Selecting Your Pup
The thought of raising a new young puppy by yourself can be frustrating. You really want a dog that can match  perfectly with your everyday life. Your life in Watsonville, California can be busy, you’ve got a full time job, maybe you’re raising a new family, you like to travel or may be you just retired. Peace of Mind Puppy provides a anxiety free experience to add that  amazing dog to your life.

The Program Starts With a Assessment
We think it’s essential that you know who you will be working with. Developing a rapport is very important to our company in Watsonville, California. Our discussion starts with basic questions and leads into an in depth discussion, which will provide us a better idea of who you are and what your dream dog will be. We want to have a fantastic working relationship with you. It starts the journey to decide on, teach and raise your pup.

Selecting The Perfect Breed For Your Home
Once you have made a decision you are ready to add that perfect dog to your life in Watsonville, California. You may have your heart set on a certain breed or maybe you want one of our dogs that are currently in our puppy raising program. There are things to take into account such as the type of house you live in, your schedule, are raising a  little family, you love to travel or maybe you have recently retired. This information will not restrict your choices, yet help shed light on your everyday life in Watsonville, CA. We will help guide you in your decision making process. As we learn more about you, we can certainly help you decide what you want and which breed will best suit your life-style.

Finding The Best Breeder in Watsonville, California
We partner with responsible 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 pups life are as essential as to what happens after. A good breeder understands this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have built a relationship with many exquisite breeders. We specifically pursue breeders who recognize 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 good life.  It is extremely important to work carefully with the breeder. We count on the breeder’s knowledge in addition to our years of expertise to choose the puppy with the best temperament for a prospective new family.

The Puppy‘s Training in Watsonville, California
Training your new puppy is a combo of teaching new skill-sets including manners, setting boundaries, nurturing healthy relationships, and also exposing your dog successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all types of environments.Such as, we have the pup stay overnight with various people in different environments; which in turn creates a dog for you who is comfortable and easy to live with because he or she can easily adapt|adjusts} to your way of life. Because of this and exposures to other variables your dog readily bonds with you and your family.

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

Training starts the minute a new puppy is in our care in Watsonville, California. Once we select the puppy from the litter, the first thing we would like to accomplish is building confidence and a bond with this new puppy. We begin our relationship having fun while always teaching. Under our close guidance, we start exposing the pup to its new world. Such as, getting him or her to follow us, go up and down stairs, walk over various things, and also get relatively near to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your puppy to the world while building up 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 puppy discovers this new world without the company 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 limit as to what we will integrate into our methods. Typically we take advantage of certain spots or objects to create an encounter for the pup. In some cases a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Watsonville, 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 don’t restrict ourselves to rigid rules. We try to get more creative, think outside the box, and make the most of occasions that unfold before us. Those opportunities are priceless when it comes to teaching the puppy.

Every interaction with the new puppy is a teaching moment. We like to think of it as an early investment in the life of this pup. This is the first time away from his or her littermates and living with us in Watsonville, 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 encounter will have a massive influence on their future personalities and determine many of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. Throughout the imprinting phase, every experience is critical. It is important to build their 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 must stay very aware of all interactions and yet still have fun with our new dog.

A Well-Mannered Friend
4 to 6 months 

A trained puppy is a lot 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 extremely important. Additionally, desensitization, exposure to various distractions and situations, along with having the flexibility to fit into a lifestyle in Watsonville, CA is equally important.

Our focus is to create 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 improve the dog’s behavior. The goal is to have a stable foundation by about 4 to 6 months. We practice obedience, keeping it a regular request in our daily routine as well as within each new situation we expose your puppy to. We move from shaping to formalizing 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 restrict 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 Watsonville, CA
6 months to young adult

Enter the teenage years– adolescence. This is the typical 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 picture. Many owners hope their dog 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 undesirable behavior more challenging.

Working in the Real World in Watsonville, 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 highly distracted possibly chasing something like a squirrel. We practice and proof obedience in high traffic spots, 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 it in various situations. We think of 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 adapt in each new and different setting or scenario. We are raising a puppy that isn’t reliant on constant commands that dictate what he or she should and shouldn’t do. Instead, we want a dog that can make great choices. Our number one priority is to have a well-balanced dog, who will fit into your home.

We continue to reinforce and refine manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. Throughout this time, the dog has been residing with the trainer in his/her individual home. During this time, your dog will also spend a few days and nights hanging out with another family member or close friend. Offering this chance, encourages your dog to continue to be confident and comfortable in brand-new settings. This ensures those habits and good manners will stay when he/she moves on to your home in Watsonville, CA.