Early Development
ENS & ESI
Long before our puppies are ready to explore the world, their development has already begun. During their first weeks of life, we introduce two brief, age-appropriate programs—Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) and Early Scent Introduction (ESI)—as the beginning of a much larger developmental journey.
Early Neurological Stimulation
Beginning at three days of age, we introduce Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS), a brief series of gentle exercises performed once daily during the puppies' first weeks of life. Each puppy is individually handled and exposed for just a few seconds to several mild changes in position, touch, and temperature.
ENS is not training, and more is definitely not better. The exercises are intentionally brief and provide small, controlled experiences during an important period of early neurological development.
Early Scent Introduction
During this same early developmental period, we also introduce Early Scent Introduction (ESI).
A puppy's sense of smell is functioning well before its eyes and ears open, making scent one of its earliest ways of experiencing the world. With ESI, each puppy is briefly presented with a different, safe scent each day and allowed to respond naturally. Some puppies move toward a scent, some move away, and others seem completely unimpressed—and all of those responses are perfectly acceptable.
The purpose isn't to teach the puppy to identify particular odors or to judge its scenting ability. Instead, ESI provides another gentle form of sensory experience and gives us an early opportunity to observe each puppy as an individual.
For a breed whose history is so closely tied to hunting, we find their responses to scent particularly fascinating. Later, those natural abilities may find an outlet in activities such as Scent Work, Barn Hunt, tracking—or simply the very important Cirneco business of knowing exactly what passed through the backyard overnight.
Just the Beginning
ENS and ESI are small pieces of a much larger developmental program. As the puppies' eyes and ears open and their world begins to expand, these early exercises give way to age-appropriate handling, new surfaces and sounds, play, problem-solving, household experiences, visitors, and eventually carefully planned adventures beyond our home.
Our goal isn't to create puppies that have experienced everything before they leave us. It is to give each puppy a thoughtful foundation for becoming a confident, curious, adaptable companion prepared to experience the world alongside their family.
