Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS)

What It Is and Why We Do It    

Over the course of time, mankind has experimented with various ways of improving performance, not just in humans, but in animals as well. The conventional wisdom has always been that early age is the best time to stimulate growth and development, and today we know with certainty that early neurological stimulation (ENS), also known as Bio Sensor training, has a huge effect on developing canines. Using the Electrical Encephalogram (EEG), researchers have been able to measure the way in which a puppy’s brain responds to stressors like changes in muscle tension, emotional stress, and excitement, and have determined that puppies that are stimulated early in life mature more quickly, and also develop better problem-solving skills than puppies that do not receive early stimulation.   

Types of Stimulation   

ENS involves five types of stimulation, which are done once a day with each puppy in the litter. **Each of these exercises are held for 3-5 seconds  

Tactile Stimulation – I hold the puppy in one hand, and tickle it gently between its toes, using a Q-tip  

Head Erect – I hold the puppy perpendicular to the floor, head up.  

Head Down – I hold the puppy perpendicular to the ground, head down.  

Supine – I hold the puppy on its back, face toward the ceiling.  

Thermal Stimulation – I place the puppy on a cool, damp towel, feet down and unrestrained.    

None of these positions or conditions occur naturally in the early days of a puppy’s life, and this is why they are neurologically stimulating. ENS is not critical to a puppy’s development, but it has been shown to increase intellectual capacity if done properly, and to enhance performance.   

Benefits of Early Neurological Stimulation   

The five main benefits that have been identified in dogs that received ENS are:

1. Greater ability to tolerate stress  
2. Stronger adrenal glands  
3. Improved heart rate  
4. Stronger heartbeat  
5. Enhanced disease resistance   

As well, in learning tests, puppies that received ENS were found to be more competitive, and more curious than their littermates who were not stimulated. They were also calmer and less prone to reacting adversely when stressed.