Choosing Your Pup
The thought of raising a new pup on your own is frustrating. You really want a pup that will fit in  wonderfully with your daily life. Your life in Acalanes Ridge, California is fast paced, you may have a full-time profession, you may be raising a young family, you like to travel or may be you just retired. Peace of Mind Puppy provides a worry free experience to add that  remarkable dog to your life.

The Program Begins With a Assessment
We know it’s essential that you know who you will be teaming up with. Establishing a relationship is extremely important to our team in Acalanes Ridge, California. Our discussion begins with basic questions and leads into an detailed discussion, which will provide us a clearer idea of who you are and what your ideal dog might be. We would like to have a fantastic working relationship with you. It starts the journey to select, teach and raise your puppy.

Selecting The Best Breed For Your Home
Once you have decided you want to include that perfect dog to your life in Acalanes Ridge, California. You have your heart set on a certain 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, are raising a young family, you love to travel or maybe you have recently retired. All this will not limit your choices, yet help clarify your way of life in Acalanes Ridge, CA. We will help guide you in the decision making process. As we learn more about you, we can aid you choose what you want and which puppy will best match your life-style.

Finding The Perfect Breeder in Acalanes Ridge, California
We partner with responsible breeders who are genuinely interested in improving their breed with good health and excellent temperament of their puppies. The first eight weeks of a new pups life are as crucial as to what happens after. A good breeder understands this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have built a relationship with many exquisite breeders. We particularly seek breeders who know the early role they play in a puppies life. They understand when one of their puppies goes through our program, it ensures the puppy will end up having a excellent life.  It’s extremely important to work closely with the breeder. We depend on the breeder’s knowledge as well as our years of knowledge to select the puppy with the best temperament for the prospective new family.

The Puppy‘s Training in Acalanes Ridge, California
Training your puppy is a combo of teaching new skill-sets including manners, setting boundaries, encouraging healthy relationships, along with exposing your puppy successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all different types of environments.For example, we may have the pup stay overnight with different people in various environments; which produces a dog for you who is relaxed and easy to live with because he or she can easily adapt|adjusts} to your way of life. As a result of this and exposures to other factors your dog readily connects with you and your family members.

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 Acalanes Ridge, California. Once we select the puppy from the litter, the very first thing we would like to accomplish is building confidence and a bond with this new puppy. We begin our relationship having fun while always teaching. Under our close guidance, we begin exposing the pup to its new world. For example, getting him or her to follow us, go up and down stairs, walk over logs, and maybe even get relatively near to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your dog to the world while building up our bond. We are huge dog lovers, but still remarkably aware in those moments it is imperative to concentrate more on being a leader and guide as the new puppy learns about this new world without the presence 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 integrate into our techniques. Typically we make use of specific spots or objects to create an encounter for the pup. Sometimes a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Acalanes Ridge, California. Our decisions and vision are limitless. Every exposure and experience builds upon the prior one. Through all of this, we thoroughly monitor the puppy. We never restrict ourselves to inflexible rules. We try to get more creative, think outside the box, and benefit from activities that manifest before us. Those opportunities are priceless when it comes to teaching the puppy.

Every interaction with the new pup is a teaching moment. We like to think of it as an early investment in the life of this pup. This is the first time away from their littermates and living with us in Acalanes Ridge, 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 any other period of time in their lives. The quality and quantity of what they encounter will have a huge effect on their future personalities and decide much of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. During the imprinting period, every experience is vital. It is essential to build their 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 need to stay very aware of all interactions and yet still have a good time with our new pup.

A Well-Mannered Pup
4 to 6 months 

A trained puppy 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 extremely important. Additionally, desensitization, exposure to many different distractions and situations, as well as having the flexibility to fit into a lifestyle in Acalanes Ridge, CA 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 carries on 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 day-to-day routine in addition to within each new situation we expose your puppy to. We go from shaping to formalizing 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 limit 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 immediately.

Proofing Behavior in a Social World in Acalanes Ridge, 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 rescues. The adolescent stage can find your sweet pup becoming a monster. That nice puppy can be more mouthy and disobedient than you could ever envision. Many owners hope their dog 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 unwanted behavior more challenging.

Testing in the Real World in Acalanes Ridge, 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 highly distracted perhaps chasing something like a squirrel. We test and proof obedience in high traffic spots, around barking dogs, near 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 scenarios. We think of each situation as a picture. What does that look like to the puppy? How does that picture shift from day to day or location to location. We are aiming to teach a dog how to cope in every new and various environment or situation. We are raising a puppy that isn’t dependent on ongoing commands that dictate what he or she should and should not do. In fact, we prefer a dog that can make great choices. Our top goal is to have a well-balanced puppy, who will fit into your home.

We continue to reinforce and refine manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. Throughout this time, the dog has been staying with the dog trainer in their personal home. Throughout this time, your dog will also spend a few days and nights staying with another relative or close friend. Providing them with this chance, encourages your puppy to continue to be confident and comfortable in brand-new areas. This ensures those habits and good manners will remain when he goes on to your house in Acalanes Ridge, CA.