Bio Sensor Exercises

Did you know that from day 3 through day 16, there are a set of easy exercises you can do with your newborn puppies that help maximize their potential as performance dogs later in life?  These Bio-Sensor exercises stimulate their neurological and physical development and were developed for the SuperDog program for the US Army.  There’s only a small window of time for this program to be most effective, and keeping track on a developmental schedule will help you be sure you don’t miss this opportunity. If you’d like to see a video on the process, one is available here. 

You can also introduce scents during this time frame.  Each day, introduce a new scent item.  While each puppy takes their turn investigating the offered scent, put them on a level surface, or hold them in your lap – so long as they are safe from falling.  You can choose a variety of scent items for these few days, focusing on things they might need to be familiar with in their adult life.  For example, bird dogs would benefit from exposure to pheasant feathers.  Law enforcement dogs could be exposed to some of the scents they might encounter on the job. Therapy dogs could sample some hospital scents, like antiseptics and cleaning products.  Blankets that smell like other pets in the household, or dirty laundry from family members are good choices, too.

Hold the scent near their nose, a half inch to an inch away, and allow the puppy to interact with the scent at will for at least five seconds. If the puppy moves forward to engage with the scented item, allow them up to 30 seconds to continue smelling. Repeat the process with each pup.  

You can see a video on early scent introduction here. 

Keeping track and making little notes of each session may sound like a lot of work, but it’s actually pretty rewarding. As time goes on, you can learn a little bit about the personality of each pup.  Who is good at self-soothing?  Who is normally quiet, and who is always vocal?  Who is the first one to

explore a new scent or toy?  All these things can be important later, when deciding which pup is the best fit for which home.  

There can be a very thin line between “good” and “great.”  Going that little extra step early on can help YOUR puppies stand out as superstars later in the ring, on the field and as pets and companions.