EARLY NEUROLOGICAL STIMULATION

In order to give our pups the best start, we at EweTurn Aussies do Early Neurological Stimulation with our puppies.

The U.S. military decided to study the effects of early neurological stimulation in their "Bio Sensor" or "Super Dog" program. From this research they developed a series of exercises for very young puppies. These exercises work best during the puppy's third to sixteenth day of life which is a period of rapid neurological development.

Each puppy undergoes this handling once per day for those two weeks. All five exercises are completed with one puppy before handling the next puppy.

1. Tactile stimulation
While holding the puppy in one hand, the handler uses a Q-tip to tickle the puppy between the toes on one foot. The tickling should last between three to five seconds. The puppy does not have to show a reaction.

2. Head held erect
Holding the puppy in both hands, the puppy is positioned so its head is directly above its body. This position is held for three to five seconds.

3. Head pointed down
Holding the puppy in both hands, the puppy is reversed so its tail is uppermost and directly above its head. This position is held for three to five seconds.

4. Supine position
Hold the puppy in the palms so it is resting on its back with its face pointed upward. This position is held for three to five seconds.

5. Thermal stimulation
Before starting the exercises, place a damp towel in the refrigerator for at least five minutes. For this exercise, place the puppy on the cool towel, belly down. Allow the puppy to wriggle off if it desires. Remove the puppy from the towel after three to five seconds if it hasn't moved itself.

The researchers found that these exercises started the puppies' neurological system earlier than was normally expected. The benefits that they noticed included:

• Improved cardiovascular performance (heart rate)
• Stronger heart beats
• Stronger adrenal glands
• More tolerance to stress
• Greater resistance to disease

For more information on Early Neurological Stimulation, click on the following link: http://www.breedingbetterdogs.com/achiever.html

The All Star Team is growing every day (Dionne is already over a pound and beating her siblings to the milk bar)!  Today was day three and we began the Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS).  Here are the pictures from the first day of ENS:

Gretzky
        Picture missing in action

Lemieux
        

Orr
        

Lafleur
        

Gilmour
        

Jagr
        

Dionne