09/02/2026
🐾 A little peek into something we do with our puppies from the very beginning… ENS! 🐾
If you’ve ever wondered what all goes into raising a well-rounded puppy, it starts WAY before they’re old enough to run around and play. ❤️
One of the things we incorporate into our puppy raising program is Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS). This is a series of very simple, gentle exercises that we introduce during the first few weeks of life. Things like gently touching their paws, holding them in different positions, and briefly introducing small changes in their environment.
It may look like we're just snuggling and playing with tiny puppies (which, let's be honest, we are 😂), but there’s actually a purpose behind it!
The first few weeks of a puppy’s life are an incredibly important time for development. These little exercises give their developing nervous systems some safe, age-appropriate challenges and help them learn that new sensations and experiences aren't something to be afraid of.
And I absolutely LOVE watching the difference as the puppies grow. 🥹
Those teeny tiny babies who start out barely able to wiggle around quickly become confident little explorers who are curious about everything. We continue building on that foundation as they get older with new sounds, surfaces, smells, handling, enrichment, and eventually all the crazy things that come with being a puppy in the real world.
For me, raising puppies isn't just about producing beautiful Golden Retrievers. It's about putting as much thought into who they become as I do into their pedigrees and health testing.
And yes… sometimes ENS also means I have a pile of puppies in my lap while I try to convince myself I’m going to get something else done today. 😂🐶
And not to "throw shade" as the teens say, but if you're looking at a puppy from a breeder that doesn't interact every single day with the babies from day 1, their practices might be something you want to examine closer.