The first few weeks of life

Our current litter are about to turn 2 weeks old and their eyes are about to open. Although they can't yet see or hear, that doesn't mean we haven't been working with them to give them the best start in life. We are a Puppy Culture breeder and have been working on the Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) protocols.

ENS has been shown to improve a dog's stress response later in life. In essence, it's about adding slight stressors to a neonate's life, where they aren't experiencing it. Think back through the history of the dog, and what the life of a newborn litter would be like. Rather than the warm, clean, dry, and protected surroundings our bitches have today, the puppies would experience environmental stressors as well as their dam leaving to feed. Our puppies don't experience these and instead have a cushy life, which is where ENS steps in - to kickstart their neurological systems through a series of very short, daily activities.

Research suggests that this ENS protocol not only improves how a dog reacts to stress for the rest of their life, but also benefits their immune system.

Once the puppy's eyes open, the window to perform these exercises closes - meaning these first few weeks of life can be a very precious time to work with.