Puppy Culture ~ Rearing Puppies The Right Way

Posted on April 5, 2018 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

Dvd’s, books and now a Puppy Culture Workbook available for sale by clicking the above links.

Information on Puppy Culture taken from their website.

I received my workbook during the rearing of Glory’s litter.

What is the new Puppy Culture workbook about?

A companion to the original Puppy Culture film, our Workbook Kit ties it all together!

A weekly nuts and bolts timeline and organizer of what to do when, based on the development of YOUR puppies.

Our charts, records, worksheets and handy at-a-glance pages have you covered so you can spend less time worrying about whether you’re doing everything you should be doing and more time relaxing and enjoying all the fun Puppy Culture activities!

Customizable and expandable – Just like puppies, no two people learn in quite the same way. So we chose a three ring binder format that you can customize to suit your learning style. You can take pages out, move them to the back or front as you use them, add your own material or notes, or just group and reorganize things as you please.

A complete record of your litter and their developmental milestones so you can fine tune your activities with future litters and develop your own “best practices.” * Puppy Culture

Below are pages from the workbook. I’m excited to fill out the worksheets from this litter and then compare it to the litters to come. You can buy refill sheets for your next litters.

What is Puppy Culture? A complete program of over 50 essential lessons over 5 hours on 4 DVD disks.

• Puppy rearing from birth to 12 weeks and older.

• Learn from top veterinary behaviorists, breeders, and dog trainers.

• Scientifically proven to greatly improve outcomes for puppies.

Video explaining Puppy Culture.

Complete program , From Breeder to Puppy Owner.

Puppy Culture for breeders: Puppy Culture represents a gold standard in

puppy rearing and early socialization.

We’ve done the research for you and distilled down a hundred
years of combined experience into easy to follow protocols.
You’ll receive week-by-week and step-by-step instructions,
proven by science and experience to ensure the best outcomes
for your puppies.

For Breeders:

Early Neurological Stimulation
Weaning Set Up and Suggestions
Developmental and Fear Periods
Harnessing the Enrichment Effect
Puzzles, Games, and Problem Solving
Safe Early Socialization
Holding a Safe and Effective Puppy Party For Your Litter
Emotional Resiliency Exercises
Anti-Aggression Protocols
Bomb-Proofing Puppies
Placement Options
Preparing Your Puppy Buyers

Below is a video of ENS from my current litter.

Puppy Culture for Owners: Puppy Culture is a guiding hand for you and your puppy

Our team of experts have bred, raised, and trained thousands of dogs,and we’ve know from first hand experience what works best. We make that vast experience available to you, broken down into clear instructions, in short chapters that are easy and fun to watch.

For Puppy Owners:

The Critical Socialization Period
Holding a Safe and Effective Puppy Party For Your Puppy
How To Find a Good Puppy Class
Vaccination vs. Socialization
Handling Fear Periods
Leash Walking, Recall, Crate and Potty Training
Training Markers
Manding
Preventing Common Behavior Problems:
- - - - Resource Guarding
        
        Separation Anxiety
        
        Biting and Jumping

The below statement is posted with permission from Jane Killion the maker of Puppy Culture, she posted this up in her Facebook Puppy Culture Discussion Group.

I’d like to give a general response to the common question which generally goes like this:

“I recommended Puppy Culture (

https://goo.gl/NaxuLo) to a breeder and they say they already do ENS and toys and socialization and don’t need Puppy Culture. I would like to encourage the breeder to use Puppy Culture but I don’t want to be confrontational. How can I explain the value of Puppy Culture succinctly?”

My answer:

I think the biggest advantage to Puppy Culture for breeders who might already be doing a some or even all of the protocols in the film is that Puppy Culture gives a more organized approach.

Obviously, I was doing everything that is in Puppy Culture before I made the film, but it was more seat of the pants – I can definitely say that, even for myself, my litters have benefitted since I made the film.

