Deciding on Your Pup
The idea of raising a new puppy on your own might be frustrating. You hope for a dog that will match  nicely with your life style. Your life in Montecito, California might be chaotic, you may have a full-time profession, you may be raising a new family, you may like to travel or you’ve just retired. Peace of Mind Puppy provides a stress free experience to add in that  outstanding dog to your life.

The Experience Starts With a Assessment
We know it’s essential that you know who you will be working with. Developing a relationship is extremely important to our company in Montecito, California. Our chat starts with basic questions and leads into an detailed conversation, which will give us a clearer idea of who you are and what your dream dog might be. We would like to have a great working partnership with you. It begins the journey to pick, teach and raise your pup.

Picking The Best Breed For Your Home
Once you have determined you are ready to include that perfect dog to your life in Montecito, California. You may have your heart set on a specific breed or maybe you’re interested in one of our dogs that are currently in our puppy raising program. Certainly there are things to think about like where you live, how much you work, are raising a young family, you you may love to travel or you’ve recently retired. All this will not restrict your options, but instead help shed light on your daily life in Montecito, CA. We will help guide you in your decision making process. As we get to know you better, we can certainly help you choose what you want and which dog will best match your life-style.

Selecting The Perfect Breeder in Montecito, California
We collaborate with amazing breeders who are genuinely 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 vital as to what comes after. A good breeder knows 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 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 fantastic life.  It is quite important to work closely with the breeder. We rely on the breeder’s knowledge along with our years of knowledge to pick the puppy with the best temperament for a potential new family.

Your Puppy‘s Training in Montecito, California
Training your pup is a combination of teaching new skills including manners, setting boundaries, nurturing healthy relationships, and also exposing your dog successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all various environments.For example, we may have the pup sleep overnight with different people in different settings; 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 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 Montecito, California. Once we decide on the pup from the litter, the first thing we wish to achieve is developing 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 puppy to its new world. For instance, getting him or her to follow us, climb stairs, walk over logs, and maybe even get somewhat near to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your dog to the world while at the same time enhancing our bond. We are huge dog lovers, but still very aware in those moments it is imperative to focus more on being a leader and guide as the new puppy discovers this new world without having the presence of its litter mates or mom.

Most important time for learning
During the first few weeks we are teaching your new puppy boundaries, trust and focus. There is no limitation as to what we will incorporate into our techniques. Typically we take advantage of particular places or objects to create an encounter for the pup. Sometimes a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Montecito, California. Our options and creativity are unlimited. Every exposure and experience builds upon the prior one. Through all of this, we carefully supervise the puppy. We don’t confine ourselves to rigid rules. We try to get more creative, think outside the box, and benefit from occasions that unfold before us. Those opportunities are invaluable when it comes down to teaching the pup.

Every interaction with the new puppy is a teaching moment. We often think of 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 Montecito, 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 time than any other period of time in their lives. The quality and quantity of what they experience will have a substantial impact on their future personalities and decide a lot of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. Throughout the imprinting stage, every experience is vital. It is important 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 fun with our new puppy.

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 necessary things to learn. Good manners, great social skills and a healthy relationship with his or her family are vital. Additionally, desensitization, exposure to various distractions and situations, in addition to having the flexibility to fit into a lifestyle in Montecito, CA is equally important.

Our focus is to raise a puppy with remarkable manners and social skills. We start by teaching obedience the day we bring them home from the breeder; which continues as we improve the dog’s behavior. The goal is to have a strong foundation by about 4 to 6 months. We practice obedience, keeping it a standard request in our daily routine in addition to within each new situation we expose your dog 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 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 right away.

Proofing Behavior in a Social World in Montecito, 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 becoming a monster. That nice pup can be more mouthy and disobedient than you could ever imagine. Many owners hope their puppy will outgrow undesirable 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 difficult.

Working in the Real World in Montecito, California 
We work to prevent any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction locations. For instance, we practice recalls when your dog is very distracted perhaps chasing something like a squirrel. We test and proof obedience in high traffic spots, 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 it 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 striving to teach a dog how to adapt in every new and different environment or scenario. We are raising a dog that isn’t depending on continuous commands that determine what he or she should and should not do. Instead, we want a dog that can make good choices. Our main priority is to have a well-balanced puppy, who will be comfortable your home.

We continue to strengthen and improve 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. Throughout this time, your puppy will also spend a few days and nights hanging out with another family member or friend. Giving this chance, encourages your puppy to continue to be confident and comfortable in new settings. This ensures those habits and good manners will stay when he or she moves on to your house in Montecito, CA.