These five
exercises will produce neurological stimulations, none of which
naturally occur during this early period of life. Experience shows
that sometimes pups will resist these exercises, others will appear
unconcerned. In either case a caution is offered to those who plan to
use them. Do not repeat them more than once per day and do not extend
the time beyond that recommended for each exercise. Over stimulation
of the neurological system can have adverse and detrimental results.
These exercises impact the neurological system by kicking it into
action earlier than would be normally expected. The result being an
increased capacity that later will help to make the difference in its
performance. Those who play with their pups and routinely handle them
should continue to do so because the neurological exercises are not
substitutions for routine handling, play socialization or bonding.
Benefits
of Stimulation
Five
benefits have been observed in canines that were exposed to the Bio
Sensor stimulation exercises. The benefits noted were:
-
Improved
cardio vascular performance (heart rate)
-
Stronger
heart beats
-
Stronger
adrenal glands
-
More
tolerance to stress and
-
Greater
resistance to disease.
In tests
of learning, stimulated pups were found to be more active and were
more exploratory than their non- stimulated littermates over which
they were dominant in competitive situations.
Secondary
effects were also noted regarding test performance. In simple problem
solving tests using detours in a maze, the non-stimulated pups became
extremely aroused, wined a great deal, and made many errors. Their
stimulated littermates were less disturbed or upset by test
conditions and when comparisons were made, the stimulated littermates
were more calm in the test environment, made fewer errors and gave
only an occasional distress when stressed.
Socialization
As each
animal grows and develops three kinds of stimulation have been
identified that impact and influence how it will develop and be
shaped as an individual. The first stage is called early neurological
stimulation, and the second stage is called socialization. The first
two (early neurological stimulation and socialization) have in common
a window of limited time. When Lorenz, (1935) first wrote about the
importance of the stimulation process he wrote about imprinting
during early life and its influence on the later development of the
individual. He states that it was different from conditioning in that
it occurred early in life and took place very rapidly producing
results which seemed to be permanent. One of the first and perhaps
the most noted research efforts involving the larger animals was
achieved by Kellogg & Kellogg (1933). As a student of Dr.
Kellogg's I found him and his wife to have an uncanny interest in
children and young animals and the changes and the differences that
occurred during early development. Their history making study
involved raising their own new born child with a new born primate.
Both infants were raised together as if they were twins. This study
like others that would follow attempted to demonstrate that among the
mammals there are great differences in their speed of physical and
mental development. Some are born relatively mature and quickly
capable of motion and locomotion, while others are very immature,
immobile and slow to develop. For example, the Rhesus monkey shows
rapid and precocious development at birth, while the chimpanzee and
the other "great apes" take much longer. Last and slowest
is the human infant.
One of the
earliest efforts to investigate and look for the existence of
socialization in canines was undertaken by Scott-Fuller (1965). In
their early studies they were able to demonstrate that the basic
technique for testing the existence of socialization was to show how
readily adult animals would foster young animals, or accept one from
another species. They observed that with the higher level animals it
is easiest done by hand rearing. When the foster animal transfers its
social relationships to the new species, researchers conclude that
socialization has taken place. Most researchers agree that among all
species, a lack of adequate socialization generally results in
unacceptable behavior and often times produces undesirable
aggression, excessiveness, fearfulness, sexual inadequacy, and
indifference toward partners.
Socialization
studies confirm that the critical periods for humans (infant) to be
stimulated are generally between three weeks and twelve months of
age. For canines the period is shorter, between the fourth and
sixteenth week of age. During these critical time periods two things
can go wrong. First, insufficient social contact can interfere with
proper emotional development which can adversely affected the
development of the human bond. The lack of adequate social
stimulation, such as handling, mothering and contact with others,
adversely affects social and psychological development.
Second,
over mothering can prevent sufficient exposure to other individuals,
and situations that have an important influence on growth and
development. The literature shows that humans and animals respond in
similar ways when denied minimal amounts of stimulation. In humans,
the absence of love and cuddling increases the risk of an aloof,
distant, asocial or sociopathic individual. Over mothering can also
have its detrimental effects. It occurs when a patient insulates the
child from outside contacts, or keeps the apron strings tight, thus
limiting opportunities to explore and interact. In the end, over
mothering generally produces a dependent, socially maladjusted and
sometimes emotionally disturbed individual.
The
absence of outside social interactions for both children and pups
usually results in a lack of adequate learning and social adjustment.
Protected youngsters who grow up in an insulated environment often
times become sickly, despondent, lacking in flexibility and unable to
make simple social adjustments. Generally, they are unable to
function productively or to interact successfully then they become adults.
Owners who
have busy life styles with long and tiring work and social schedules
often times cause pets to be neglected. Left to themselves with only
an occasional trip out of the house or off of the property they
seldom see other canines or strangers and generally suffer from poor
stimulation and socialization. For many, the side effects of
loneliness and boredom set-in. The resulting behavior manifests
itself in the form of chewing, digging, and hard to control behavior (Battaglia).
It seems
clear that small amounts of stress followed by early socialization
can produce beneficial results. The danger seems to be in not knowing
where the thresholds are for over and under stimulation. Many
improperly socialized youngsters develop into older individuals
unprepared for adult life, unable to cope with its challenges, and
interactions. Attempts to re-socialize them when adults have only
produced small gains. These failures confirm the notion that the
window of time open for early neurological and social stimulation
only comes once. After it passes, little or nothing can be done to
overcome the negative effects of too much or too little stimulation.
