early neurological stimulation
Introducing gentle neuro-exercises at three days old has become an instrumental part of our breeding program and ultimately a key to our Hearthstone puppies success.
Why we use ENS for all our puppies
- Gently pick up puppy and massage it's paws
- Gently hold puppy downwards
- Gently hold puppy upwards
- Gently flip puppy onto back
- Place puppy on cool, wet surface
steps of ens:
- Improved cardio vascular performance (heart rate)
- More tolerance to stress
- Greater resistance to disease
- Stronger adrenal glands
- Stronger heart beats
Benefits of ens:
There are five positions that include tactile and thermal stimulation from day 3-16, forming strong pathways in their brain on how to appropriately handle stress in life. Studies show that benefits of this method, also known as "Bio Sensor", include greater resistance to disease, improved cardiovascular performance, more tolerance to stress, stronger adrenal glands and stronger heart beats.
Fern is our first keeper puppy that has had a full foundation of ENS and Puppy Culture training. You'll have to believe me by the difference that we see, especially in impulse control and focus since utilizing these training techniques! We partner with our sweet friend Brooke, a local certified dog trainer (and also a Shiba Inu breeder) to help us establish this next layer of solid foundation in our litters. She comes 3x a week between the ages of 4-8 weeks as a continuation of the ENS that we provide day 3-16.
Puppy
culture
"Puppy Culture is a highly-researched, scientific set of protocols and activities performed with each litter of puppies, always keeping in mind the appropriate developmental milestones of every individual puppy. If I think of genetics as being the computer hardware of a puppy, I think of Puppy Culture protocols as adding awesome "computer software" to the puppy's developing brain. I teach the puppies, at a time when small impressions have huge pay-offs, to enjoy learning, to seek novel experiences, and to communicate with people. As a dog breeder, I see the huge difference Puppy Culture makes in the lives of my puppies, As a dog trainer, I can pick out the Puppy Culture raised puppies in my group classes, because they have few behavior issues and are focused on learning. I am excited to partner with Hearthstone Labradors to bring all the benefits of Puppy Culture to their already amazing puppy litters." - Brooke, K9 Level Up
During these visits we trim nails, give baths, sensory brush and touch all body parts. It's been a tremendous blessing to have someone as dedicated and invested as Brooke in our puppies. Local owners have the option of continued training with Brooke. We also work to give remote families further training options if desired and can offer additional preschool days with littermates from 7-8 weeks old.
Did you know that while your labrador enjoys a good game of fetch or a walk, they need more mental stimulation than that? We provide our owners with a PDF document that has further resources on how to use simple activities and food to create an enriching bond with your puppy all the way to adulthood. These resources actually simplify raising a puppy as their energy is channeled to positive interactions, causing better sleep and happier, stress-free wake times!
Enrichment
We have puppies living full and adventurous lives across the country. A large portion of that is a direct result of the techniques and work that we put in each puppy during the first eight weeks. Get to know a couple of our Hearthstone puppies!
