Arizona Sunrise Shih Tzus & Poos

Purebred Shih Tzu Puppies

Puppy Curriculum

Why I use Early Scent Introduction with Puppies

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Early Scent Introduction which is commonly known as ESI is a program many reputable breeders use with their puppies. Breeders typically perform ESI on newborn puppies from days 3-16. Early Scent Introduction enhances a newborn puppy’s natural ability to detect various scents. Gayle Watkins, the co-founder of Avidog put the ESI protocol together in order to enhance a puppy’s unique sense of smell.

Some Benefits of Early Scent Introduction

  • Gentle stimulation of the nervous system improves immune and cardiovascular systems.
  • Mild stress helps create a better response to stress in adulthood.
  • Puppies have better nose awareness throughout life.
  • ESI promotes better brain development in puppies.

Each puppy is given the opportunity to smell a new scent each day. The puppy’s reaction to the scent can be positive, negative, or neutral. Breeders usually record the puppy’s reaction to the scent for future reference. I use Early Scent Introduction with all of my Shih Tzu puppies for sale. Some of the scents I really like to use with litters include: parsley, coconut, cinnamon, oatmeal, artificial turf, rocks, etc.

Dogs that go through Early Scent Introduction protocols often outperform dogs who aren’t subject to ESI when it comes to detecting scents. This kind of information can be extremely valuable for breeders. Breeders that raise puppies that may go on to be service dogs should pay particular attention to scenting abilities. For instance, if a breeder is evaluating a litter to look to place a possible diabetic alert dog, scenting abilities are imperative in detecting blood sugar changes.

As you can probably see, Early Scent Introduction is a brilliant way for responsible breeders to provide a litter of puppies with all the tools necessary to live up to their full potential. As a Shih Tzu breeder, I want nothing more than for my puppies to love and heal the families they will live with. We should never underestimate the power of a good dog!

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Benefits of Early Neurological Stimulation

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Shih Tzu puppy receiving (ENS) Early Neurological Stimulation in a responsible breeding program.
A newborn Shih Tzu puppy going through the ENS procedure.

ENS stands for Early Neurological Stimulation. As a responsible breeder of Shih Tzu puppies, I use the ENS protocol with all of my litters because it is very beneficial regarding newborn puppy development. ENS helps to improve heart and adrenal performance by stimulating the endocrine system. Early Neurological Stimulation also helps to create stress-tolerant puppies that have greater disease resistance. Furthermore, puppies that take part in ENS protocols are more willing to explore than their counterparts that didn’t receive Early Neurological Stimulation.

Carmen Battaglia is the pioneer responsible for creating ENS protocols. The ENS program was originally put together to enhance the performance of military dogs. The “Super Dog Program” or The “Bio Sensor program” are some early terms used to describe ENS protocols.

There are five steps in the ENS procedure. Breeders perform the five steps from the third day of birth until day 16. The procedure is done once a day for approximately 3-5 seconds per step. It is imperative not to put too much stress or handle newborn puppies too often during this vulnerable stage of development. The ENS activity is usually kept short and to the point.

Five Steps of ENS

  1. Hold the puppy’s head up.
  2. Gently hold the puppy’s head down
  3. Hold the puppy on his/her back.
  4. Set the puppy’s belly down on a cool towel.
  5. Gently rub in between the puppy’s toes.

To sum things up, Early Neurological Stimulation is just another stepping stone that I use in my responsible breeding program to help create bulletproof puppies. After all, I am partially responsible for bringing these puppies into the world. It is my ethical duty to do everything in my power to give each puppy the very best start in life. I owe this to my Shih Tzu puppies and my future puppy owners.

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Bulletproof Puppies

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Creating Resilient Puppies Through Curriculum

Puppies that take part in a developmentally appropriate curriculum are shown in studies to be more intelligent emotionally and intellectually. Puppies raised on a first-class puppy curriculum are also more resilient to stress. Who doesn’t want a bulletproof puppy ready to take on the world?

To create bulletproof puppies a responsible breeder must have a proper educational background to properly socialize the puppies. There are plenty of puppy curriculum programs on the market today. I have taken classes from many reputable programs including Puppy Culture, Empowered Breeder, and AviDog. I currently raise all my puppies using key elements from these three amazing programs.

A first-class puppy curriculum doesn’t consist of just throwing random toys into a small playpen and walking away. Each item that the puppies interact with must be developmentally appropriate and serve a purpose. For example, if I’m working on sound desensitization it’s not enough for me to just play a recording of a police siren daily. The puppies need to hear different sounds in different locations at different times. Hearing a police siren on a recording device is a lot different than hearing a police siren outside. It’s important to recreate real-life situations as often as humanly possible.

I keep all of the Shih Tzu puppies in my responsible breeding program until they’re 10 to 12 weeks old. Puppies go through a critical period of development during the early weeks of life that cannot be replicated. As a responsible Shih Tzu breeder I must make sure that the puppies from my breeding program receive all the tools necessary to be successful in life. At Arizona Sunrise Shih Tzus, I make it my mission to produce bulletproof puppies that are ready to take on the world!

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The Lifesaving Puppy Recall

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The Puppy, Puppy, Puppy recall is a lifesaving recall that I use with all of the Shih Tzu puppies in my responsible breeding program. Essentially, when the puppies first start lapping up liquids or puppy food the breeder chants Puppy, Puppy, Puppy. The goal is to imprint the recall into the memory of each puppy. Imprinting is a form of learning that happens during the early stages of a puppy’s development. Over time, the lifesaving recall becomes a permanent part of the puppy’s memory.

When puppy owners bring their new Shih Tzu puppy home they should continue to use the recall a couple times of a week. When the puppy comes after hearing the recall be sure to offer a high reward treat. The end goal is that your Shih Tzu puppy will come to you immediately if he or she is ever in danger simply by hearing those special words…Puppy, Puppy, Puppy! I hope you enjoy the video below that demonstrates me using the Puppy recall. Click on the Instagram Icon at the top or bottom of my website to be redirected to even more educational videos and so much more!

Puppy Recall in Action

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