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Early
Neurological Stimulation
By
Carmen L. Battaglia, PhD
To
view the complete article go to:
http://ahimsadogtraining.com/handouts/early_neurological_stimulation_en.pdf
For
centuries people have been trying to breed better animals - cattle,
horses, dogs, and many other species. There have been many amazing
advances, however genetics alone won't always answer why one animal
might perform better than another similarly-bred animal. This is
pretty much what a recent (1991) study by Cunningham concluded. By
studying racehorses he found that speed was only about 35 percent
heritable. Or in other words, a horse's speed depends as much as 65
percent on other factors such as training, management and nutrition.
Findings
such as this have led other researchers to explore how changing the
way an animal is raised can affect them as adults. These studies
often focused on early stimulation.
One
study with mice and rats found that by removing the babies from
their nest for three to five minutes each day during the first few
days of life they caused the animal's body temperature to fall below
normal. This mild form of stress stimulated hormonal, adrenal and
pituitary systems, which allowed these animals to better withstand
stress later in life. They also performed tests better than their
non-stressed littermates. Other effects included earlier sexual
maturity, more disease resistance, and better problem solving
abilities.
Studies
with other species, such as cats, dogs, and chimpanzees, found
similar results. Animals that were not given the early stimulation
were less able to cope, adjust and adapt. Although they have yet to
determine an optimal amount of early stress, they do know that some
stimulation is good, but too much can cause problems.
The
U.S. military decided to study the effects of early neurological
stimulation in their "Bio Sensor" or "Super Dog"
program. From this research they developed a series of exercises for
very young puppies. These exercises work best during the puppy's
third to sixteenth day of life, which is a period of rapid
neurological development.
Each
puppy undergoes this handling once per day for those two weeks. All
five exercises are completed with one puppy before handling the next
puppy.
1.
Tactile stimulation
While
holding the puppy in one hand, the handler uses a Q-tip to tickle
the puppy between the toes on one foot. The tickling should last
between three to five seconds. The puppy does not have to show a
reaction.
2.
Head held erect
Holding
the puppy in both hands, the puppy is positioned so its head is
directly above its body. This position is held for three to five
seconds.
3.
Head pointed down
Holding
the puppy in both hands, the puppy is reversed so its tail is
uppermost and directly above its head. This position is held for
three to five seconds.
4.
Supine position
Hold
the puppy in the palms so it is resting on its back with its face
pointed upward. This position is held for three to five seconds.
5.
Thermal stimulation
Before
starting the exercises, place a damp towel in the refrigerator for
at least five minutes. For this exercise, place the puppy on the
cool towel, belly down. Allow the puppy to wriggle off if it
desires. Remove the puppy from the towel after three to five seconds
if it hasn't moved itself.
The
researchers found that these exercises started the puppies'
neurological system earlier than was normally expected. The
benefits that they noticed included:
Although
the stimulation proved beneficial, over stimulating had detrimental
results. The researchers also found that regular handling and
socialization were still necessary.
Studies
by Scott and Fuller pinpointed several critical periods in a young
puppy's development. These periods occurred between four and sixteen
weeks of age. If a puppy did not interact with other dogs (at least
his mother and littermates) and with people during this time period,
he would never be able to bond to other dogs or to people. For an
interesting account of how this research was used to dramatically
increase the number of guide dogs who successfully completed
training, read The
New Knowledge of Dog Behavior by Clarence Pfaffenberger.
In
addition to socialization, exposing puppies to various sights,
sounds, smells, tastes and touches allow them to better cope as an
adult dog. Enrichment activities can begin at a very early age,
perhaps even at birth. Some ideas include providing toys of all
shapes and textures; providing a variety of footing such as
newspaper, carpeting, window screens, plastic, concrete, gravel;
providing a variety of sounds such as radio, cap gun, vacuum
cleaner; providing a variety of challenges such as climbing steps,
going through a tunnel, playing hide and seek, etc. Just be sure
that the enrichment activities you design won't hurt or scare the
puppy.
To
provide even more experiences the puppy can be walked around the
shopping mall, taken for a romp in open fields, enrolled in a Puppy
Kindergarten class, taken on car trips, allowed to watch older,
trained dogs working. All of these experiences will give the puppy a
chance to experience new things and to meet new people.
So
to get a puppy off to the best possible start in life be sure to
provide:
-
early
neurological stimulation (between three and sixteen days of age)
-
plenty
of socialization (especially important during weeks four to
sixteen)
-
enrichment
activities starting early and continuing throughout the puppy's
life
Conclusion
Both
experience and research have dominated the beneficial effects that
can be achieved via early neurological stimulation, socialization
and enrichment experiences. Each has been used to improve
performance and to explain the differences that occur between
individuals, their trainability, health, and potential within a
litter. The cumulative effects of early neurological stimulation,
socialization, and enrichment experiences have been well documented.
They best serve the interests of owners who seek high levels of
performance when properly used. Each has a cumulative effect and
contributes to the development and the potential for individual
performance. |