Selecting Your Pup
The idea of raising a new pup by yourself might be stressful. You want a doggy that is going to fit  beautifully with your way of life. Your life in Flagstaff, Arizona possible is hectic, you may have a full-time job, you may be raising a young family, you may like to travel or you’ve just retired. We provide a worry free experience to add that  spectacular dog to your life.

The Process Starts With a Assessment
We know it’s essential that you know who you will be working with. Building a rapport is tremendously important to our team in Flagstaff, Arizona. Our conversation begins with easy questions and leads into an thorough conversation, which will give us a much better idea of who you are and what your perfect dog will be. We like to have a great working relationship with you. It starts the journey to choose, teach and raise your puppy.

Picking The Best Breed For Your Household
Once you have determined you are ready to include that perfect dog to your life in Flagstaff, Arizona. You have your heart set on a certain breed or maybe you’re interested in one of our dogs that are presently in our puppy raising program. There certainly are things to think of such as the type of house you live in, how much you work, are raising a young family, you you may love to travel or you’ve recently retired. This information will not restrict your choices, yet help shed light on your lifestyle in Flagstaff, AZ. We will help guide you in the decision making process. As we get to know you better, we can assist you pick what you want and which breed will best match your life-style.

Selecting The Best Puppies For Sale in Flagstaff, Arizona
We team up with amazing breeders who are genuinely interested in improving their breed with good health and great temperament of their puppies. The first eight weeks of a new puppy’s life are as crucial as to what happens after. A great breeder is aware of this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have developed a relationship with many amazing breeders. We particularly pursue breeders who are aware of the early part they play in a puppies life. They understand when one of their pups goes through our program, it ensures the puppy will end up having a excellent life.  It is really important to work carefully with the breeder. We depend on the breeder’s input together with our years of knowledge to select the puppy with the best temperament for the potential new family.

The Puppy‘s Training in Flagstaff, Arizona
Training your pup is a mixture of teaching new skills including manners, setting boundaries, promoting healthy relationships, along with exposing your dog successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all various environments. For instance, we may have the puppy stay overnight with different people in different settings; which in turn creates a dog for you who is comfortable and easy to live with because he or she adapts|adjusts} to your lifestyle. As a result of this and exposures to other variables your dog readily bonds with you and your family.

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

Training starts the minute a new puppy is in our care in Flagstaff, Arizona. Once we pick the pup from the litter, the very first thing we want to achieve is developing confidence and a bond with this new puppy. We start our relationship having fun while always teaching. Under our close guidance, we begin exposing the puppy to its new world. For instance, getting him or her to follow us, go up and down stairs, walk over logs, and even get relatively near to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your puppy to the world while at the same time boosting our bond. We are huge dog lovers, but still significantly aware in those moments it is imperative to focus more on being a leader and guide as the new puppy learns about this new world without having the company of its litter mates or mom.

The Essential time for learning
In the first few weeks we are teaching your new puppy boundaries, trust and focus. There is no restriction as to what we may integrate into our strategies. Often we make use of certain places or objects to create an experience for the puppy. In some cases a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Flagstaff, Arizona. Our decisions and creativity are endless. Every exposure and experience builds on the previous one. Through all of this, we carefully observe the puppy. We don’t confine ourselves to stiff rules. We try to become more creative, think outside the box, and benefit from occasions that manifest before us. Those opportunities are invaluable when it comes down to teaching the puppy.

Every interaction with the new pup is a teaching moment. We often think about it as an early investment in the life of this dog. This is the first time away from their littermates and living with us in Flagstaff, Arizona. 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 time than they can learn in a lifetime. The quality and quantity of what they encounter will have a substantial effect on their future personalities and determine many of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. During the course of the imprinting period, every experience is important. 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 absorbing 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 Pup
4 to 6 months 

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

Our focus is to raise a puppy with impeccable 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 strong foundation by about 4 to 6 months. We practice obedience, making it a standard request in our daily routine in addition to within each new situation we expose your dog to. We go from shaping to defining commands and proofing them with distractions, duration and distance. Communication is at the center of our philosophy. Being very clear and consistent is key. We restrict our words when providing 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 Flagstaff, AZ
6 months to young adult

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

Working in the Real World in Flagstaff, Arizona
We work to prevent any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction places. For instance, we practice recalls when your dog is extremely distracted perhaps chasing something like a squirrel. We test and proof obedience in high traffic areas, around barking dogs, around playgrounds and within public places.

As the dog goes through the adolescent stage we continue to challenge the dog by putting him or her in various scenarios. We imagine each situation as a picture. How does that look like to the dog? How does that picture shift from day to day or location to location. We are striving to teach a dog how to cope in each new and various setting or scenario. We are raising a puppy that isn’t depending on constant commands that determine what he or she should and should not do. Instead, we prefer a dog that can make great choices. Our main goal is to have a well-balanced puppy, who will fit into your home.

We continue to reinforce and fine-tune good manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. Throughout this time, the puppy has been living with the dog trainer in his or her individual home. During this time, your puppy will also spend a few days and nights hanging out with another family member or friend. Offering this chance, encourages your puppy to continue to be confident and comfortable in brand-new areas. This ensures those habits and good manners will stay when he or she moves on to your house in Flagstaff, AZ.