Picking Your New Puppy
The thought of raising a new young puppy on your own might be stressful. You hope for a doggy that can fit in  perfectly with your lifestyle. Your life in Los Gatos, California may be fast paced, you may have a full time profession, you may be raising a new family, you may like to travel or may be you just retired. Peace of Mind Puppy provides a stress free experience to add that  awesome dog to your life.

The Program Starts With a Assessment
We know it is important that you know who you will be dealing with. Building a relationship is extremely important to our company in Los Gatos, California. Our chat starts with straightforward questions and leads into an thorough conversation, which will give us a clearer idea of who you are and what your perfect dog might be. We like to have a wonderful working partnership with you. It begins the journey to select, teach and raise your puppy.

Picking The Best Breed For Your Household
Once you have determined you are ready to add that perfect dog to your life in Los Gatos, California. You may have your heart set on a specific 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 about such as where you live, your schedule, maybe you are raising a  little family, you you may love to go on vacation or maybe you have recently retired. This information will not restrict your options, but instead help shed light on your way of life in Los Gatos, CA. We will help guide you in your decision making process. As we learn more about you, we can help you decide what you want and which breed will best suit your life-style.

Picking The Right Breeder in Los Gatos, California
We team up with responsible breeders who are genuinely interested in improving their breed with good health and excellent temperament of their pups. The initial eight weeks of a new pups life are as critical as to what comes after. A good breeder is aware of this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have built a relationship with many outstanding breeders. We particularly search out breeders who comprehend the early role 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 great life.  It is really important to work closely with the breeder. We depend on the breeder’s feedback together with our years of experience to pick out the puppy with the best temperament for the prospective new family.

Your Puppy‘s Training in Los Gatos, California
Training your new puppy is a mixture of teaching new skill-sets including manners, setting boundaries, encouraging healthy relationships, together with exposing your dog successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all various environments. For instance, we have the pup sleep overnight with different people in various environments; which in turn develops 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
Picking up your puppy from the breeder

Training starts the instant a new puppy is in our care in Los Gatos, California. Once we pick the puppy from the litter, the very first thing we wish to accomplish 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 example, getting him or her to follow us, go up and down stairs, walk over various things, and even get relatively close to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your dog to the world while at the same time strengthening our bond. We are huge dog lovers, but still significantly aware in those moments it is essential to focus more on being a leader and guide as the new pup discovers this new world without having the companionship 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 restriction as to what we will integrate into our methods. Typically we utilize certain spots or objects to create an experience for the pup. Sometimes a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Los Gatos, California. Our choices and imagination are endless. Every exposure and experience builds on the last one. Through all of this, we carefully monitor the puppy. We never restrict ourselves to inflexible rules. We try to get more creative, think outside the box, and take advantage of events that manifest before us. Those opportunities are invaluable when it comes down to teaching the dog.

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 puppy. This is the first time away from his or her littermates and staying with us in Los Gatos, 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 substantial effect on their future personalities and decide a lot of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. Throughout the imprinting period, every experience is crucial. It is essential 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 a good time with our new puppy.

A Well-Mannered Friend
4 to 6 months 

A trained puppy is far 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 critical. Furthermore, desensitization, exposure to many different distractions and situations, as well as having the flexibility to fit into a lifestyle in Los Gatos, CA is equally important.

Our focus is to raise a dog 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 standard request in our day-to-day routine as well as within each new situation we expose your puppy 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 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 immediately.

Proofing Behavior in a Social World in Los Gatos, 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 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 envision. Many owners hope their puppy will outgrow unwanted 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 challenging.

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

As the puppy moves through the adolescent stage we continue to challenge the dog by putting it in various scenarios. We think of each situation as a picture. How does that look like to the puppy? How does that picture change from day to day or location to location. We are striving 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. Instead, we desire 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 manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. During this time, the puppy has been residing with the dog trainer in his or her individual home. During this time, your puppy will also spend a few days and nights staying with another loved one or close friend. Providing the dog with this opportunity, encourages your dog to continue to be confident and comfortable in new settings. This ensures those habits and good manners will remain when he moves in to your home in Los Gatos, CA.