This is yet another discovery that wows us about the canine neonate brain. Imaging shows that at birth, these young brains have little functional activity. As astonishing as it is to see a seconds-old puppy latch on to the milk bar for colostrum, it is equally astonishing to witness just how vulnerable they are. All they do is nurse and sleep. It’s all they can do.
But because that brain is in a unique developmental stage, we have access to systems in a way that we never will again. Due to tremendous chemical and structural transformations, those little brains are going to quadruple in the first three weeks of life. As they do so, we can employ early neurological stimulation.
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