NAVIGATION WOLF PUPS Home Wolf Facts Puppies Wolf Myths Protect Species Timeline Visit Wolves Wolf Killers Gallery Multimedia Poetry Headlines Action Alerts WolfDogs Dakota MacKenzie Links Web Rings WOLF PUPS Wolf puppies are born after a gestation period of nine weeks. The litter is usually between 4-6 puppies and are born with dark colored fur. Gray wolf pups weigh one pound at birth, while red wolf pups weigh less than a pound at birth and need to stay close to their mother for warmth because they can not regulate their own body heat. They are born deaf, blind, have little or no sense of smell. For the first few weeks of their life, they stay in the den, spending most of their time eating and sleeping. After two weeks they can open their eyes. After three weeks they can walk and they can hear. They will start eating solid food as well. They get to meet the rest of the pack when they are about a month old. The entire pack watches after the puppies once they leave the den. The bonding begins with either the pack, or by humans if being raised by people. The older pack members bring food to the pups and watch for predators such as eagles and hawks. When the puppies are about 10 weeks old the pack moves away from the den area to a site where the puppies can play safely while the pack hunts. The puppies practice their skills they will need later in life, like fighting, chasing, pouncing and attacking through playing with each other. Playing helps the pups establish a social order among themselves. Even the older wolves are attacked by the pups, who put up with their bundle of energy. Wolf pups that are 6-8 months old are capable of traveling and hunting with the pack as they leave the summer rendezvous area, which involves hunting. Some of the information here is from Wolf Education and Research Center.