Choosing Your Young puppy
The idea of raising a new young puppy by yourself is overwhelming. You hope for a pup that will match  very well with your life style. Your life in Riverwoods, Illinois is fast paced, you may have a full time profession, a young family, you may like to travel or may be you just retired. We provide a worry free experience to add in that  incredible dog to your life.

The Experience Begins With a Assessment
We know it’s vital that you know who you will be coordinating with. Developing a rapport is tremendously important to us in Riverwoods, Illinois. Our discussion begins with easy questions and leads into an in detail conversation, which will provide us a clearer idea of who you are and what your ideal dog might be. We would like to have a great working relationship with you. It starts the journey to pick, teach and raise your pup.

Picking The Best Breed For Your Home
Once you have made a decision you want to include that amazing dog to your life in Riverwoods, Illinois. You have your heart set on a particular breed or maybe you’re interested in one of our pups that are currently in our puppy raising program. Certainly there are things to think about such as the type of house you live in, maybe you work full time, maybe you are raising a young family, you love to go on vacation or you’ve recently retired. All this will not limit your choices, yet help shed light on your everyday life in Riverwoods, IL. We help guide you in the decision making process. As we learn more about you, we can certainly assist you pick what you want and which puppy will best suit your lifestyle.

Choosing The Perfect Breeder in Riverwoods, Illinois
We work with responsible breeders who are truly interested in improving their breed with good health and great temperament of their pups. The first eight weeks of a new puppy’s life are as significant as to what happens after. A excellent breeder is aware of this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have developed a relationship with many amazing breeders. We particularly search out breeders who comprehend the early part they play in a puppies life. They know when one of their pups goes through our program, it ensures the puppy will end up having a excellent life.  It is quite important to work carefully with the breeder. We depend on the breeder’s input as well as our years of expertise to choose the puppy with the best temperament for a prospective new family.

Your Puppy‘s Training in Riverwoods, Illinois
Training your pup is a combination of teaching new skill-sets including manners, setting boundaries, nurturing healthy relationships, as well as exposing your dog successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all types of environments. For instance, 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 adapts|adjusts} to your way of life. Because of this and exposures to other factors 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 instant a new puppy is in our care in Riverwoods, Illinois. Once we decide on the puppy from the litter, the 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 start exposing the pup to its new world. Such as, getting him or her to follow us, climb stairs, walk over various things, and maybe even get somewhat close to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your puppy to the world while boosting our bond. We are huge dog lovers, yet significantly aware in those moments it is imperative to concentrate more on being a leader and guide as the new puppy discovers this new world without having the company of its litter mates or mom.

The Essential time for learning
In the first few weeks we are teaching your new puppy boundaries, trust and focus. There is no restriction as to what we will incorporate into our approaches. Often we make use of certain places or objects to create an encounter for the pup. In some cases a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Riverwoods, Illinois. Our decisions and imagination are endless. Every exposure and experience builds on the prior one. Through all of this, we carefully observe the puppy. We do not confine ourselves to inflexible rules. We try to get more creative, think outside the box, and take advantage of events that unfold before us. Those opportunities are invaluable when it comes to teaching the puppy.

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 pup. This is the first time away from his or her littermates and living with us in Riverwoods, Illinois. 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 significant impact on their future personalities and decide a lot of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. Throughout the imprinting phase, every experience is important. It is important to build their 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 a good time with our new dog.

A Well-Mannered Pup
4 to 6 months 

A well-trained puppy is much 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 many different distractions and situations, in addition to having the flexibility to fit into a lifestyle in Riverwoods, IL  is equally important.

Our focus is to raise a dog with remarkable manners and social skills. We begin by teaching obedience the day we bring them home from the breeder; which carries on as we fine-tune the dog’s behavior. The goal is to have a strong 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 dog to. We move from shaping to formalizing 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 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 Riverwoods, IL
6 months to young adult

Enter the teenage years– adolescence. This is the usual age when many dogs are re-homed or given up to animal shelters. The adolescent stage can find your sweet pup turning into a monster. That nice puppy can be more mouthy and disobedient than you could ever envision. Many owners hope their dog will grow out of unfavorable behaviors. Their dog is testing what is permitted and what is not. Allowing a dog to continue practicing naughty acts makes changing undesirable behavior more challenging.

Testing in the Real World in Riverwoods, Illinois
We work to reduce any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction areas. For example, we practice recalls when your dog is highly distracted maybe chasing something like a squirrel. We practice and proof obedience in high traffic locations, 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 imagine each situation as a picture. What 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 dependent on constant commands that determine what he or she should and should not do. Rather, we prefer a dog that can make great decisions. Our main priority is to have a well-balanced puppy, who will be comfortable your home.

We continue to reinforce and fine-tune good manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. During this time, the puppy has been living with the trainer in their individual home. Throughout this time, your puppy will also spend a few days and nights staying with another family member or friend. Providing them 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/she moves on to your home in Riverwoods, IL.