Choosing Your Young puppy
The idea of raising a new pup on your own can be frustrating. You need a dog that will match  wonderfully with your way of life. Your life in Mercer Island, Washington might be chaotic, you’ve got a full-time schedule, a young family, you may like to travel or you’ve just retired. Peace of Mind Puppy provide s a stress free experience to add in that  awesome dog to your life.

The Process Starts With a Consultation
We think it is essential that you know who you will be coordinating with. Establishing a relationship is very important to us in Mercer Island, Washington. Our conversation starts with straightforward questions and leads into an in detail conversation, which will give us a clearer idea of who you are and what your dream dog would be. We would like to have a excellent working partnership with you. It starts the journey to pick, teach and raise your pup.

Selecting The Perfect Breed For Your Family
Once you have decided you want to add that amazing dog to your life in Mercer Island, Washington. You may have your heart set on a particular breed or maybe you want one of our dogs that are currently in our puppy raising program. There certainly are things to think of including where you live, maybe you work full time, maybe you are raising a  little family, you you may love to travel or you’ve recently retired. All this will not reduce your options, but instead help clarify your everyday life in Mercer Island, WA. We will help guide you in this decision making process. As we learn more about you, we can help you decide what you want and which breed will best accommodate your life-style.

Picking The Right Puppies For Sale in Mercer Island, Washington
We work with responsible breeders who are genuinely interested in improving their breed with good health and great temperament of their puppies. The initial eight weeks of a new puppy’s 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 developed a relationship with many fine breeders. We particularly search out breeders who comprehend the early role 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’s quite important to work closely with the breeder. We count on the breeder’s input and also our years of knowledge to pick out the puppy with the best temperament for a prospective new family.

The Puppy‘s Training in Mercer Island, Washington
Training your dog 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 different types of environments.Such as, we may have the puppy sleep 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 can easily adapt|adjusts} to your way of life. As a result of this and exposures to other factors 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 hands in Mercer Island, Washington. 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 start our relationship having fun even though we’re always teaching. Under our close guidance, we begin exposing the puppy to its new world. For instance, getting him or her to follow us, go up and down stairs, walk over logs, and even get relatively near to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your puppy to the world while at the same time strengthening our bond. We are huge dog lovers, yet extremely 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 the company of its litter mates or mom.

The Essential time for learning
During 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 methods. Frequently we utilize certain areas or objects to create an encounter for the puppy. In some cases a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Mercer Island, Washington. Our options and imagination are limitless. Every exposure and experience builds on the previous one. Through all of this, we carefully supervise the puppy. We don’t limit ourselves to rigid rules. We try to become more creative, think outside the box, and take advantage of occasions that unfold before us. Those opportunities are priceless when it comes down 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 Mercer Island, Washington. 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 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 critical. It is important 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 need to stay very aware of all interactions and yet still have fun with our new dog.

A Well-Mannered Friend
4 to 6 months 

A well-trained dog 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 vital. In addition, desensitization, exposure to various distractions and situations, in addition to being comfortable to fit into a lifestyle in Mercer Island, WA  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 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 regular routine in addition to within each new situation we expose your dog to. We move from shaping to defining commands and testing 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 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 Mercer Island, WA
6 months to young adult

Enter the teenage years– adolescence. This is the normal age when many dogs are re-homed or surrendered to rescues. 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 envision. 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 challenging.

Testing in the Real World in Mercer Island, Washington
We work to stop any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction areas. For instance, we practice recalls when your dog is extremely distracted possibly 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 puppy goes 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 shift from day to day or location to location. We are aiming to teach a dog how to cope in every new and different environment or scenario. We are raising a puppy that isn’t dependent on ongoing commands that dictate what he or she should and shouldn’t do. Instead, we want a dog that can make great decisions. Our number one goal is to have a well-balanced dog, who will fit into your home.

We continue to strengthen and improve good manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. Throughout this time, the puppy has been living with the dog trainer in their personal home. During this time, your dog will also spend a few days and nights staying with another family member or close friend. Offering this chance, encourages your dog to continue to be confident and comfortable in different areas. This makes sure those habits and good manners will stay when he moves in to your home in Mercer Island, WA.