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The Basset Family

Dedicated to a Healthy Legacy of Basset Hound Puppies

Dedicated to a Healthy Legacy of Basset Hound PuppiesDedicated to a Healthy Legacy of Basset Hound PuppiesDedicated to a Healthy Legacy of Basset Hound Puppies

Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS)

What is ENS?

What is ENS?

What is ENS?

Early Neurological stimulation (ENS) is a set of five simple exercises that provide mild stressors from days 3-16 to help aid their development, resilience and coping mechanisms. 

ENS Process

What is ENS?

What is ENS?

Tactile Stimulation - gently rotate a Q-Tip between the toes of a single foot.

Head Held Erect - using both hands, holding the puppy vertically so that its head is directly above its tail.

Head Pointed Down - hold puppy securely with both hands, point the head downward

Supine Position - hold puppy on its back, resting in the palm of both hands with its muzzle facing the ceiling.

Thermal Stimulation - place puppy on a cool, damp towel, feet down allowing the puppy to move away. 

Benefits

What is ENS?

Benefits

  • improved cardiovascular performance
  • stronger heart beats
  • stronger adrenal glands
  • more tolerance to stress
  • greater resistance to disease
  • also known as the "Bio Sensor" or "Super Dog" program
  • developed by the U.S. Military to enhance the performance of dogs used for military purposes 

Early Scent Introduction (ESI)

What is ESI?

What is ESI?

What is ESI?

Early scent introduction (ESI) is a program for puppies designed to enhance their ability to identify, and react to, specific scents.  

ESI Process

What is ESI?

What is ESI?

From days 3-16, we introduce a strong scent to the puppy for brief intervals, and record the puppy’s reaction. The reaction is considered to be positive when the puppy shows interest in the scent, moving toward it. A negative reaction is recorded when the puppy tries to get away from the scent. And finally, when a puppy is neither interested nor disinterested in the scent, this is a neutral reaction. The puppy’s different reactions mean the potential for even better companion, service, and therapy dogs. 

Benefits

What is ESI?

Benefits

  • nose awareness
  • confidence​
  • scent identification

Touch Sensitivity

What is touch sensitivity?

What is touch sensitivity?

What is touch sensitivity?

Touch sensitivity is simply handling puppies daily with a series of touch exercises. The goal is to get puppy comfortable with all types of touch. 

ESI Process

What is touch sensitivity?

What is touch sensitivity?

We touch very minimally until puppies are about four days old, but as they develop we will increase the amount of pressure and amount of touch.

By the end of eight weeks, we perform the following: rub/tug on ears, cover eyes, open mouth and run fingers on gums, rub belly in circular motion, run hand up and down the back and pat on the back, tug and twist on the tail, touch all paws and push in between pads, tap nails, run fingers around neck and tug on collar, and touch their nose. This type of touch will need to be continued past eight weeks of age to fully desensitize.

Benefits

What is touch sensitivity?

Benefits

  • desensitization to multiple forms of touch
  • comfortable with nail trims, collar grab etc.

Exposures

What is exposure?

What is exposure?

What is exposure?

Item, sound, location, problem solving, activities, people, animals & more!


Socializing puppies at the start of week three and expanding what we introduce as the puppies develop. We determine how quick we make new introductions based on their acceptance of the new exposure. 

ESI Process

What is exposure?

What is exposure?

We start with exposures in the whelping box, in a place the puppies are comfortable. We start with introducing stationary items, new textures and simple sounds. As puppies age we will add complexity to the exposure. We introduce sounds like sirens, the loud city and vacuums. We will provide brain games, items that move, items that smell and provide different activities. They will visit new places, new people and meet new animals. Our exposures go beyond general "socialization". We introduce as many things as we can to help puppy gain confidence.


Exposing puppies to everything is something new owners will want to continue when they come home to you. We recommend finding a puppy scavenger hunt and introduce puppies to something new daily.

Benefits

What is exposure?

Benefits

  • builds trust
  • prevents fear
  • gain confidence
  • establish problem solving skills

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