At our recent conference, participants have asked about materials and findings about better ways to raise puppies and dogs.
Here are some findings from research studies, program meetings with researchers and attendance at seminars. We will continue to report them in future Newsletters.
Finding #1. Benefits of Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS). Five exercises each day from 3 to 16 days of life makes the difference. The benefits described are:
- Stronger heart beats
- Stronger heart rates
- More adrenaline when needed
- Greater tolerance of stress
Link to article: http://www.breedingbetterdogs.com/article/early-neurological-stimulation
Finding #2. A study about bloat (GDV) which kills dogs everyday has a lifetime risk of 24% in large-breeds and 22% in giant-breeds. The mortality rate ranges up to 33%. Factors that influence the risk were studied by Battaglia and Otto. They found many factors associated with a decreased risk:
- Playing with other dogs
- Running the fence after meals
- Fish and egg dietary supplements
- Time spent indoors and outdoors
The published article: BLOAT AND THE RISK FACTORS provides more detail. At present there are no tests are available for bloat. The best alternative is pedigree analysis.