What is ENS and ESI?

Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) and Early Scent Introduction (ESI) is a routine we have incorporated to raising our puppies. We expose puppies from days 3-16 to help aid with their development, resilience and coping mechanisms. 

Early Neurological Stimulation exercises last about 3-5 seconds and consist of the following steps: 

1. Tactile Stimulation: holding the pup in one hand, the handler gently rotates a q-tip between the toes of a single foot on the puppy.
2. Head Held Erect: using both hands, the pup is held vertically or perpendicular to the ground, so that its head is directly above its tail.
3. Head Pointed Down: holding the pup securely with both hands, the head is pointed downward so that the puppy is temporarily upside down.
4. Supine position: hold the pup on its back, resting in the palm of both hands with its muzzle facing the ceiling. 
5. 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 allowing the puppy to move away. 

Early Scent Introduction consists of introducing a different pungent scent each day. The handler will hold the puppy close, let them smell the item and document their reaction.
Positive: puppy actively engaged with the scent
Neutral: no reaction
Negative: puppy moved away from the scent

These early puppy stimulation exercises don't take long to perform but can help with the puppy in the long run. 

This is a video of a past puppies going through our ENS and ESI process. (2nd shorter video below)

If you are interested in a specific litter, be sure to follow us on facebook for updates and videos just like this!

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Why is ENS and ESI beneficial for a puppy?

The proven benefits of ENS are:
1. ​Improved cardiovascular performance (heart rate)
2. Stronger heart beats
3. Stronger adrenal glands
4. More tolerance to stress
5. Greater resistance to disease

ESI is designed to enhance a puppy's ability to identify, and react to, specific scents. It aids with nose awareness and confidence and can be great for hunting, tracking and medical alert dogs. 

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What are the different scents introduced to the puppies?

The following are the scents introduced to the puppies specific for ESI:
All Spice
Alpaca Fur
Apple
Bay Leaves
Black Tea
Chamomile
Cinnamon
Clove
Coconut
Garlic
Ginger
Hand Sanitizer
Leather
Nutmeg
Oatmeal
Onion
Orange Peel
Oregano
Parsley
Peppercorn
Pine Chips
Poppy Seeds
Rabbit Fur
Red Pepper
Rosemary
Soil
Star Anise
Tennis Ball

Below is another detailed video of our ENS and ESI process. 

Be sure to follow us on facebook for updates and videos just like this on each litter!