Early Canine Education is an innovative group of breeders interested in enhancing the affective, cognitive, and physical development of puppies from conception to 16 months old. Our goal is to develop methods to stimulate and educate puppies so that they become confident and healthy adult companions. We encourage breeders to keep litters intact 12-16 weeks so that the puppies have more opportunity to learn from their littermates, canine mothers, and breeder.

Appropriate topics are (1) assessing genetic status of sire/dam, (2) whelping methods (3)canine developmental stages, (4) innovative toys and playgrounds, (5) creative socialization ideas, (6) assessing puppy strengths and weaknesses, (7) matching puppies with families, (8) placement criteria contracts, (9) enhancing cognitive, physical affective functioning, (10) the role of canine mothers, and (11) the partnership between canine and human parents.

Aversive training techniques are never appropriate for puppies or their mothers. Participants should also avoid theories that indirectly encourage humans to use aversive strategies with puppies (e.g., dominance/leadership, pack hierarchies). Likewise, posters should not advocate using dogs to "correct" puppies. Posts that advocate any kind of aversive strategy will be removed from the list Archives.

Discussion is encouraged. Controversial or "hot" topics (e.g., raw diets, eliminating vaccinations, homepathic methods) should be monitored so that these issues do not dominate or divide the list. If presenting a controversial topic, provocative or strong statements should be avoided. On the other hand, we welcome questioning of accepted practice.

The purpose of ECE is to develop safe innovation among breeders. Our list is only for serious, ethical breeders and not appropriate for people who resist challenges to their own ideas. We value each canine life from conception through adulthood.