Loading...
As a Register Nurse, I know that early development stimulation is critical. With my background in healthcare and being an animal lover, we immediately adopted and embraced the Biosensor Program into our home-based breeding program. We are use the Volhand's Puppy Apitude Test, which is a simple test that is conducted by a non-family member. This test is done when then puppies are 6-7 weeks, at least 49 days old. We use these scores to help with the placement of the puppies.
The importance of both test plays a vital role.
And the importance of early puppy handling cannot be stressed enough, which is why many breeders of top-performing dogs today use a system known as the Biosensor Routine. The Routine was discovered by the U.S. Military during wartime and instituted into the country's military canine training program. Dogs that were handled using the biosensor routine were found to outperform littermates that were not handled using the biosensor routine in high-intensity situations. Not only did they out-perform, but they were also found to have an increased tolerance to stress, stronger immune systems, stronger heart rates, and breathing rates, stronger nervous systems, and better and more consistent temperaments. They were also found to have longer life spans and are used as service dogs later in life than their unexposed siblings.
The Biosensor Routine is a series of five simple exercises. They are performed on each puppy once a day, starting at three days of age. Each exercise lasts a minimum of three seconds to a maximum of five seconds per exercise. The last exercise is completed on the 16th day. The way that the Super Puppy Routine works is that it puts the neonatal puppies under a very small and very controlled amount of stress. Because the stress is mild, the puppies are able to recover from it quickly and easily. This allows the puppies to learn to cope with and recover from small amounts of stress at an early age. This, in turn, helps them use these coping mechanisms later in life when dealing with higher levels and intensities of stress. The ability to cope with stress as an adult has a positive effect on the body. Because the dog is able to cope and rebound, the body isn’t flooded with stress hormones (which hinder thought, cognition, reasoning, immune system functioning, maturity, growth, healing, recovery from illness and injury, and other life processes).
It should only be performed once a day, no longer than five seconds per exercise. Too much stress on a neonate can have negative effects, so to help keep the level of stress manageable, use a minimal amount. Below is a list of the different exercises with a description of each.
1. Tactile Stimulation Holding the puppy securely in your hand, rub a cotton swab between the toes of one foot for 3-5 seconds.
2. Head Up Position Hold the puppy securely with both hands so that the head is pointing upward for 3-5 seconds.
3. Head Down Position While still holding the pup securely with both hands, turn the puppy so that the head is now pointing downward toward the floor (or ground) for 3-5 seconds.
4. Supine Position Hold the puppy on its back securely (tummy towards the ceiling) in your hands for 3-5 seconds.
5. Thermal Stimulation Set the puppy (paws and tummy down) onto a damp, cool cloth that has been chilled in the refrigerator five minutes prior to the exercises for 3-5 seconds.
Once you have finished the Super Puppy Routine, continue handling the puppies. The eyes and ears should be open and they should be getting around better than they were at the beginning of the neonatal period (wobbly walk as opposed to the belly-dragging crawl.) You can also begin to add things to the environment, such as a small television turned on with the volume on low, to get them used to noise in the background. Making noise from another room (gradually increasing the volume) will also help to reduce sound sensitivity.