The Making of a Resilient Dog

It's complicated...

As I have been going back through the research on which I developed our Nicholberry Goldens protocols, and thinking about what I can offer puppy raisers in my upcoming webinar with Dr. Christensen, I am struck anew by just how complicated it is to raise resilient dogs. It has all become second nature to me - I have a huge amount of muscle memory when it comes to raising puppies. It has developed from the actual raising of hundreds of puppies, as well as from the tremendous amount of research I have done (for those of you familiar with the Enneagram, I am obviously a five - never enough information!).

For example, once we have completed a breeding, we are rigorous about ensuring that mama is exercised daily and receives a tremendous amount of emotional support by way of gentle belly rubbing and body massaging. I know that these protocols have a remarkable impact on the puppies she is carrying. But why?