When I was making the film I had to ask myself why and make a case for every protocol at every juncture – this is what led to my reaching out to so many additional vets and experts. And, based on this research, I made subtle but powerful changes to when and how and why I did things, and that has had a remarkable effect on my own litters.

And I do see my litters differently now, I see more details about when and how different things happen behaviorally and I’m just more in tune with what each individual puppy needs when.

Whereas before we would do certain things at certain times and then “diagnose” the puppies as being good or bad at things, distracted or checked in and attribute many behavioral things to “temperament,” I now have less of a blanket approach.

I have a more nuanced view of development and I understand that different traits and abilities can emerge differently and at different times and I am less likely to saddle a puppy with a “label” and more likely to work with the puppy to tease out the strengths in that puppy’s character. Still all the same protocols, but weaving them in and out differently.

So, in sum, Puppy Culture is not about the “What,” of raising puppies, it’s about the “Why,” – obviously a perfect framework for a new breeder but certainly also a “booster” for any puppy rearing program, even if they are physically doing all the protocols in Puppy Culture!

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Manding is “Requesting” – the niners manding for a treat after they came in from outside.

This was one of many proud breeders moments when my puppies mand for different things while growing up in my home. Hopefully all I have done with them will show in the weeks, months and years ahead with their new owners. The first eight weeks is just a start, there are more steps to the puppy culture program and more fear periods that the puppies will face in the coming months it is now up the the puppy buyers to ensure these puppies continue to be confident little souls. Puppy Culture isn’t just for the breeder it is for the new owners too. Puppy buyers can benefit from the DVD series along with other training/show information that puppy culture offers.

If you click on the Puppy Culture picture on the right sidebar and purchase any materials I will receive a small commission as I am a PC affiliate. This is a program that I truly believe in and wouldn’t raise my litters any other ways. I have puppy buyers ask me if I raise my litters with puppy culture as they will only buy PC puppies.

Dancing Raindeer

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

The beaniebears got mail last week. Before they got to see what they got the gang had to inspect the box. Trish one of the upcoming puppy buyers sent a box of novel objects for the puppies to get used to as they are growing up. Some of the items Trish used during her scent work with her dogs so it may just have some scent on them for the puppies to smell.

Hmm, what do we have in here?

Ohhh I smell something good.

Back off Preacher, I have to make sure this is puppy safe.

Inspector Gman to do quality control.

Puppies….You got mail!

Look at all the novel items.

Sand Spring Chesapeakes is raising their litter the Puppy Culture way. Starting at three weeks you introduce novel items to them so they get used to all kinds of items.

In the above videos the puppies are 20 days old. I first put the dancing raindeer in the whelping box and most of the puppies reacted, now remember their ears started to open at 2 weeks of age. The second video was taken right after the raindeer quit playing and you can see the puppies weren’t fazed by it as they woke up to see what was going on and then quickly went back to bed. This is what you want a good response from items.

A funny story, of course Gambler and Preacher are kids at heart and well Preacher is really still a kid wanted these items but they couldn’t have them as they were given to me for the puppies and I need to keep them in good condition so I can give them back. I put the box of items in my closet and went to bed all of a sudden I was woken up to the song Timber blaring, I look and Preacher has the raindeer in the loft playing with it. I put it back in the closet (the door is open a bit and can’t be closed). Later she went in there again and brought out the little baby. I closed the top of box thinking she couldn’t get in there and would be deterred but nope, she brought out the ghost. She did this three times before I finally got smart enough to hide the box in the attic.

I’ll just sit here and will the raindeer down to me.

If only I was 6 inches taller.

When I was watching the video on my phone Preacher came running in as fast as she could so she could see the raindeer. She was disappointing that the noise was coming from the phone.

This is going to be a fun playing with the puppies and all their cool items. Thank you Trish for sending me these items. It is so much fun to be a breeder when you have puppy buyers that help you out and enjoy getting into the rearing of these puppies.

