Choosing Your Pup
The idea of raising a new pup by yourself is stressful. You want a doggy that will fit in  nicely with your way of life. Your life in Alamo, California may be hectic, you may have a full time profession, maybe you’re raising a young 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  incredible dog to your life.

The Program Begins With a Consultation
We know it’s essential that you know who you will be working with. Establishing a rapport is extremely important to us in Alamo, California. Our chat begins with simple questions and leads into an thorough conversation, which will give us a clearer idea of who you are and what your perfect dog would be. We would like to have a great working partnership with you. It starts the journey to pick, teach and raise your pup.

Choosing The Perfect Breed For Your Household
Once you have decided you want to add that perfect dog to your life in Alamo, California. You have your heart set on a particular breed or maybe you want one of our pups that are currently in our puppy raising program. There certainly are things to consider like where you live, your schedule, maybe you are raising a  little family, you love to go on vacation or maybe you have recently retired. All this will not limit your options, yet help shed light on your life-style in Alamo, CA. We help guide you in the decision making process. As we get to know you better, we can certainly help you choose what you want and which breed will best fit your life-style.

Selecting The Best Breeder in Alamo, California
We coordinate with amazing breeders who are truly interested in improving their breed with good health and exceptional temperament of their puppies. The initial eight weeks of a new pups life are as important as to what comes after. A excellent breeder recognizes this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have built a relationship with many outstanding breeders. We particularly find breeders who are aware of the early role they play in a puppies life. They know when one of their puppies grows through our program, it ensures the puppy will end up having a great life.  It is extremely important to work closely with the breeder. We count on the breeder’s input along with our years of experience to choose the puppy with the best temperament for the prospective new family.

Your Puppy‘s Training in Alamo, California
Training your dog is a mixture 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 different types of environments.Such as, we may have the pup sleep overnight with different people in different environments; which in turn creates a dog for you who is relaxed and easy to live with because he or she adapts|adjusts} to your lifestyle. Because of this and exposures to other factors your dog easily bonds with you and your family.

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 Alamo, California. Once we choose the puppy from the litter, the first thing we want to achieve is building confidence and a bond with this new puppy. We begin our relationship having fun while always teaching. Under our close guidance, we start 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 close to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your dog to the world while at the same time boosting our bond. We are huge dog lovers, but still incredibly aware in those moments it is essential to focus more on being a leader and guide as the new puppy learns about this new world without having the presence of its litter mates or mom.

The Essential time for learning
In the initial few weeks we are teaching your new puppy boundaries, trust and focus. There is no limit as to what we will integrate into our approaches. Often we use certain locations or objects to create an encounter for the pup. At times a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Alamo, California. Our options and imagination are limitless. Every exposure and experience builds on the previous one. Through all of this, we carefully monitor the puppy. We don’t restrict ourselves to rigid rules. We try to become more creative, think outside the box, and make use of activities that manifest before us. Those opportunities are invaluable when it comes down to teaching the puppy.

Every interaction with the new puppy 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 his or her littermates and staying with us in Alamo, 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 experience will have a significant effect on their future personalities and determine many of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. During the imprinting phase, 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 absorbing every experience like a sponge, we need to stay very aware of all interactions and yet still have a good time with our new puppy.

A Well-Mannered Friend
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 important things to learn. Good manners, great social skills and a healthy relationship with his or her family are extremely important. Furthermore, desensitization, exposure to various distractions and situations, in addition to being comfortable to fit into a lifestyle in Alamo, CA is equally important.

Our focus is to create a dog 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 stable foundation by about 4 to 6 months. We practice obedience, keeping it a standard request in our day-to-day routine as well as within each new situation we expose your dog to. We go from shaping to formalizing 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 immediately.

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

Enter the teenage years– adolescence. This is the normal age when many dogs are re-homed or surrendered to animal shelters. The adolescent stage can find your sweet pup turning into a monster. That nice pup can be more mouthy and disobedient than you could ever imagine. Many owners hope their puppy will outgrow unfavorable behaviors. Their dog is testing what is allowed and what is not. Allowing a dog to continue rehearsing naughty acts makes changing unwanted behavior more challenging.

Working in the Real World in Alamo, California 
We work to prevent any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction places. Such as, we practice recalls when your dog is very distracted maybe chasing something as common as a squirrel. We practice and proof obedience in high traffic spots, 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 consider 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 every new and various environment or situation. We are raising a dog that isn’t dependent on ongoing commands that dictate what he or she should and shouldn’t do. Rather, we desire a dog that can make good choices. Our number one priority is to have a well-balanced dog, who will fit into your home.

We continue to strengthen and fine-tune good manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. During this time, the dog has been staying with the trainer in his or her own home. During this time, your dog will also spend a few days and nights staying 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 in to your house in Alamo, CA.