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Animal models are very important for biomedical research. Rodents and lagomorphs are the species most commonly used to study the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), but larger species such as sheep are also essential due to their gestation period and fetal physiological characteristics. In addition, the use of animal models allows the identification of the window(s) of vulnerability such as the preconception, peri-implantation, gestational, and/or lactation periods. Disturbances in the maternal environment (nutritional or metabolic environment, exposure to environmental contaminants) during these different critical periods impact on the phenotype of the offspring. These studies also make it possible to evaluate or anticipate long-term effects on the offspring, whereas explorations remain limited via human cohorts due to the intergenerational time step. To finish, this article will discuss the interest of these models for testing interventional therapies before their implementation in humans.