Early Neurological Stimulation Program

I believe this program helps every Longleaf pup reach his/her full potential and live a happier life.
-- Karen Bunny James

Overview

Many years ago, Longleaf began using an early neurological stimulation program developed by Dr. Battaglia on all our puppies. This program begins at day 3 of life and continues through day 16. The program consists of five exercises designed to stimulate the neurological system. The benefits of the program and details of the five exercises are outlined in more detail below.

Why Do We Use This Program?

Practical observations by Karen Bunny James

Before I began using this program, I observed a wide range of reaction to stimuli within each litter. If I made a very loud noise, a few pups would bravely come over to see what happened. A few pups would run and hide. The rest exhibited a range of reactions in between. When I choose my pup, I need to find the most confident puppy. This would be a pup easily trained, impervious to noises at a large dog show, and able to present a very positive self image in the show ring. The pups that ran and hid needed to be placed in quiet pet homes. Unfortunately, this severely limited my options.

After attending Dr. Battaglia's seminar, I tried this program on my next golden litter. Coincidentally, this litter was hired to do a Black & Decker Dirt Devil vacuum commercial. Much to my amazement, all of the pups performed bravely and confidently, on location. They all were able to do the tasks of knocking a big box over, run up steps while a vacuum was running, watch a retractable cord zip by them, and so on.

I then did this program on a Flat-Coat litter. Previously, Flat-Coats had shown me a wider range of stimuli reaction than the Goldens. Once again, I was shocked and very pleased how the program had seriously narrowed this gap. As a result, I no longer have to ask whether the pup I desire has enough confidence. I believe this program helps every Longleaf pup reach his/her full potential and live a happier life.

Neurological Stimulation Program Details

The five exercises are as follows. The duration of each of the five exercises is 3-5 seconds.

1. Tactical stimulation (between toes)	Holding the pup in one hand, the handler gently stimulates (tickles) the pup between the toes on any one foot using a Q-tip. It is not necessary to see that the pup is feeling the tickle.
2. Head held erect	Using both hands, the pup is held perpendicular to the ground, (straight up), so that its head is directly above its tail. This is an upwards position.
3. Head pointed down	Holding the pup firmly with both hands the head is reversed and is pointed downward so that it is pointing towards the ground.
4. Supine position	Hold the pup so that its back is resting in the palm of both hands with its muzzle facing the ceiling. The pup while on its back is allowed to sleep struggle.
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. Do not restrain it from moving.

These five exercises will produce neurological stimulations, none of which naturally occur during this early period of life. Experience shows that sometimes pups will resist these exercises, others will appear unconcerned. In either case a caution is offered to those who plan to use them. Do not repeat them more than once per day and do not extend the time beyond that recommended for each exercise. Over stimulation of the neurological system can have adverse and detrimental results. These exercises impact the neurological system by kicking it into action earlier than would be normally expected. The result being an increased capacity that later will help to make the difference in its performance. Those who play with their pups and routinely handle them should continue to do so because the neurological exercises are not substitutions for routine handling, play socialization or bonding.

Benefits of Stimulation

Five benefits have been observed in canines that were exposed to the Bio Sensor stimulation exercises. The benefits noted were:

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

In tests of learning, stimulated pups were found to be more active and were more exploratory than their non- stimulated littermates over which they were dominant in competitive situations.

Secondary effects were also noted regarding test performance. In simple problem solving tests using detours in a maze, the non-stimulated pups became extremely aroused, whined a great deal, and made many errors. Their stimulated littermates were less disturbed or upset by test conditions and when comparisons were made, the stimulated littermates were more calm in the test environment, made fewer errors and gave only an occasional distress when stressed.

A complete copy of this article can be forwarded to you upon request.

About the Author

Carmen L. Battaglia holds a Ph.D. and Masters Degree from Florida State University. As an AKC judge, researcher, and writer, he has been a leader in the promotion of breeding better dogs and has written many articles and several books. Dr. Battaglia is also a popular TV and radio talk show speaker. His seminars on breeding dogs, selecting sires, and choosing puppies have been well received by breed clubs all over the country. Those interested in learning more about his articles and seminars should visit the website.