Gundogs for all occasions
Top quality dogs raised to the highest of standards
Raising Puppies
Labrador Retrievers & English Springer Spaniels
Here at Brimbleworth Gundogs I pride myself on breeding and rearing puppies like no other! Contrary to popular belief, puppies are NOT clean slates; they are hugely influenced by early experiences and the DNA of their parents. This is why I go above and beyond when preparing for and rearing puppies, I will also only breed from dogs who are well-rounded, have a kind temperament, can prove themselves in a discipline and are fully health tested.
I don't view any of the protocols, techniques, training or enrichment my puppies receive as "extras, to me they are essential for every single puppy. I firmly believe that no puppy should be without the kind of start I give mine, in my opinion puppies raised without these protocols are deprived of becoming the best dog possible.
Because of the expertise, dedication, time and love I put into each and every one of my puppies I am very selective when it comes to finding them their forever homes. Be prepared for a thorough interview, you will be expected to work just as hard as I have if you get selected to take a puppy home. I never forget any of my puppies and feel as though their owners are an extension to my family, I will always be there to support, guide and advice owners of my puppies.
Early Neurological Stimulation
The first scientific protocol my puppies experience begins from day 3 until day 16 I follow a scientific protocol called Early Neurological Stimulation which stimulates the puppy's neurological system by challenging it to respond earlier than it would normally be expected to. The result will later aid the puppy's performance and health. E.N.S. creates dogs with a greater tolerance to stress, greater resistance to disease, more neural pathways, better nerve ending connections and stronger heartbeats.
The Early Neurological Stimulation Protocol consists of 5 stimulating exercises to be done to each individual puppy every day. To see the scientific paper on Early Neurological Stimulation written by Dr. Carmen Battaglia of Breeding Better Dogs, click on the PDF below.
The stimulating exercises are as follows;
1. Tactical stimulation (between toes)
2. Head held erect
3. Head pointed down
4. Supine position
5. Thermal stimulation.
Socialisation
The Critical Socialisation Period (C.S.P.) is from 3 weeks of age until approximately 12 weeks of age. During this period as little as one exposure can be enough to shape your puppy’s attitude and behaviour (Good or Bad!), this period of “brain flexibility” is biologically determined and forever lost after the C.S.P. is over. The vast majority of this time is spent with me, their breeder, this is why I lovingly invest a great deal of time into giving them the best start possible. Puppies who do not receive a vast array of positive experiences during this period will not be as outgoing, confident and calm as those who do. There are also practical limits as to how much you can make up of what was missed during the 3 - 12 week period, so it is essential that breeders go out of their way to socialise and educate puppies early on.
Socialisation is not just exposing the puppies to as many animals, people and places as possible, while this is a part of it, to me it is not enough!
My aim is to raise dogs who have the emotional intelligence to connect with you on a deep and trusting level in order to produce superior family pets and working dogs.
Training
Training begins at approximately 4 weeks of age as soon as the puppies will take food by hand. As a professional, full time Dog Trainer I know the implications of not getting training right the first time so I provide my puppy owners with an easy to follow Puppy Training Plan in video format. I give the puppies a head start on the following behaviours to make training as fun and easy for their new owners as possible;
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Respond to name
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Come when called
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Sit, down & stand
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Release word
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Food manners
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Leave it
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Loose lead walking
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Retrieving
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Sit & recall whistle
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Manding - asking politely for something
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Potty Training - eliminating in a litter tray
All my training is done using kind, effective and reward based techniques, which helps puppies trust and build stronger bonds with their humans. Reward based techniques have also shown to produce smarter, calmer puppies who can think for theirselves and have greater tolerance to frustration.
I use a specific method called clicker, or marker training in puppy training sessions. This is extremely helpful when it comes to handing the training over to their new owners as training remains consistent and puppies avoid getting confused and frustrated over new methods.
Enrichment
My puppies are raised in a highly enriching environment and get to experience a range of textures, surfaces, sounds and visual stimulation. All of this is preparing them for the sight and sounds they may experience in adult life, whether it be agility, scent detection service work or working with the gun.
Studies have shown that puppies raised in an enriching environment with toys, exercises and training challenges have larger brains with more neurological connections then those raised in a stimulus poor environment. The carefully planned activities and challenges I set out for my puppies actually causes them to grow more brain!
Individual activities such as the barrier challenge causes the puppies to use their brain to problem solve and learn how to deal with frustration. Once the puppy independently completes the challenge it has an empowering effect and prepares them for the challenges and difficulties they will face as adults. Dogs who have learnt how to problem solve as puppies are less likely to make poor choices when dealing with frustration and cope better when working under pressure.
Weaning
The way in which a bitch interacts with and weans their puppies has a huge impact on them later in life. Studies have shown that puppies who were weaned by their mothers through growling and baring teeth are more likely to resort to aggression when faced with conflict as adults. This tendency to resolve conflict with aggression may be directed to other dogs, you or children so it is important that bitches are given the correct environment to raise their puppies. Good mothers will wean their puppies by retreating to a safe place or offering playful gestures to their puppies in order to distract them. This teaches puppies a much healthier, safer way to behave when faced with conflict.