Puppy Culture Playground

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

Sand Spring Chesapeakes proudly supports and recommends the Puppy Culture Program.

Sand Spring started raising their puppies in 2015 the Puppy Culture way. Now that Glory is going on her second litter and I got such positive feedback from the puppy buyers of her first litter along with what I have seen in the growth of Preacher on a daily basis I am planning on doing Puppy Culture things with this next litter too. I am a member of a Puppy Culture discussion group on facebook where I have been getting some fabulous idea and learning so much about raising puppies the Puppy Culture way. I am adding more interactive items for this next litter to explore and get used to. I want them to come into contact with many different items, sounds, structures so they become used to different things so when they are out in the real world they feel safe and can overcome their fears without anxiety.

Puppy Culture is a complete resource for breeders or puppy owners on raising a litter. It’s the powerful first 12 weeks that can shape your puppy’s future.

I have constructed a Puppy Culture Playground for this and future litters.

Supplies for a ramp and a adventure box.

Supplies for a ramp and an adventure box.

I wanted to make a ramp and an adventure box to stimulate the puppies. I had some shelving wood left over from when built the house so I used that to build the ramp. I then went to the store and bought PVC pipes and corners to build the adventure box. I also bought some polypropylene rope to hang the items from. This was my first adventure box that I was attempting to build so I really didn’t know what size it should be so I just winged it and started building.

Building the adventure box with PVC.

Once the adventure box was built (I glued the top and bottom pieces together, but not the poles on the four corners) it was time to hang my items I wanted to use to get the puppies used to different noises, items and scents.

Hanging the items.

Finished product.

The puppies will be able to walk around and in the adventure box, check out the items. When they pull on some of items they will hear different noises. I can also put the ramp in the box so they can walk on it and play with the items for something different. This is all done with the puppies to introduce the startle/recovery phase and the “so what” phase into the puppies lives. It teaches them to overcome their fears and able to take on all kinds of noises and situations without being fearful. Makes them become more confident dogs.

Ramp

Slide

Cones

Hoops

The slide, cones and hoops will give the puppies different things to do and figure out.

Tunnel and house.

Preacher was raised with a little red tunnel and cube so she isn’t afraid of this bigger tunnel and house, of course she had to go try it out.

Items from last litter.

Preacher making sure the adventure box is good enough for the puppies. I think this will work well as the pups grow since they do experience different fear phases.

Constructed playground- just need puppies.

Cost of puppy playground:

PVC pipes, rope and connectors for adventure box $54.72

Items for box (bought at dollar store and items had around house) $12.65

Items for ramp: hinge $10.52

Toboggans $12.66

Traffic cones, pvc, kids slide, stools, music cd’s $17.36

Hoops, tennis balls, cubes $27.98

Tunnel and House $26.35

Plastic Balls for ball pit $36.51

Total $198.75

Price of watching puppies play and hopefully give them a great startle/recovery and the “so what” response in them as they grow PRICELESS.

Follow Puppy Culture’s regular Facebook page. Puppy Culture’s website.

Barks And Bytes

We are joining Linda at 2browndawgs and Jodi at Heart Like A Dog for this great blog hop.

Socialization And Random Things

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

I’ve been lucky and have been able to get Preacher out and about for her socialization. Socialization for a puppy is very important while they are young and growing up. If you don’t socialize your puppy you can have a fearful shy puppy. Socialization creates a confidant dog. They retain what you teach them and their experiences so it’s important to introduce many different adventures in different environments. You need to keep doing this as they grow because they have many fear periods and you want to be able to walk them through all those periods so you have a confidant dog.

First we have been socializing Preacher with many different dogs so she isn’t afraid of other dogs. She loves to play with them.

Second socializing is with a construction site. Getting Preacher used to loud moving objects and construction tape. She had no problems with the loud noises and it didn’t interrupt her going poop as you can see. She watched the high hoe as she was pooping. She was cautious of the tape on the ground but walked up to it, sniffed it and was good with it.

