My 35-day-old puppy isn't reacting. Is he blind? How to tell?

It can be tricky to determine if newborn pup is [blind](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/blindness/) since puppies don't [develop full eyesight](https://www.petcoach.co/article/sight-development-in-the-dog-puppy) until around 8 weeks of age. Vision will gradually improve to adult capacity over the next several weeks. You can gauge your puppy's vision by throwing a cotton ball into the air and watching his/her response. A puppy with normal sight will watch the hand motion, then the cotton ball as it falls to the floor. Do this silently as sound may distract the puppy. If your pup fails to spot or follow the cotton ball, see your veterinarian or a [veterinary ophthalmologist](https://www.acvo.org/) for a complete eye exam.

Eyelids in puppies typically open between 10-14 days of age, and I can see that Pumpkin Pie is just past that point at 17 days. At this point, his eyes may simply be opening later than normal, or may have a congenital or infectious issue occurring. It would be best to take him to a vet (or ideally, a veterinary ophthalmologist) for further evaluation. If he does have a congenital issue leading to blindness, there are plenty of dogs that happy, full lives without sight. It just takes some dedication, consistency in training/routine, and extra caution around new people and children. Give it more time before worrying about having a blind dog! :-) I hope that all goes well for Pumpkin Pie!

A very young puppy like Bam Bam often doesn’t respond like an older dog to sights and sounds. It’s too soon to worry about his eye sight or hearing yet. Give him several more weeks to grow and mature. He will probable gradually start responding like you expect, especially if he already had a normal eye exam. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Bam Bam.

One month of age is very young to be separated from his mother and litter, ideally he should stay with his mother until he is eight weeks old. His sight and hearing should be normal for his age, though he's only been able to see and hear for a week or two, so he may not know how to interpret what he senses. I recommend getting him seen by your vet as soon as possible for an exam to determine how normal he is for his age and get him started on everything he needs, such as a vaccination schedule and deworming program.

Some puppies will open their eyes later than other puppies. If there is no discharge from the eyes, mucus or matting over the eyelids, it seem like the muscles around the eyes 'blink' even though his eyes are not open, and he's eating and otherwise thriving, he may just be slow to open his eyes. If you see any of the signs I mentioned above, there is a medical reason behind why he isn't opening his eyes, and you need to take him into your vet.

Puppies hearing develops from 2-4weeks but his responses and behavior in relation to noise takes some time to learn and is often stunted if weaned away from his mother and siblings to early. If you are concerned your vet can do some checks to see if and what frequencies are affected but there are limited treatment options available if there is any lack of hearing. I recommend some puppy socialisation classes as soon as he is vaccinated to encourage some positive training aids at a young age

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Polly isn't running in to things I am sure she can see. Young puppies tend to have poor focusing skills until about Polly's age. Usually by 7 weeks their vision is fully developed. I am hoping that Polly is trying to adjust to her new surroundings and in a short time you will notice improvement. Play and interact with her. She will need a Vet appointment soon for her vaccines (3 weeks from the last vaccine given by the breeder or if the breeder hasn't started vaccine you need to bring her to a Vet sooner to start the DHPP series) and if you are still concerned about her vision have them check then. I hope this helps! Congrats on your new baby!