes opening and the rest of the litter

Eyes opening does not happen on the same day for every puppy, and it does not happen at the same speed in every breed. Small breeds often develop slightly faster than giant breeds. What matters is the trend across the litter and the 14-day trigger for any individual puppy.

If one puppy's eyes open several days after its littermates but are otherwise clear, with no swelling or discharge, and the puppy is gaining weight and becoming alert, that is usually just variation. If that puppy is also the smallest, the quietest, or the one that struggles to nurse, treat it as a reason to call the vet, not as a reason to wait.

Keep weighing daily through this period. A healthy puppy puts on roughly five to ten percent of its weight each day and about doubles its birth weight in the first week. A puppy that stops gaining weight at the same time its eyes are late to open needs a vet visit, because the two together suggest a wider problem than slow eyes alone.

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

When do puppies open their eyes after birth?

Most puppies open their eyes in the second week, between day 7 and day 14. The AKC gives a wider range of 10 to 16 days. If a puppy's eyes are still closed at 14 days, VCA advises a vet examination.

Do puppies open both eyes at the same time?

Not always. One eye often opens a day or two before the other. That is normal. What is not normal is one eye opening and the other staying closed with swelling or discharge underneath it.

Can I help my puppy open its eyes?

No, not if the eyes are healthy and sealed. Do not force them open. The only exception is swelling, bulging, or discharge under the eyelids, and even then VCA says your veterinarian should ideally open them. If a vet cannot do it, gentle massage with a warm, damp cotton ball is the method VCA describes.

Why is my puppy's eye cloudy after opening?

Vision is blurry for the first few days after the eyes open, and that is normal. A persistent white or grey cloudiness, swelling, or discharge is not normal and should be checked by a vet.

When do puppies start to hear?

Around 15 to 17 days, according to AKC veterinary guidance. Puppies are born deaf as well as blind, and hearing develops in week 3 alongside vision.

What if my puppy's eyes open but it does not seem to see?

Give it a few days. Newborn vision is blurry and improves over weeks. If the puppy does not react to light or movement by three weeks, or if it bumps into things constantly after four weeks, ask your vet to check its eyesight at the first visit.

Next step: track the whole first month

Eyes opening is one milestone in a busy first month. Our newborn puppy care week by week guide puts it in context with warmth, weight, and weaning, and the puppy weight gain calculator lets you check each puppy against the 5 to 10 percent daily gain rule while its eyes are opening. Use the dog due date calculator if you are working out the litter's dates from the mating date.

This article is general information, not veterinary advice. If a puppy's eyes have not opened by 14 days, or there is swelling, bulging, or pus, contact your veterinarian. Calculator results on this site are estimates only: they do not confirm pregnancy and they do not replace a vet's advice.

Sources

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