Third type of socialization that I did with Preacher is getting her used to other people handing her. My friend Irene has Preacher’s sister Josey so we have been having play dates. Irene is touching both puppies paws to see which one had the bigger paw what she didn’t know was that she was getting the puppies used to their toes being touched so they don’t mind getting their toe nails trimmed. We then took the puppies outside when trick or treating was going on so they could get used to noise, little people, big people and most of all costumes. The puppies had a blast and don’t think they will have a problem with costumes in the future. Of course I will still be introducing costumes in the future so she doesn’t forget they aren’t bad.

I learned about socialization from my time in Veterinary Technician school and from being a technician working in a Veterinary Hospital. I refreshed my knowledge when I watched the Puppy Culture videos while Glory was pregnant this past summer. They do a great job going over socialization and the fear period’s in the puppies life. These videos are excellent for breeders and for new puppy owners. I got some really good information from them. You can also follow the Puppy Culture Discussion Facebook page where others talk about what they have done with their litters and puppies. You can also follow Puppy Culture’s regular Facebook page. Puppy Culture’s website.

On to my random things now:

Congrats to the winners of my Omegease giveawy. Steven from Finest For Dogs will be contacting the winners and letting them know how to claim their bottle of Omegease.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I entered Noodle4Presidents 1st Halloween Contest and I won!!! This is the picture I submitted.

Thank you Noodle for a great contest and thank you to my peeps who voted for me. There were so many entries!

We are joining Linda at 2browndawgs and Jodi at Heart Like A Dog for this great blog hop.

Puppy Culture

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

Puppy Culture is a complete resource for breeders or puppy owners on raising a litter. It’s the powerful first 12 weeks that can shape your puppy’s future. I never knew about Puppy Culture until my friend Amy got her new puppy in the beginning of the year and followed along with the Puppy Culture videos. I bred my Chesapeake Bay Retriever Glory back in May that is when Amy recommended that I watch the videos. I learned about raising a litter in Veterinary Technician school, had three litters with Glory’s mom Nellie now I didn’t follow a guideline but much of the stuff in the Puppy Culture videos I was already doing and some I didn’t even know about so this was a great learning experience for me and I was happy to introduce Glory’s litter to Puppy Culture.

Disc One started with The Puppy Culture Proposition and ended with The Communication Trinity.

It talked about the Pre-natal period, Neo-natal 0-14 days, Transitional Period 14-21 days, The Critical Socialization Period 3-12 weeks.

Disc Two started with Fear and Fun 5 weeks old and ended with Why Not Just Punish.

It talked about Understanding Fear Imprint Periods, Breed Appropriate Health Testing, The Puppy Party, Potty Training Fundamentals, Is My Puppy Normal, Biting, Resource Guarding, Body Handling, The Outcomes Of Reward vs Punishment.

Disk Three started with Career Choices 7 weeks old and ended with Is Socialization A Guarantee.

It talked about Breeder Evaluations and Relationships, 8-9 week old Fear Imprint Period, Practical Training Skills, Setting Up Socialization for Puppies 10-12 weeks old, Balancing The Risks and Benefits Of Early Socialization, How To Find A Great Puppy Class, Closing.

Disc Four was a break it down disc which was a Chapter By Chapter Recap and “To Do” Lists.

This past weekend I set up the puppy play ground outside and watched the rest of the PC videos. The puppies decided they wanted to watch to. Hopefully they are taking it all in and help me out when it’s time to teach them.

I first got the puppies used to this Kong tunnel when they were 3 weeks old in the house. I didn’t even have to show them what to do they all went in it by themselves and love going in and out of it now.

We then moved to the outside so they could try it out there. This was the first day they were outside, some of the puppies went in it and hid because they were afraid of the new surroundings that they never seen before, it didn’t take them long to warm up to the grass under their feet, the brightness of the sun and all the different sites and smells. They became little adventures in no time and now I can’t keep them out of the flower garden jungle. Glory and Thunders puppies will be going on 5 weeks this Saturday. They are becoming more confidant in walking, running, playing and exploring, they will wonder off a little more each day. They are encountering new situations, different people, different sounds each day.

