Deciding on Your New Puppy
The thought of raising a new puppy on your own might be frustrating. You need a pup that will fit in  wonderfully with your life style. Your life in Coto de Caza, California possible is chaotic, you’ve got a full time job, you may be raising a new family, you may like to travel or you’ve just retired. Peace of Mind Puppy provides a stress and anxiety free experience to add in that  amazing dog to your life.

The Process Starts With a Consultation
We know it’s crucial that you know who you will be teaming up with. Developing a rapport is extremely important to our team in Coto de Caza, California. Our talk starts with basic questions and leads into an in detail discussion, which will provide us a better idea of who you are and what your dream dog might be. We want to have a fantastic working partnership with you. It starts the journey to decide on, teach and raise your puppy.

Choosing The Best Breed For Your Home
Once you have decided you are ready to add that amazing dog to your life in Coto de Caza, California. You have your heart set on a specific breed or maybe you want one of our pups that are currently in our puppy raising program. There certainly are things to take into consideration for example, where you live, your schedule, maybe you are raising a  little family, you you may love to go on vacation or you’ve recently retired. This information will not restrict your options, but instead help clarify your daily life in Coto de Caza, CA. We will help guide you in the decision making process. As we learn more about you, we can help you choose what you want and which puppy will best suit your lifestyle.

Choosing The Best Breeder in Coto de Caza, California
We team up with amazing breeders who are truly interested in improving their breed with good health and excellent temperament of their pups. The initial eight weeks of a new puppy’s life are as crucial as to what follows. A good breeder recognizes this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have built a relationship with many fine breeders. We specifically seek breeders who are aware of the early part they play in a puppies life. They understand when one of their puppies grows through our program, it ensures the puppy will end up having a good life.  It’s quite important to work closely with the breeder. We rely on the breeder’s knowledge together with our years of expertise to select the puppy with the best temperament for the prospective new family.

Your Puppy‘s Training in Coto de Caza, California
Training your pup is a combination of teaching new skill-sets including manners, setting boundaries, encouraging healthy relationships, as well as exposing your puppy successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all types of environments.Such as, we have the puppy sleep overnight with various people in different settings; which in turn develops 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 factors your dog easily connects with you and your family members.

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

Training starts the instant a new puppy is in our hands in Coto de Caza, California. Once we decide on the puppy from the litter, the first thing we want to achieve is building confidence and a bond with this new puppy. We start our relationship having fun even though we’re always teaching. Under our close guidance, we begin exposing the puppy to its new world. For instance, getting him or her to follow us, climb stairs, walk over various things, and maybe even get relatively near to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your dog to the world while at the same time building up our bond. We are huge dog lovers, but still very aware in those moments it is imperative to focus more on being a leader and guide as the new pup discovers this new world without having the company of its litter mates or mom.

The Essential time for learning
During the initial few weeks we are teaching your new puppy boundaries, trust and focus. There is no limit as to what we may incorporate into our techniques. Frequently we use specific spots or objects to create an encounter for the puppy. At times a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Coto de Caza, California. Our options and vision are unlimited. Every exposure and experience builds on the prior one. Through all of this, we thoroughly observe the puppy. We don’t restrict ourselves to rigid rules. We try to be more creative, think outside the box, and take advantage of activities that unfold before us. Those opportunities are invaluable when it comes to teaching the dog.

Every interaction with the new pup is a teaching moment. We often consider it as an early investment in the life of this puppy. This is the first time away from his or her littermates and living with us in Coto de Caza, 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 significant influence on their future personalities and decide many of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. During the course of the imprinting phase, every experience is crucial. It is important to build their self-confidence. The phrase ‘don’t sweat the small stuff’ does not apply to their early interactions. Because puppies are taking in every experience like a sponge, we must stay very aware of all interactions and yet still have fun with our new puppy.

A Well-Mannered Pal
4 to 6 months 

A well-trained pup is much more than just obedient. Knowing how to sit, stay or walk nicely on a loose leash are important things to learn. Good manners, great social skills and a healthy relationship with his or her family are important. Furthermore, desensitization, exposure to many different distractions and situations, as well as being comfortable to fit into a lifestyle in Coto de Caza, CA is equally important.

Our focus is to create a puppy with remarkable manners and social skills. We start by teaching obedience the day we bring them home from the breeder; which carries on as we refine the dog’s behavior. The goal is to have a solid foundation by about 4 to 6 months. We practice obedience, keeping it a regular request in our day-to-day routine in addition to within each new situation we expose your puppy to. We go from shaping to defining commands and testing them with distractions, duration and distance. Communication is at the core of our philosophy. Being very clear and consistent is key. We limit our words when giving commands. We want your dog to understand what we want 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 Coto de Caza, 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 puppy can be more mouthy and disobedient than you could ever think of. Many owners hope their canine will outgrow unfavorable behaviors. Their dog is testing what is permitted and what is not. Allowing a dog to continue practicing naughty acts makes changing unwanted behavior more difficult.

Testing in the Real World in Coto de Caza, California 
We work to reduce any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction places. For example, we practice recalls when your dog is extremely distracted maybe chasing something as common as a squirrel. We practice and proof obedience in high traffic locations, around barking dogs, around playgrounds and within public places.

As the puppy goes through the adolescent stage we continue to challenge the dog by putting him or her in various situations. We imagine each situation as a picture. What does that look like to the puppy? How does that picture differ from day to day or location to location. We are working to teach a dog how to adapt in each new and various setting or scenario. We are raising a dog that isn’t depending on constant commands that dictate what he or she should and shouldn’t do. Rather, we desire a dog that can make great choices. Our number one goal is to have a well-balanced puppy, 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 puppy has been staying with the trainer in their individual home. During this time, your puppy will also spend a few days and nights staying with another loved one or close friend. Offering this opportunity, encourages your dog to continue to be confident and comfortable in new settings. This makes sure those habits and good manners will stay when he or she moves on to your home in Coto de Caza, CA.