Remember when I posted about my dog, Squish, the scent work we were doing? No? Well, he's so smart that his nose drove right past the scent on the to q-tip and memorized the scent of the q-tip itself. Then, went on to indicate on my tin can that holds my personal (unscented) q-tips. Brilliant boy. Flabbergasted Momma! How I Smell Thee can be found by clicking that link. He sure keeps me both entertained and on my toes! 

You see, dogs can smell up to 100,000 times better than us. That's right one hundred thousand times better. Unbelievable. Their sense of smell is so powerful they can detect things like when we are happy or stressed. Tumors, and ketones. Diabetic Alert Dogs trained for hypoglycemia, are trained to detect Acetone and or Isoprenes, the most prominent ketones produced by the liver when burning fat reserves. They can discern original/valuable paintings and they can smell fear or anxiety. They smell the things invisible to us. 

The main focus here is PTSD service dogs. Scent plays a big part. Often the handler needs a dog to help them navigate anxiety. Anxiety spikes during triggers which can render the handlers immobile. The cue chain goes something like this; handler finds themselves unable to function, dog notices body language and a scent, that combination works in place of a cue word like "sit". The trained dog then performs a trained task. That ranges from keeping people away form the handler, deep pressure therapy, nudging, licking or even barking to ground the handler.  The common denominator is the scent, it's a big part of what gets the ball rolling 

Brand new puppies, pups that don't have their eyes open or their ears functioning start Early Scent Introduction. Puppies that are 3-16 days old! ESI was developed by Gayle Watkins (founding member of Avidog)  In a 7 year breeding test, the success of pups trained with ESI compared to a control group was undeniable. The ESI pups achieved scenting titles much earlier, had more titles (perhaps because they started accumulating earlier in their career?) and their abilities were more complex. The surprise should not be with me performing this exercise religiously, it's why isn't every breeder? Our job is to do the best, breed the best, train the best, and try our best. The science is clearly in favor of the early introduction. 

While a pup interested in scent (neutral or avoiding are the other choices) isn't the whole picture, I also need a particular temperament and level of engagement. I will be honest and say that I do like an early indicator of scent-interest when I'm looking to place a pup where scent is crucial to the well being of the handler. 

What is this test? It's simple enough, and I enjoy coming up with novel scents. So far this new litter has had cleaners, spices, food, and environment smells like grass. They've experienced pigs (Thanks Jack for letting me rub a make up pad over you, I know you thought you were going to get scratches) Also, brand new hatched/still wet serama chicks. Little Miss Red Collar has been consistently interested. She moves toward to investigate. Others will move away (recoil from nail polish) or remain sleeping. That's perfectly fine. The idea is to fire up the part of the brain that deciphers scent. And that is happening with or without and indication from the baby. The pups are simply exposed to the scent for 5 seconds and their reactions noted. Over time a pattern usually reveals itself. While most of the litter was interested in tuna juice, things like clinicide, used this morning fell into "neutral" They didn't move away, they didn't move toward. 

How Red's consistent interest pans out is yet to be seen. That sweet spot temperament is the deciding factor. She will need to be optimistic and capable. She needs to be stable in all environments (the litter is already slated to go to a high school and hang out with the Learning Center kiddos, a seniors residence and so many other things). 

It's a fun job, this puppy raising thing that I do. I love learning and being able to recognize the subtle nuances in behavior that I'm not clinically trained to label. I have quite literally worked and observed thousands of puppy's. It allows me a unique perspective and understanding. The learning continues, I am always updating techniques or information. 

The early scent is a valuable experience for the pups. Here's a quick video, taken this morning, capturing the difference between Red's interest and the other pups neutral responses. Scent Introduction 

While you're on my instagram page, hit he follow button! There will be reels of sensory situations, probably learning to eat because that's always a fun time and interactions with their Momma and Squish (plus Jack and Diane, the resident kune kunes!) It's a good time, you don't want to miss it!