Selecting Your Pup
The thought of raising a new puppy on your own may be overwhelming. You need a dog that will match  perfectly with your life. Your life in Mill Valley, California might be busy, you may have a full-time job, a new family, you like to travel or may be you just retired. Peace of Mind Puppy provides a stress and anxiety free experience to add in that  outstanding dog to your life.

The Process Begins With a Consultation
We think it’s very important that you know who you will be dealing with. Building a relationship is very important to our company in Mill Valley, California. Our chat begins with simple questions and leads into an detailed conversation, which will give us a much better idea of who you are and what your dream dog might be. We like to have a excellent working partnership with you. It starts the journey to decide on, teach and raise your pup.

Picking The Perfect Breed For Your Family
Once you have determined you want to add that amazing dog to your life in Mill Valley, California. You have your heart set on a particular breed or maybe you’re interested in one of our dogs that are currently in our puppy raising program. Certainly there are things to take into consideration for example, the type of house you live in, how much you work, are raising a  little family, you love to travel or maybe you have recently retired. All this will not restrict your choices, but instead help shed light on your lifestyle in Mill Valley, CA. We will help guide you in the decision making process. As we learn more about you, we can help you decide what you want and which puppy will best suit your life-style.

Choosing The Perfect Breeder in Mill Valley, California
We team up with responsible breeders who are genuinely interested in improving their breed with good health and exceptional temperament of their pups. The initial eight weeks of a new pups life are as important as to what happens after. A excellent breeder understands this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have established a relationship with many amazing breeders. We specifically seek breeders who recognize 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 fantastic life.  It is incredibly important to work carefully with the breeder. We count on the breeder’s knowledge and also our years of experience to choose the puppy with the best temperament for the prospective new family.

The Puppy‘s Training in Mill Valley, California
Training your puppy is a mixture of teaching new skills including manners, setting boundaries, promoting healthy relationships, along with exposing your puppy successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all various environments.Such as, we may have the puppy stay overnight with various people in various environments; which develops a dog for you who is comfortable and easy to live with because he or she can easily adapt|adjusts} to your lifestyle. As a result of this and exposures to other variables your dog easily bonds with you and your family members.

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 Mill Valley, California. Once we pick the pup from the litter, the very first thing we want 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 start exposing the puppy to its new world. Such as, getting him or her to follow us, go up and down stairs, walk over logs, and also get relatively near to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your puppy to the world while reinforcing our bond. We are huge dog lovers, yet very 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.

Most important time for learning
In the first few weeks we are teaching your new puppy boundaries, trust and focus. There is no limitation as to what we may incorporate into our strategies. Often we make use of particular spots or objects to create an experience for the pup. In some cases a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Mill Valley, California. Our decisions and imagination are endless. Every exposure and experience builds on the previous one. Through all of this, we carefully observe the puppy. We never 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 pup.

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 staying with us in Mill Valley, 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 substantial influence on their future personalities and decide a number of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. During the course of the imprinting stage, every experience is vital. It is essential to build their self-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 must stay very aware of all interactions and yet still have fun with our new dog.

A Well-Mannered Dog
4 to 6 months 

A trained dog 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 very important. In addition, desensitization, exposure to various distractions and situations, along with having the flexibility to fit into a lifestyle in Mill Valley, 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 continues as we refine the dog’s behavior. The goal is to have a solid foundation by about 4 to 6 months. We practice obedience, making it a standard request in our daily routine as well as within each new situation we expose your puppy to. We move 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 limit our words when providing 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 Mill Valley, 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 picture. 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 undesirable behavior more difficult.

Testing in the Real World in Mill Valley, California 
We work to reduce any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction locations. For instance, we practice recalls when your dog is extremely distracted perhaps chasing something as common as a squirrel. We practice and proof obedience in high traffic places, around barking dogs, near 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 consider each situation as a picture. How does that look like to the dog? How does that picture differ from day to day or location to location. We are aiming to teach a dog how to cope in each new and different environment or scenario. We are raising a puppy that isn’t depending on continual commands that determine what he or she should and should not do. Instead, we prefer a dog that can make good choices. Our number one goal is to have a well-balanced puppy, who will fit into your home.

We continue to strengthen and refine manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. Throughout this time, the puppy has been staying with the dog trainer in his or her personal 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 dog to continue to be confident and comfortable in brand-new areas. This makes sure those habits and good manners will stay when he moves on to your house in Mill Valley, CA.