Since they liked the tunnel so much I got this cat cube and they also love this toy. Little green girl started playing in it and it got a little tippy and tipped over on her and she recovered really well after she got up she crawled back in it and fell asleep.

I am so glad Amy introduced me to these videos, if you would like your own copy you can order it at Amazon.com.

You can follow along with PC on Facebook & Twitter.

We are joining Linda at 2browndawgs and Jodi at Heart Like A Dog for this great blog hop.

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Puppy Fitness With Kong Tunnel~FitDog Friday

Posted on August 7, 2015 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

I bought the puppies a Kong tunnel. I got this so they can have a interactive so to speak toy and get them used to different items. It’s scary for puppies or adult dogs to go into tunnels so I thought it would be great to get this Kong tunnel and start my puppies out as wee little pups using it so one day if their owners decide to do agility with them they will hopefully retain a foundation for using the tunnel and not be afraid of it. I also got them a cube to play with. These items offer exercise in learning balance as when they go into it and walk it shifts and rolls and the puppies have to learn how to balance and coordination. They work their brain, muscles and legs. I first showed them the tunnel and cube in the house and they got used to it there then we moved outside for a small amount of time to get used to grass and being outside.

This day was their first day outside. It was of course a new adventure for them since they have just been walking on carpet and laminate so they were afraid at first. They have now been out a hand full of times they are getting used to it and more comfortable about it so they are starting to explore. With the exploring they are getting more exercise so they aren’t looking like little butter balls as much.

The fun and games continue every Friday with FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and Emma from Mygbgvlife to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!). Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.

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Where Are We At With Glory’s Breeding~Part 6

Posted on August 6, 2015 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

Where Are We At With Glory’s Breeding~Part 6

A while ago I wrote Part 1 of Where Are We At With Glory’s Breeding. If you missed it you can read the full version here. The short version is: I talked about preparing your dog for breeding by doing genetic tests, other tests that can be done, picking a stud dog, the heat cycle of the bitch, breeding and implanting of the eggs. Part 2 I talked about pregnancy confirmation, a app on my phone that you can follow along and read what is happening, the food I was feeding her and milk development. If you want to read the full version here. Part 3 I talked about proper feeding and being able to xray to determine how many puppies might be delivered as well as talked about getting the whelping box out and Glory used to it. If you want to read the full version here. Part 4 I talked about Glory nesting, how to tell when she will deliver and the whelping box. You can read the full version here. I told you by the end of the post she may deliver and she did which brought me into Part 5 which I talked about the birth of Glory and Thunders puppies. You can read the full version here. We are now at 3.5 weeks after the birth of the puppies, I will be talking about postpartum and postnatal Care.

Before the delivery I made little puppy collars out of paracord. These little collars were going to be put on the puppies as they were delivered. I like to keep track of the pups as they are being delivered all the way until they go to their new homes. The only way that I have found that works is by putting collars on them. Some people have used nail polish on the fur but the mom may lick that off so I stick with the collars.

Some people don’t like using collars as something might happen and they may get hurt but I make real sure to check them several times a day and adjust them as needed as they grow. In the above picture I needed to put bigger collars on them as they were growing so fast.

After each pup is born you should weigh them and I weight them each day for the next two weeks following birth to make sure they are growing. It was a good thing I was weighing this litter as I had 3 puppies that were smaller than the rest, there was two days after birth that the yellow girl was loosing weight. Each puppy should be gaining and not loosing, if loosing something is going on. In this case the little yellow girl was so small she was getting nudged off the nipple and not getting any milk. She also was sucking on just skin. I would look at them while nursing and everyone was sucking away I would then pull yellow off and she was on skin and not a nipple hence the weight loss. When I found out she wasn’t getting enough milk I started trying to bottle feeding her to give her extra nourishment. I then any chance I got would put her on the back mammary gland which hold the most milk. She was back to gaining weight like the others in no time.

