What is Early Scent Introduction (ESI)?
Early scent introduction is just another way that we at Sunnyside FWF are able to bring you the best possible puppy that starts out with the best possible advantages!
If you are looking for a companion dog but you do want to enter into various field trials, along with just the joy of nosework with your dog, your dog (and you) will benefit from this early training.
Or maybe you are looking for a therapy or service dog that needs his scent ability to assist with finding lost persons. Service dogs can also use scent to identify the early stages of diabetic reaction, or the onset of a seizure. Another situation in which scent abilities can matter a great deal might be alerting an elderly person to a gas leak, or to something burning on the stove – again, there is the potential for saving a life. All these skills enhanced by ESI. Of course, not all dogs are going to be service or therapy animals. Even if you don’t foresee an instant need, maybe in your future with your dog it will arise, and having your dog the inset skill, is like having money in the bank.
If you are looking for a companion dog but you do want to enter into various field trials, along with just the joy of nosework with your dog, your dog (and you) will benefit from this early training.
Or maybe you are looking for a therapy or service dog that needs his scent ability to assist with finding lost persons. Service dogs can also use scent to identify the early stages of diabetic reaction, or the onset of a seizure. Another situation in which scent abilities can matter a great deal might be alerting an elderly person to a gas leak, or to something burning on the stove – again, there is the potential for saving a life. All these skills enhanced by ESI. Of course, not all dogs are going to be service or therapy animals. Even if you don’t foresee an instant need, maybe in your future with your dog it will arise, and having your dog the inset skill, is like having money in the bank.
How does it work?
To expose our puppies to ESI, we begin when they are three days old and stop at 16 days. At Sunnyside FWF, we use garlic, flowers, leather collar, tomato, herbs with distinct scent, lemon, grass, cat hair, bird feathers, leaves, rubber ball, mud and oranges
Every day, we introduce a new scent. To do this, we pick up the puppy or sit on the floor with the puppy in our lap. We hold on to the puppy with one hand so that he does not squirm away before the scent is introduced. Then, with our other hand, we hold the scent-bearing object about half an inch away from his nose. If he wants to move toward the scent, we let him. By the same token, if he wants to move away from it, that is fine too. Then we note whether the reaction is positive, negative, or neutral. Then we repeat the procedure with the other puppies in the litter.
Every day, we introduce a new scent. To do this, we pick up the puppy or sit on the floor with the puppy in our lap. We hold on to the puppy with one hand so that he does not squirm away before the scent is introduced. Then, with our other hand, we hold the scent-bearing object about half an inch away from his nose. If he wants to move toward the scent, we let him. By the same token, if he wants to move away from it, that is fine too. Then we note whether the reaction is positive, negative, or neutral. Then we repeat the procedure with the other puppies in the litter.
Please go to Youtube for an example of how ESI on a newborn puppy looks like.
