Early Neurological Stimulation
What is Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS)? It is a variety of exercises done with each puppy from day 3 of life through day 16 of life. The purpose of these exercises is to help each puppy respond better to different stressors as it grows. Day 3 starts with just handling the puppy and holding it in different positions for just a few seconds at a time. We do this alone until day 7 and then we start introducing different scents as well as gently placing each puppy on a different textured surface for just a few seconds. We continue this until the puppies are roughly 16 days old.
Once the puppies have their eyes open and are able to move around more then we start to introduce more new textures as well as some new sounds. We introduce the potty pan when we start puppy mush around 3 to 4 weeks of age. We work diligently to get each puppy to only use the designated potty pan over the next week. During the next few weeks, we will introduce the electric toothbrush. We turn the toothbrush on and hold it on their paws to simulate a nail grinder as well as running it carefully over their bodies to simulate a groomer’s clippers. We focus on the face and head, as this seems to be the most sensitive area. We do NOT use a toothbrush that spins though, we don’t want to tangle the coat.
We also are introducing items in their play area with varying heights to encourage them to climb and not be afraid of steps later. We have a small tunnel that we encourage them to walk through as well as setting up obstacle courses for them to have to work through. This encourages problem solving as well as overcoming the unknown. We expose the puppies to different loud sounds to desensitize them to things such as thunder or fireworks.
These “exercises” are all done during playtime every day. I also use these exercises to help match puppies to their new owners. Some puppies, no matter how much I work with them, will still need more help building their confidence once they go home and I make sure that their new owners know this. I can tell which puppies will typically be easier to train during this time and which ones will need a little extra patience.
All of this helps ensure my puppies get the best start in life, but puppy imprinting doesn’t stop when they leave me. As a new owner, you have a responsibility to continue working with and training your new puppy as all my hard work can be undone if you don’t.