It is very important that the puppies get to nurse immediately after birth so they can receive the mothers colostrum which is the the mothers first milk. This milk contains high levels of antibodies that are absorbed into the puppies bloodstream which will protect it against infectious diseases. There is a time frame that the puppies need to ingest the mothers colostrum which study’s have shown to be with in the first four hours of birth which is the most beneficial up to 12 hours. After 12 hours they don’t get the benefits because their intestinal walls close up so they can’t absorb the antibodies. If you want to read about the study you can here. When they don’t get the colostrum in the critical period of time the puppy’s can “fade away”.

The puppies are born with their eyes and ears shut. They will stay that way for 10-14 days. Even know these senses are closed they still can find their mothers nipples and find mom or the littermates to lay next to and stay warm. It is just amazing to watch them crawl like a seal the first week after birth and be able to crawl across the whelping box to get to mom. Two puppies opened their eyes at 10 days and then the rest were open at 14 days.

During this time they can’t go to the bathroom by themselves. They will need the stimulation from their mother in order for them to pee and poop. While the puppies are nursing or right after the mom will start to lick them to stimulate them to pee and poop. The mother will eat the pee and poop to keep the whelping box clean. If something happens to the mother or she refuses to take care of the puppies you will need to do this procedure by wetting a kleenex or napkin and rubbing it on the penis, vulva and then rectum to stimulate them. At about two weeks they will start pooping and peeing on their own.

From day one you should be handling the puppies, you should be touching their toes, ears, mouth and body. From day 3 to 16 days you should be doing the early neurological stimulation which I wrote about here.

The first two weeks mom will spend most of her time in the whelping box. She may be protective of it so care should be taken if people come over to the house. Actually because the puppies immunity isn’t the best people shouldn’t be visiting as they can bring in virus that may make the puppies sick. At two and a half to three weeks of age the puppies start to walk around and get their motor skills. They start to play with each other, toys and you. At this time you can start to potty train them on pee pads. Depending on the length of walls of your whelping box just after three weeks is when the jail breaks start to happen. Glory’s puppies started breaking out this past Tuesday. Soon they will be transitioned to their new location with a kennel and a exercise pen so they can have a sleeping area and a potty/play area as they will learn they don’t like to potty where they sleep so they need a big enough area to separate them out. At three weeks of age you want to start introducing noises so they can become familiar with sounds and not be afraid.

Sorry for such a long post, the words kept flowing and I didn’t quite know where to end. So I will end now and continue at a later date.

We are joining Linda at 2browndawgs and Jodi at Heart Like A Dog for this great blog hop.

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Early Neurological Stimulation

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Sand Spring Chesapeakes

Early Neurological Stimulation – By Carmen L. Battaglia

Thunders breeder gave me the information about early neurological stimulation so I could do it with Glory’s litter. I will be honest and never knew about this or done any of this with Nellie’s litter. I would of course touch the puppies and play with them but I never followed a structured outline. The information below is taken from the article by Carmen L. Battaglia. You can read the full article here.

Newborn pups are uniquely different from adults in several respects. When born, their eyes are closed and their digestive system has a limited capacity requiring periodic stimulation by their dam who routinely licks them in order to promote digestion. At this age they are only able to smell, suck, and crawl. Body temperature is maintained by snuggling close to their mother or by crawling into piles with other littermates. During these first few weeks of immobility, researchers noted that these immature and under-developed canines are sensitive to a restricted class of stimuli which includes thermal and tactile stimulation, motion and locomotion.

