Selecting Your New Puppy
The thought of raising a new young puppy on your own may be overwhelming. You really want a puppy that is going to match  very well with your lifestyle. Your life in Fairfield, Connecticut possible is stressful, you’ve got a full-time profession, you may be raising a young family, you like to travel or you’ve just retired. Peace of Mind Puppy provide s a anxiety free experience to add in that  incredible dog to your life.

The Experience Starts With a Assessment
We think it’s vital that you know who you will be partnering with. Establishing a relationship is tremendously important to our company in Fairfield, Connecticut. Our talk begins with basic questions and leads into an thorough discussion, which will give us a better idea of who you are and what your perfect dog would be. We like to have a wonderful working partnership with you. It starts the journey to pick, teach and raise your pup.

Picking The Best Breed For Your Family
Once you have made a decision you want to include that amazing dog to your life in Fairfield, Connecticut. You have your heart set on a certain breed or maybe you’re interested in one of our pups that are currently in our puppy raising program. Certainly there are things to consider for example, the type of house you live in, your schedule, maybe you are raising a  little family, you you may love to go on vacation or you’ve recently retired. This information will not minimize your options, but instead help clarify your everyday life in Fairfield, CT. We will help guide you in your decision making process. As we learn more about you, we can certainly help you pick what you want and which dog will best suit your life-style.

Finding The Best Breeder in Fairfield, Connecticut
We partner with responsible breeders who are genuinely interested in improving their breed with good health and fantastic temperament of their puppies. The first eight weeks of a new pups life are as important as to what follows. A excellent breeder is aware of this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have built a relationship with many great breeders. We specifically seek 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 great life.  It is very important to work closely with the breeder. We rely on the breeder’s input together with our years of knowledge to pick out the puppy with the best temperament for a prospective new family.

Your Puppy‘s Training in Fairfield, Connecticut
Training your pup is a mixture of teaching new skills including manners, setting boundaries, encouraging healthy relationships, together with exposing your puppy successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all types of environments. For instance, we have the puppy stay overnight with various people in different environments; which in turn 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 easily 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 Fairfield, Connecticut. Once we select the puppy from the litter, the very first thing we would like to accomplish is building confidence and a bond with this new puppy. We begin our relationship having fun even though we’re always teaching. Under our close guidance, we begin exposing the puppy to its new world. Such as, getting him or her to follow us, climb stairs, walk over logs, and even get somewhat 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, 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
In the initial few weeks we are teaching your new puppy boundaries, trust and focus. There is no restriction as to what we will integrate into our methods. Frequently we use particular areas or objects to create an experience for the pup. Sometimes a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Fairfield, Connecticut. Our choices and imagination are unlimited. Every exposure and experience builds on the last one. Through all of this, we carefully observe the puppy. We don’t restrict ourselves to rigid rules. We try to be more creative, think outside the box, and benefit from activities that manifest before us. Those opportunities are invaluable when it comes to teaching the dog.

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 dog. This is the first time away from their littermates and staying with us in Fairfield, Connecticut. 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 impact on their future personalities and determine many of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. Throughout the imprinting phase, every experience is crucial. 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 absorbing 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 Puppy
4 to 6 months 

A trained pup is so much 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 important. Additionally, desensitization, exposure to many different distractions and situations, along with having the flexibility to fit into a lifestyle in Fairfield, CT  is equally important.

Our focus is to create 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 refine the dog’s behavior. The goal is to have a strong foundation by about 4 to 6 months. We practice obedience, making it a normal request in our day-to-day routine as well as within each new situation we expose your puppy to. We move from shaping to defining commands and proofing them with distractions, duration and distance. Communication is at the core 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 Fairfield, CT
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 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 puppy will outgrow unwanted 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 Fairfield, Connecticut
We work to prevent any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction areas. Such as, we practice recalls when your dog is highly distracted maybe 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 puppy goes through the adolescent stage we continue to challenge the dog by putting it in various situations. We think of 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 each new and various setting or situation. We are raising a puppy that isn’t reliant on constant commands that control what he or she should and shouldn’t do. In fact, we prefer a dog that can make good choices. Our number one goal is to have a well-balanced puppy, who will fit into your home.

We continue to reinforce and fine-tune good manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. Throughout this time, the puppy has been residing 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 remain when he moves in to your house in Fairfield, CT.