Choosing Your New Puppy
The idea of raising a new puppy by yourself might be overwhelming. You hope for a puppy that is going to fit  nicely with your life-style. Your life in Topanga, California might be hectic, you’ve got a full time schedule, a new family, you may like to travel or you’ve just retired. We provide a worry free experience to add in that  outstanding dog to your life.

The Program Starts With a Assessment
We think it is crucial that you know who you will be working with. Building a relationship is exceptionally important to us in Topanga, California. Our chat starts with easy questions and leads into an detailed discussion, which will give us a much better idea of who you are and what your ideal dog might be. We want to have a excellent working partnership with you. It starts the journey to select, teach and raise your pup.

Selecting The Perfect Breed For Your Household
Once you have made a decision you are ready to include that amazing dog to your life in Topanga, California. You have your heart set on a certain breed or maybe you’re interested in one of our dogs that are presently in our puppy raising program. Certainly there are things to consider such as where you live, your schedule, are raising a young family, you you may love to travel or you’ve recently retired. All this will not reduce your options, but instead help shed light on your life-style in Topanga, CA. We help guide you in this decision making process. As we learn more about you, we can help you decide what you want and which puppy will best fit your lifestyle.

Picking The Right Breeder in Topanga, California
We partner with amazing breeders who are genuinely interested in improving their breed with good health and fantastic temperament of their pups. The first eight weeks of a new puppy’s life are as critical as to what follows. A great breeder is aware of this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have established a relationship with many amazing breeders. We particularly search out breeders who know 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 good life.  It’s quite important to work carefully with the breeder. We rely on the breeder’s knowledge along with our years of knowledge to select the puppy with the best temperament for a potential new family.

Your Puppy‘s Training in Topanga, California
Training your puppy is a combo of teaching new skills including manners, setting boundaries, fostering healthy relationships, and also exposing your puppy successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all various environments.For example, we may have the puppy stay overnight with different people in various settings; which develops a dog for you who is comfortable and easy to live with because he or she adapts|adjusts} to your lifestyle. Because of this and exposures to other variables your dog readily bonds with you and your family members.

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

Training starts the instant a new puppy is in our hands in Topanga, California. Once we decide on the pup from the litter, the first thing we wish to achieve 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 relatively close to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your puppy to the world while strengthening our bond. We are huge dog lovers, but still very 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.

Most important 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 will incorporate into our approaches. Typically we make use of specific spots or objects to create an encounter for the pup. In some cases a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Topanga, California. Our options and imagination are endless. Every exposure and experience builds upon the previous one. Through all of this, we thoroughly observe the puppy. We never restrict ourselves to stiff rules. We try to be more creative, think outside the box, and benefit from events that unfold before us. Those opportunities are invaluable when it comes to teaching the dog.

Every interaction with the new pup is a teaching moment. We like to consider it as an early investment in the life of this puppy. This is the first time away from his or her littermates and living with us in Topanga, 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 determine a number of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. Throughout the imprinting period, every experience is important. 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 soaking up every experience like a sponge, we need to stay very aware of all interactions and yet still have fun with our new puppy.

A Well-Mannered Pup
4 to 6 months 

A well-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 extremely important. Additionally, desensitization, exposure to various distractions and situations, as well as having the flexibility to fit into a lifestyle in Topanga, 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 improve the dog’s behavior. The goal is to have a solid foundation by about 4 to 6 months. We practice obedience, keeping it a normal request in our regular routine as well as within each new situation we expose your dog to. We go from shaping to defining commands and testing 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 want 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 Topanga, 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 unwanted behaviors. Their dog is testing what is permitted and what is not. Allowing a dog to continue rehearsing naughty acts makes changing undesirable behavior more difficult.

Working in the Real World in Topanga, California 
We work to stop any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction areas. For example, we practice recalls when your dog is highly distracted possibly chasing something as common as a squirrel. We practice and proof obedience in high traffic places, 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 situations. We imagine 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 working to teach a dog how to cope in every new and different environment or scenario. We are raising a dog that isn’t reliant on constant commands that determine what he or she should and shouldn’t do. Rather, we desire a dog that can make great decisions. Our top goal is to have a well-balanced dog, who will fit into your home.

We continue to strengthen and fine-tune manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. During this time, the dog has been staying with the trainer in his or her personal home. Throughout this time, your dog will also spend a few days and nights hanging out with another loved one or friend. Providing the puppy with this chance, encourages your puppy to continue to be confident and comfortable in different surroundings. This ensures those habits and good manners will remain when he moves in to your house in Topanga, CA.