One week into life, and so much has already happened. In just seven short days, these puppies have nearly doubled in size, grown stronger by the hour, and settled beautifully into the rhythm of eat, sleep, and grow. While their eyes and ears are still closed, their world is far from quiet or inactive. Their sense of smell is already at work, guiding them to mom, and their tiny bodies are learning coordination, warmth, and comfort. You’ll see gentle wiggles, little stretches,

One of the most amazing things to watch this early is just how powerful a puppy’s sense of smell already is. Even while sound asleep, the moment mama steps into the pen, their bodies come alive. Wiggles start instantly. Heads lift. Tiny noses begin working. At just one week old, puppies rely heavily on scent to understand their world. Their eyes and ears are still closed, but their nose is already fully engaged. They can identify their mother, locate her, and move directly to

Today I am showing one of the ways we start building service dog foundations before eyes even open: Early Scent Introduction (ESI). ESI is a simple daily protocol done during the newborn window, usually days three through sixteen, where each puppy is briefly exposed to one new scent. It is gentle, it is short, and it is always followed by going right back to mom. ESI is not just about “novelty.” Studies looking at early scent exposure found that puppies who received structure