Like ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation), ESI (Early Scent Introduction) is another early introduction for puppies to enhance and enrich their development.
Early Neurological Stimulation or ENS is done from day three through day sixteen and consists of five simple exercises done once a day for about five seconds per exercise. These activities put the puppy through a small amount of stress which has been shown to improve cardiovascular performance, make for stronger heartbeats and adrenal glands, plus makes them more tolerant of stress and more resistant to disease.
The first exercise consists of holding the puppy and using a cotton swab (or just my finger) to touch a foot (pad, between toes, or just rub the bottom) for five seconds.
Next, the puppy is held upright for five seconds.
Thirdly, the puppy is turned over, with the head facing down and held for five seconds. (I know, it looks strange. But it’s only a few seconds)
Then puppy is turned over and held on its back for five seconds.
And lastly, the puppy is set down on its stomach on a cold, wet washcloth for five seconds.
ESI is something new that I’ve learned from following a few natural rearing breeders. And a big thank you to Avidog and their page about early scent introduction for neonate puppies. Breeders with breeds that are later trained for tracking and search and rescue are seeing good results. Puppies that don’t grow up to be working dogs can also benefit from ESI during this neonate period with improved confidence and stability. I’m all for anything that can give our puppies a better start in life.
Like with ENS, it’s just about a five second a day exercise. It should be started on day three of the puppy’s life and done each day through day sixteen. Scents can be a variety of things; from pinecones, grass, moss, leaves, lemons, apples, bananas, to training items like leather gloves and tennis balls, or even pet safe essential oils and other small pets like cats, rabbits or guinea pigs!
The item is held just in front of the puppy’s nose (not touching) and then the reaction noted. If puppy sniffs and seems interested we mark a “+” on the chart, if puppy seems unfazed and not interested we make a “0” and if puppy turns their face away or seems to be offended by the smell, the score is a “-“. It really is fun and interested to watch for puppy’s reaction.
