March 23rd is National Puppy Day, and we’re here to celebrate! Down below we’ve gathered our favorite cute facts about lifes little snuggle buddies: PUPPIES!!!

They Sleep…a LOT

Puppies are similar to newborn human babies in that they need a ton of sleep! About 15 to 20 hours per day, according to the AKC.

And When They Aren’t Sleeping…

They’re eating! Yep, the majority of their time spent awake is chowing down. Most of a puppies growth happens in their first few weeks of life, and they’ll be half their adult weight around 14 weeks of age.

They’re Helpless at Birth

I mean, totally helpless. They’ve evolved to be blind and death at birth. Carnivores have a low gestation period as pregnancy can lower their ability to hunt for or chase down food. So because such a short time is spent in the womb, puppies aren’t born fully developed.

Puppies Like Baby Talk

Yes, they like that ridiculous voice that takes over when you talk to them, much more than their adult counterparts. Research shows that when played recording of people speaking at higher registers, puppies responded to the voices and were drawn to them while adult dogs ignored the sounds altogether.

Puppy Dog Eyes Are No Accident

No, your dog isn’t just expressing their emotions. Studies have shown that puppy dog eyes are a calculated maneuver to get our attention. The action isn’t just limited to puppies, though. Adult dogs do it too. Somewhere along the way dogs have learned that raising their eyebrows makes their eyes appear bigger and sadder, leading to human attention. Studies have shown that dogs are even more likely to make the expression when humans are watching then when humans are not around.

Why Are They Cute?

Many mammals have certain traits when they’re young that trigger that “awwww” response in humans. These traits are known as “baby schema”, and they’re found in humans as well as animals. The traits include big eyes, chubby bodies, large heads and soft textures. When we look at puppies, we subconsciously associate these traits with our own young, causing our brains to release the feel-good neurotransmitter known as dopamine. This is the same chemical that’s released when we fall in love, and triggers happy and enjoyable feelings.