Six New Puppies!

A new litter of 6 Golden Retriever pups have just been born at Warrior Canine Connection. The fantastic new HD puppy-cam, generously donated by our friends at Dog Bless You, is ready to broadcast the first thrilling moments of bonding between mother Holly and her babies. And we are busy recruiting volunteers for our Puppy Petting Program.

You can’t say you have a Puppy Petting Program without smiling, but this enterprise is actually as serious as it is delightful. Molly Morelli, the Director of WCC’s Dog Program, looks deep into the health and behavior history for clues about the genetic suitability of every dog she considers for our breeding program. But great genetics is not enough. What happens after these pups arrive is just as critical to their wellbeing and success.

Puppy Petting falls into the scientific realm now known as epi-genetics—those outside forces that influence our genes’ behavior. Epi-genetic forces are particularly powerful when they are experienced very early in life. The warmth of a human hand, the gentle, rhythmic pressure of loving strokes, the melody of a friendly voice—these are exactly the “epi-genetic stimuli” that can boost the social brain chemistry of our pups and help prepare them for the very special mission.

This epigenetic power that we literally hold in our hands throws new light on the importance of our Puppy Petting Program. And there’s more good news. Petting puppies— or just watching them on our live web cam – raises your oxytocin and serotonin levels too.

So, please go virtually visit our puppies and know that your smile is a biological blessing brought to you from the folks at Dog Bless You.