Early Behavior Imprinting

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The experiences animals have early in life have a profound impact on their later social behavior. that’s why as a Breeder we work with all our Golden Retriever puppies doing ENS. Animals raised in enriched environments have been shown to have many physiological benefits compared to animals raised in standard handling conditions. Some of these benefits include:

•Larger brains

•More new brain cells and neural connections 

•Better brain cell survival 

The result of these physical changes in brain structure result in the following intellectual and emotional benefits: 

•Improved ability to learn and remember 

•More emotional stability 

•Better resiliency to stress  

Too much stimulation or challenge can be as harmful to young animals as lack thereof. Something that is extremely beneficial at one point in a puppy’s life could be detrimental in the next, so the perfect balance is needed. Evidence shows that animals of any age can benefit from an enriched environment. So even if your dog or puppy was raised in poor conditions, they can grow new brain cells and form new neural connections. Why do I prefer to jump in and start so early? The critical socialization period is such a short window of time where I have an opportunity to make an impact on their behavior, compared to even a few weeks later in the puppy’s life. This period lasts from about 3 weeks through 12 weeks and is the best time to lay the proper foundation work for their future. I want to give my puppies all the brain power I can so that they can absorb as much information as possible during this critical socialization period. Training & socialization is an important part of bring home your puppy. I highly recommend the Puppy Culture series to help you better understand the critical stages of raising your puppy and to continue with this protocol thr their 12th week & beyond. Included in this series is crate training, manding  recall (learning to ask for things), leash walking, and steps to help prevent resource guarding & separation anxiety. The book, When Pigs Fly, is also a great training resource. golden retriever puppies for sale