Picking Your Puppy
The idea of raising a new puppy on your own may be overwhelming. You need a puppy that can fit  very well with your life-style. Your life in Santa Monica, California is hectic, you may have a full time profession, you may be raising a new family, you may like to travel or you’ve just retired. We provide a anxiety free experience to add that  outstanding dog to your life.

The Experience Starts With a Assessment
We know it is essential that you know who you will be working with. Establishing a rapport is incredibly important to us in Santa Monica, California. Our discussion starts with simple questions and leads into an in depth discussion, which will provide us a much better idea of who you are and what your perfect dog might be. We would like to have a excellent working relationship with you. It starts the journey to choose, teach and raise your pup.

Selecting The Perfect Breed For Your Home
Once you have determined you want to add that perfect dog to your life in Santa Monica, California. You may have your heart set on a certain breed or maybe you’re interested in one of our pups that are presently in our puppy raising program. Certainly there are things to take into account such as the type of house you live in, how much you work, maybe you are raising a  little family, you love to go on vacation or you’ve recently retired. This information will not restrict your options, but instead help shed light on your everyday life in Santa Monica, CA. We help guide you in your decision making process. As we learn more about you, we can certainly help you pick what you want and which breed will best fit your lifestyle.

Selecting The Best Breeder in Santa Monica, California
We collaborate with amazing breeders who are genuinely interested in improving their breed with good health and fantastic temperament of their puppies. The initial eight weeks of a new pups life are as essential as to what comes after. A good breeder understands this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have established a relationship with many exceptional breeders. We particularly search out breeders who recognize the early role they play in a puppies life. They know when one of their pups grows through our program, it ensures the puppy will end up having a wonderful life.  It’s extremely important to work closely with the breeder. We depend on the breeder’s knowledge and also our years of knowledge to pick the puppy with the best temperament for the prospective new family.

Your Puppy‘s Training in Santa Monica, California
Training your pup is a combination of teaching new skill-sets including manners, setting boundaries, nurturing healthy relationships, and also exposing your dog successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all various environments.Such as, we may have the pup sleep overnight with different people in different settings; which in turn creates a dog for you who is relaxed and easy to live with because he or she adapts|adjusts} to your way of life. Because of this and exposures to other variables your dog easily connects with you and your family members.

Imprinting Good Behavior ~Birth to 16 Weeks
Getting your puppy from the breeder

Training starts the minute a new puppy is in our hands in Santa Monica, California. Once we select the pup from the litter, the first thing we want to accomplish is building confidence and a bond with this new puppy. We begin our relationship having fun even though we’re always teaching. Under our close guidance, we start exposing the puppy to its new world. Such as, getting him or her to follow us, go up and down stairs, walk over branches, and maybe even get somewhat near to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your dog to the world while at the same time reinforcing our bond. We are huge dog lovers, yet incredibly aware in those moments it is imperative to focus more on being a leader and guide as the new pup learns about this new world without the company of its litter mates or mom.

Most important time for learning
During the initial few weeks we are teaching your new puppy boundaries, trust and focus. There is no restriction as to what we will incorporate into our methods. Often we make use of particular places or objects to create an experience for the pup. Sometimes a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Santa Monica, California. Our decisions and vision are endless. Every exposure and experience builds on the prior one. Through all of this, we closely monitor the puppy. We do not confine ourselves to inflexible rules. We try to become more creative, think outside the box, and take advantage of events that unfold before us. Those opportunities are priceless when it comes down to teaching the puppy.

Every interaction with the new pup is a teaching moment. We like to consider it as an early investment in the life of this pup. This is the first time away from their littermates and staying with us in Santa Monica, California. Puppies have a small window of time during brain development when they are most impressionable. This is called the imprinting also known as the critical learning period. Puppies learn more during this period than they can learn in a lifetime. The quality and quantity of what they experience will have a massive influence on their future personalities and decide a lot of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. During the imprinting phase, every experience is vital. It is important to build their self-confidence. The expression ‘don’t sweat the small stuff’ does not apply to their early interactions. Because puppies are soaking up every experience like a sponge, we must stay very aware of all interactions and yet still have a good time with our new puppy.

A Well-Mannered Puppy
4 to 6 months 

A well-trained pup is so much more than just obedient. Knowing how to sit, stay or walk nicely on a loose leash are necessary things to learn. Good manners, great social skills and a healthy relationship with his or her family are paramount. In addition, desensitization, exposure to various distractions and situations, in addition to being comfortable to fit into a lifestyle in Santa Monica, CA is equally important.

Our focus is to create a dog with remarkable manners and social skills. We begin by teaching obedience the day we bring them home from the breeder; which continues as we improve the dog’s behavior. The goal is to have a stable foundation by about 4 to 6 months. We practice obedience, making it a regular request in our everyday routine in addition to within each new situation we expose your puppy to. We move from shaping to defining commands and testing them with distractions, duration and distance. Communication is at the center of our philosophy. Being clear and consistent is key. We restrict our words when giving commands. We want your dog to understand what we mean when we give them the command. When we say ‘come’ or ‘here’ we expect 100% response right away.

Proofing Behavior in a Social World in Santa Monica, CA
6 months to young adult

Enter the teenage years– adolescence. This is the typical age when many dogs are re-homed or given up to animal shelters. The adolescent stage can find your sweet pup developing into a monster. That nice pup can be more mouthy and disobedient than you could ever picture. Many owners hope their canine will grow out of unwanted behaviors. Their dog is testing what is allowed and what is not. Allowing a dog to continue practicing naughty acts makes changing unwanted behavior more challenging.

Working in the Real World in Santa Monica, California 
We work to stop any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction places. For example, we practice recalls when your dog is extremely distracted perhaps chasing something like a squirrel. We practice and proof obedience in high traffic spots, around barking dogs, around playgrounds and within public places.

As the dog moves through the adolescent stage we continue to challenge the dog by putting it in various situations. We think of each situation as a picture. How does that look like to the puppy? How does that picture change from day to day or location to location. We are striving to teach a dog how to cope in every new and different setting or situation. We are raising a puppy that isn’t reliant on continuous commands that dictate what he or she should and should not do. In fact, we prefer a dog that can make great choices. Our main priority is to have a well-balanced dog, who will be comfortable your home.

We continue to reinforce and fine-tune good manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. During this time, the dog has been living with the dog trainer in his or her personal home. During this time, your puppy will also spend a few days and nights hanging out with another loved one or close friend. Offering this opportunity, encourages your dog to continue to be confident and comfortable in brand-new settings. This ensures those habits and good manners will remain when he/she goes on to your home in Santa Monica, CA.