Methods of Stimulation The U.S. Military in their canine program developed a method that still serves as a guide to what works. In an effort to improve the performance of dogs used for military purposes, a program called “Bio Sensor” was developed. Later, it became known to the public as the “Super Dog” Program. Based on years of research, the military learned that early neurological stimulation exercises could have important and lasting effects. Their studies confirmed that there are specific time periods early in life when neurological stimulation has optimum results. The first period involves a window of time that begins at the third day of life and lasts until the sixteenth day. It is believed that because this interval of time is a period of rapid neurological growth and development, and therefore is of great importance to the individual. The “Bio Sensor” program was also concerned with early neurological stimulation in order to give the dog a superior advantage. Its development utilized six exercises which were designed to stimulate the neurological system. Each workout involved handling puppies once each day. The workouts required handling them one at a time while performing a series of five exercises. Listed in order of preference, the handler starts with one pup and stimulates it using each of the five exercises. The handler completes the series from beginning to end before starting with the next pup. The handling of each pup once per day involves the following exercises: 1. Tactical stimulation (between toes) 2. Head held erect 3. Head pointed down 4. Supine position 5. Thermal stimulation.

Tactical stimulation

Tactile stimulation – holding the pup in one hand, the handler gently stimulates (tickles) the pup between the toes on any one foot using a Q-tip. It is not necessary to see that the pup is feeling the tickle. Time of stimulation 3 – 5 seconds.

Head held erect

Head held erect – using both hands, the pup is held perpendicular to the ground, (straight up), so that its head is directly above its tail. This is an upwards position. Time of stimulation 3 – 5 seconds.

3. Head pointed down

Head pointed down – holding the pup firmly with both hands the head is reversed and is pointed downward so that it is pointing towards the ground. Time of stimulation 3 – 5 seconds.

Supine position

Supine position – hold the pup so that its back is resting in the palm of both hands with its muzzle facing the ceiling. The pup while on its back is allowed to sleep. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds.

Thermal stimulation.

Thermal stimulation—use a damp towel that has been cooled in a refrigerator for at least five minutes. Place the pup on the towel, feet down. Do not restrain it from moving. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds.

Benefits of Stimulation

Five benefits have been observed in canines that were exposed to the Bio Sensor stimulation exercises. The benefits noted were: 1. Improved cardio vascular performance (heart rate) 2. Stronger heart beats, 3. Stronger adrenal glands, 4. More tolerance to stress, and 5. Greater resistance to disease. In tests of learning, stimulated pups were found to be more active and were more exploratory than their non- stimulated littermates over which they were dominant in competitive situations. Secondary effects were also noted regarding test performance. In simple problem solving tests using detours in a maze, the non-stimulated pups became extremely aroused, whined a great deal, and made many errors. Their stimulated littermates were less disturbed or upset by test conditions and when comparisons were made, the stimulated littermates were more calm in the test environment, made fewer errors and gave only an occasional distress sound when stressed.

Conclusion

Breeders can now take advantage of the information available to improve and enhance performance. Generally, genetics account for about 35% of the performance, but the remaining 65% (management, training, nutrition) can make the difference. In the management category, it has been shown that breeders should be guided by the rule that it is generally considered prudent to guard against under and over stimulation. Short of ignoring pups during their first two months of life, a conservative approach would be to expose them to children, people, toys and other animals on a regular basis. Handling and touching all parts of their anatomy is also a necessary part of their learning which can be started as early as the third day of life. Pups that are handled early and on a regular basis generally do not become hand-shy as adults.

References: 1. Battaglia, C.L., “Loneliness and Boredom” Doberman Quarterly, 1982. 2. Kellogg, W.N. & Kellogg, The Ape and the Child, New York: McGraw Hill. 3. Scott & Fuller, (1965) Dog Behavior -The Genetic Basics, University Chicago Press. 4. Scott, J.P., Ross, S., A.E. and King D.K. (1959) The Effects of Early Enforced Weaning Behavior of Puppies, J. Genetics Psychologist, p 5: 261-81.

We are joining Linda at 2browndawgs and Jodi at Heart Like A Dog for this great blog hop.

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