The super dog super puppies – 21 days old, have completed the first significant chunk of growth in their young lives. They continue to thrive under the watchful eye and tongue of my everything dog, their momma Franny. Determining their viability as psychiatric service dog prospects in the coming weeks will be discussed in the next entries. If you or someone you love might be a good candidate for partnering with one of these 3, please email info@abetterpet.com and put Super Dog Service Dog Puppies in the heading.
I have arranged my schedule to be around the puppies and Franny much of the time which has helped create a nurturing, warm, safe and happy environment for all to grow and absorb good life juju. As mentioned in the last post about the puppies, I practiced bio sensor training with this trio from Day 3 – 19.
There’s quite a bit of information available online regarding neuro stim on neonate puppies. Here’s ONE LINK that has a good overview of the reason and the actual exercises done by video. Each of my 3 pups, once per day. was put through the series of these 5 stimulating exercises– the goal of which is to wake up the neurological system of the puppy:
(NOTE: Each exercise 3-5 seconds long)
- Tactile Stimulation – toe tickling with a q-tip
- Head held up (blood drain from brain down)
- Head held upside down (blood drain towards brain)
- Supine Position (puppy laying on back cupped in hands)
- Thermal Stimulation (puppy set on a chilled washcloth)
And in addition, puppies have been held, cuddled, kissed, petted and inhaled by a widening range of visitors, all of whom to date are known and trusted by Franny. Franny has taken longer and longer breaks from the puppies in-between feedings, but they have continued to be exclusively getting nourishment from nursing. Fortunately there are plenty of nipples to choose from and ample milk. Franny’s diet has doubled while she’s nursing, and lots of fresh treats are slipped her way.
My biggest job during this phase was supporting Franny — this included ensuring lots of quiet, access to fresh water, frequent meals, breaks outside to romp in the leaves, and more laundry than I’ve done since I had young kids! Even though she is pretty excellent at clean up (pups were until recently aided in elimination of urine and feces through stimulation of Franny licking at their genitalia — this will cease as soon as food is introduced to the growing clan), her longer breaks and their growing size and physiological ability allows for their own urinating and defecating and so, change of bedding at least daily, in two different “cribs” made for them — they sleep overnight in my own bedroom and spend their days in the middle of the living room, absorbing the sounds, and now that their eyes are opening, the sights of their first home.
Now their increased mobility and beginning ability to see is going to make the next few weeks quite exciting as their older 1/2 sister is given greater permission by Franny to engage with the puppies during active moments. Stay tuned!
