ENS & Socialisation Program
I've been fortunate to have had the opportunity to whelp a number of litters of Australian Labradoodles, most of those have been born in my home where I have a designated whelping room set up specifically for this purpose. I have all the necessary equipment and supplies on hand, and I even sleep in the same room for the first 10 days (longer if needed) during the whelping and nursing phases.
* I have trained most of these puppies with my 2 Part Training Program.
Part 1: The Early Neurological Stimulation ENS method which consists of 5 different body handling exercises, all of which should be done once a day from day 3 until day 16.
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Tactical stimulation
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Head held erect
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Head pointed down
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Supine position
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Thermal stimulation
A well delivered ENS program can greatly affect how the puppies react to different stressors later on in life. As a result, puppies can withstand difficult situations much better. And they’re also less likely to behave in an aggressive, overly anxious, reactive or fearful manner.
In addition to that, it’s been observed that puppies who have been exposed to ENS during the neonatal period are better at problem solving and they have a more curious and active by nature. Research suggests that these puppies benefit from improved heart health, stronger immune system, and improved hormonal, pituitary, and adrenal systems. And an overall greater resistance to disease.
ENS & Socialisation Program
Part 2: I have a created a structured program using my knowledge and skills of Teaching in the field of Special Education
as well as integrating data from Dr Carmen Battaglia’s Canine Socialisation research.
Our puppies are whelped and raised by us in our home as part of our family. We plan our lives around the dogs,
to make sure that each puppy is given the very best start possible.
During this time, I will encourage each puppy to learn both actively and passively and support them to explore on their own,
while making sure they’re always supervised and in a controlled environment. The second part of my Training Program covers a variety of topics, ranging from early socialization, basic manners, basic skills training, toy play, grooming, household desensitization, to leash walking,
potty training, spending time being "calm" and many more activities.
I aim to slowly increase a puppy’s exposure and tolerance to a range of different and fun experiences. So, by the time they leave for their new homes they’ve had a range of positive encounters which will help the puppy flourish into a more confident, resilient companion.
And if deemed appropriate, they have the necessary skills to go on to Therapy or Assistance training.
With this program I do observational and hands on assessments of each puppy, EVERY day and then during
weeks 6 and 7, I commence formal Temperament testing. Although this program is time heavy, I believe by doing this I can
create a very accurate profile of each puppy’s attributes and personality, and then
make the best allocation possible for both the puppy and its new owner.