3 Days - 2 Weeks Old

Puppies find comfort in an in-home puppy nursery with constant supervision and care.  Each puppy is weighed in the morning to ensure proper growth.  At this stage they are growing quickly and bonding with each other and their mom.  At three days old we begin Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) exercises, which are conducted once daily until two weeks old.  This period is believed to be a time of rapid neurological growth and development. Even though puppies are very immature during this time frame, they are sensitive and respond to ENS.  ENS requires handling the puppies one at a time while performing a series of five exercises.  We start with one puppy and stimulate it using each of the five exercises for 3-5 seconds.

1.  Tactile Stimulation – Holding the puppy in one hand, and gently stimulate (tickle) the puppy between the toes on any one foot using your thumb.
2.  Head Held Erect – Using both hands, the puppy is held perpendicular to the ground, (straight up), so that its head is directly above its tail.
3.  Head Pointed Down – Holding the puppy 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 puppy so that its back is resting in the palm of both hands with its face facing the ceiling.
5.  Thermal Stimulation— Place the puppy on the ice pack, feet down. 

    Towards the end of two weeks their eyes are opening, and they are learning to walk.