Puppy B.R.E.A.T.H.
The Doglando Foundation’s Puppy B.R.E.A.T.H. program, established eight years ago, works in collaboration with local rescuers and even shelters to take care of pregnant dogs. Our ultimate goal is to have the pregnant dog sent to us, where she and her stage of pregnancy would be fiercely protected. Puppy B.R.E.A.T.H. takes into consideration and works to improve behavior, research, education, adoption, training, and health, and our birthing suites allow us to ensure that that dog is getting the proper support that she needs, whether that is in terms of intuition, emotional support, nutritional support, physical support, mental support, or behavioral support.
Our program allows the mom to be very involved in the process of birthing, which to someone who may not know what I’m talking about may sound redundant. But, unfortunately, the mom is not typically involved in the birthing process. It’s a very invasive process, and many breeders (though I am generalizing) involve themselves in the birthing process. So much so that as soon as the mother starts contracting, they will insert two fingers and assist, physically moving the puppy out cleaning the puppy vigorously. When we think about this pregnant dog, so much of her experience in birthing, and equally important the puppies’, is inauthentic and filled with stress. I truly believe that it is trauma. Our Puppy B.R.E.A.T.H. program has allowed us to bring the birthing experience back to what nature intended, and we have seen massive changes in not just the mom’s and puppy’s relationship, but also in the manner in which they’ve developed emotionally, mentally, and physically.
At the Doglando Foundation, we have never involved ourselves in the birthing or weaning process. And so, we see these puppies stay on mom, not necessarily for food bit for that pacifying behavior and the soothing that comes along with it. By not involving ourselves in the birth or weaning process, we are able to facilitate the experience in a way that the interaction between mom and puppies is so rich and has allowed these puppies to have a foundational element that we can use later on in life to really further them in the desire to want to learn and in their desire to want to be with a human.
Teena Patel is the founder of the canine enrichment campus University of Doglando for restricted canine companions. The University of Doglando is a place where dogs can be dogs and live a fruitful and purposeful lifestyle. To learn more about Teena Patel and the University of Doglando, please contact us online or call us at (407) 574-3160.