The third
and final stage in the process of growth and development is called
enrichment. Unlike the first two stages it has no time limit and by
comparison covers a very long period of time. Enrichment is a term
which has come to mean the positive sum of experiences, which have a
cumulative effect upon the individual. Enrichment experiences
typically involve exposure to a wide variety of interesting, novel,
and exciting experiences with regular opportunities to freely
investigate, manipulate, and interact with them. When measured in
later life, the results show that those reared in an enriched
environment tend to be more inquisitive and are more able to perform
difficult tasks. The educational TV program called Sesame Street is
perhaps the best known example of a children's enrichment program.
The results show that when tested, children who regularly watched
this program performed better than playmates who did not. Follow up
studies show that those who regularly watched Sesame tend to seek a
college education and when enrolled, performed better than playmates
who were not regular watchers of the Sesame Street Program.
There are
numerous children studies that show the benefits of enrichment
techniques and programs. Most focus on improving self-esteem and
self-talk. Follow up studies show that the enriched Sesame Street
students when later tested were brighter and scored above average and
most often were found to be the products of environments that
contributed to their superior test scores. On the other hand, those
whose test scores were generally below average, (labeled as dull) and
the products of underprivileged or non- enriched environments often
times had little or only small amounts of stimulation during early
childhood and only minimal amounts of enrichment during their
developmental and formative years. Many were characterized as
children who grew up with little interaction with others, poor
parenting, few toys, no books and a steady diet of TV soap operas.
A similar
analogy can be found among canines. All the time they are growing
they are learning because their nervous systems are developing and
storing information that may be of inestimable use at a later date.
Studies by Scott and Fuller confirm that non-enriched pups when given
free choice preferred to stay in their kennels. Other litter mates
who were given only small amounts of outside stimulation between five
and eight weeks of age were found to be very inquisitive and very
active. When kennel doors were left open, the enriched pups would
come bounding out while littermates who were not exposed to
enrichment would remain behind. The non-stimulated pups would
typically be fearful of unfamiliar objects and generally preferred to
withdraw rather than investigate. Even well bred pups of superior
pedigrees would not explore or leave their kennels and many were
found difficult to train as adults. These pups in many respects were
similar to the deprived children. They acted as if they had become
institutionalized, preferring the routine and safe environment of
their kennel to the stimulating world outside their immediate place
of residence.
Regular
trips to the park, shopping centers and obedience and agility classes
serve as good examples of enrichment activities. Chasing and
retrieving a ball on the surface seems to be enriching because it
provides exercise and includes rewards. While repeated attempts to
retrieve a ball provide much physical activity, it should not be
confused with enrichment exercises. Such playful activities should be
used for exercise and play or as a reward after returning from a trip
or training session. Road work and chasing balls are not substitutes
for trips to the shopping mall, outings or obedience classes most of
which provide many opportunities for interaction and investigation.
Finally it
seems clear that stress early in life can produce beneficial results.
The danger seems to be in not knowing where the thresholds are for
over and under stimulation. However, the absence or the lack of
adequate amounts of stimulation generally will produce negative and
undesirable results. Based on the above it is fair to say that the
performance of most individuals can be improved including the
techniques described above. Each contributes in a cumulative way and
supports the next stage of development.
Conclusion
Breeders
can now take advantage of the information available to improve and
enhance performance. Generally, genetics account of about 35% of the
performance but the remaining 65% (management, training, nutrition)
can make the difference. In the management category it has been shown
that breeders should be guided by the rule that it is generally
considered prudent to guard against under and over stimulation. Short
of ignoring pups during their first two months of life, a
conservative approach would be to expose them to children, people,
toys and other animals on a regular basis. Handling and touching all
parts of their anatomy is also necessary to learn as early as the
third day of life. Pups that are handled early and on a regular
basis, generally do not become hand shy as adults.
Because of
the risks involved in under stimulation a conservative approach to
using the benefits of the three stages has been suggested based
primarily on the works of Arskeusky, Kellogg, Yearkes and the
"Bio Sensor" program (later known as the "Super Dog Program").
Both
experience and research have dominated the beneficial effects that
can be achieved via early neurological stimulation, socialization and
enrichment experiences. Each has been used to improve performance and
to explain the differences that occur between individuals, their
trainability, health and potential. The cumulative effects of the
three stages have been well documented. They best serve the interests
of owners who seek high levels of performance when properly used.
Each has a cumulative effect and contributes to the development and
the potential for individual performance.
References:
Battaglia,
C.L., "Loneliness and Boredom" Doberman Quarterly, 1982.
Kellogg,
W.N. & Kellogg, The Ape and the Child, New York: McGraw Hill.
Scott &
Fuller, (1965) Dog Behavior -The Genetic Basics, University Chicago Press
Scott,
J.P., Ross, S., A.E. and King D.K. (1959) The Effects of Early
Enforced Weaning on Stickling Behavior of Puppies, J. Genetics
Psychologist, p5: 261-81.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Carmen
L Battaglia holds a Ph.D. and Masters Degree from Florida State
University. As an AKC judge, researcher and writer, he has been a
leader in promotion of breeding better dogs and has written many
articles and several books.Dr. Battaglia is also a popular TV and
radio talk show speaker. His seminars on breeding dogs, selecting
sires and choosing puppies have been well received by the breed clubs
all over the country. Those interested in learning more about his
articles and seminars should visit his
website at:
http://www.breedingbetterdogs.com
