After doing some very thorough research on Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) for puppies, I have implemented it in my daily routine with my puppies. I think it is very important for every puppy I have to have the benefits research shows that ENS provides.

 

The benefits throughout the puppy's whole life are thought to be increased stress tolerance, increased disease tolerance, better heart rate, stronger heartbeats, stronger adrenal glands, and better problem-solving. This prepares the puppy to handle stressors much better later in life.

 

The practice of ENS is to perform gentle stressors on the puppy once a day, every day, from 3 days old to 16 days old. I start my puppies 2 days after they have had tails and dewclaws removed which is day 5 or 6. This ensures I don’t put too much stress on each puppy which could be detrimental instead of beneficial. These exercises stimulate the neurological system earlier than it would normally happen which results in tremendous lifetime benefits for the puppy.

 

There are 5 daily stressors performed that last from 3-5 seconds each. The first is tickling the pads of one foot. The second is holding the puppy upright. The third is holding the puppy with its head down. Fourth is holding the puppy in a supine position. And last, is placing the puppy on a cold, wet washcloth. Remember, these are only done for 3-5 seconds each ONCE a day.

 

Following are links to more information about ENS and Dr. Carmen Battaglia, an AKC Board member, judge, and author. AKC used his expertise in genetics to develop its DNA program.

 

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