Deciding on Your New Puppy
The idea of raising a new puppy by yourself is frustrating. You hope for a dog that is going to fit in  nicely with your life. Your life in Diablo, California may be busy, you’ve got a full-time job, maybe you’re raising a young family, you may like to travel or may be you just retired. We provide a stress free experience to add in that  incredible dog to your life.

The Experience Begins With a Consultation
We know it’s important that you know who you will be partnering with. Developing a relationship is incredibly important to us in Diablo, California. Our discussion starts with easy questions and leads into an in detail discussion, which will give us a much better idea of who you are and what your perfect dog might be. We like to have a great working partnership with you. It begins the journey to pick, teach and raise your pup.

Selecting The Perfect Breed For Your Household
Once you have decided you want to include that amazing dog to your life in Diablo, California. You may have your heart set on a particular breed or maybe you’re interested in one of our pups that are presently in our puppy raising program. There are things to consider including where you live, your schedule, maybe you are raising a young family, you you may love to go on vacation or maybe you have recently retired. All this will not restrict your choices, yet help shed light on your way of life in Diablo, CA. We help guide you in the decision making process. As we learn more about you, we can certainly assist you decide what you want and which breed will best suit your life-style.

Picking The Right Breeder in Diablo, California
We work with amazing breeders who are truly interested in improving their breed with good health and excellent temperament of their pups. The first eight weeks of a new pups life are as important as to what happens after. A great breeder recognizes this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have developed a rapport with many great breeders. We particularly search out breeders who understand the early role they play in a puppies life. They know when one of their puppies goes through our program, it ensures the puppy will end up having a excellent life.  It is quite important to work carefully with the breeder. We depend on the breeder’s input in addition to our years of experience to choose the puppy with the best temperament for the potential new family.

Your Puppy‘s Training in Diablo, California
Training your dog is a mixture of teaching new skill-sets including manners, setting boundaries, nurturing healthy relationships, as well as exposing your puppy successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all different types of environments. For instance, we have the pup stay overnight with various people in various settings; which in turn produces 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 factors your dog easily bonds with you and your family.

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

Training starts the moment a new puppy is in our care in Diablo, California. Once we decide on the pup from the litter, the first thing we would like to accomplish is building confidence and a bond with this new puppy. We start our relationship having fun while always teaching. Under our close guidance, we start exposing the pup to its new world. For instance, getting him or her to follow us, climb stairs, walk over various things, and 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, 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 companionship of its litter mates or mom.

Crucial time for learning
In the initial few weeks we are teaching your new puppy boundaries, trust and focus. There is no limitation as to what we may integrate into our strategies. Frequently we use certain places or objects to create an experience for the puppy. At times a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Diablo, California. Our decisions and imagination are limitless. Every exposure and experience builds upon the prior one. Through all of this, we very closely observe the puppy. We never restrict ourselves to inflexible rules. We try to be more creative, think outside the box, and benefit from activities that manifest before us. Those opportunities are priceless when it comes to teaching the dog.

Every interaction with the new puppy is a teaching moment. We like to 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 Diablo, 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 encounter will have a significant influence on their future personalities and decide many of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. Throughout the imprinting phase, every experience is critical. 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 a good time with our new dog.

A Well-Mannered Pup
4 to 6 months 

A well-trained puppy is much 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. Furthermore, desensitization, exposure to various distractions and situations, in addition to having the flexibility to fit into a lifestyle in Diablo, CA is equally important.

Our focus is to create 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 refine the dog’s behavior. The goal is to have a strong foundation by about 4 to 6 months. We practice obedience, keeping it a normal request in our everyday 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 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 Diablo, CA
6 months to young adult

Enter the teenage years– adolescence. This is the normal 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 envision. Many owners hope their canine will outgrow unfavorable 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 difficult.

Working in the Real World in Diablo, California 
We work to prevent any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction locations. For example, we practice recalls when your dog is very distracted perhaps chasing something as common as a squirrel. We test and proof obedience in high traffic locations, 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 him or her in various scenarios. We think of each situation as a picture. How does that look like to the puppy? How does that picture differ from day to day or location to location. We are aiming to teach a dog how to cope in every new and various setting or scenario. We are raising a dog that isn’t reliant on ongoing commands that determine what he or she should and shouldn’t do. In fact, 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 strengthen and improve good manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. During this time, the dog has been residing with the trainer in his/her own home. During this time, your dog will also spend a few days and nights staying with another loved one or friend. Offering this chance, encourages your dog to continue to be confident and comfortable in different settings. This makes sure those habits and good manners will stay when he moves on to your home in Diablo, CA.