Selecting Your Puppy
The thought of raising a new pup on your own can be frustrating. You want a puppy that is going to fit  nicely with your lifestyle. Your life in Longboat Key, Florida possible is busy, you may have a full time job, a young family, you like to travel or may be you just retired. Peace of Mind Puppy provides a anxiety free experience to add in that  amazing dog to your life.

The Process Begins With a Consultation
We think it is vital that you know who you will be coordinating with. Establishing a rapport is exceptionally important to our team in Longboat Key, Florida. Our discussion starts with easy questions and leads into an in depth conversation, which will give us a better idea of who you are and what your ideal dog would be. We like to have a fantastic working relationship with you. It starts the journey to choose, teach and raise your puppy.

Selecting The Perfect Breed For Your Family
Once you have decided you want to include that amazing dog to your life in Longboat Key, Florida. You may have your heart set on a certain breed or maybe you want one of our pups that are currently in our puppy raising program. There are things to think of like where you live, maybe you work full time, maybe you are raising a  little family, you love to go on vacation or you’ve recently retired. This information will not restrict your choices, but instead help clarify your daily life in Longboat Key, FL. We help guide you in your decision making process. As we learn more about you, we can help you decide what you want and which puppy will best accommodate your lifestyle.

Picking The Right Breeder in Longboat Key, Florida
We partner with amazing breeders who are genuinely interested in improving their breed with good health and exceptional temperament of their pups. The first eight weeks of a new puppy’s life are as crucial as to what comes after. A excellent breeder knows this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have established a relationship with many exceptional breeders. We specifically search out breeders who know the early role they play in a puppies life. They understand when one of their puppies goes through our program, it ensures the puppy will end up having a wonderful life.  It’s incredibly important to work closely with the breeder. We count on the breeder’s feedback and also our years of knowledge to pick out the puppy with the best temperament for the prospective new family.

Your Puppy‘s Training in Longboat Key, Florida
Training your new puppy is a combo of teaching new skill-sets including manners, setting boundaries, nurturing healthy relationships, in addition to exposing your puppy successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all different types of environments.Such as, we have the puppy sleep overnight with various people in different settings; which produces a dog for you who is relaxed 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 variables your dog easily connects with you and your family.

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

Training starts the moment a new puppy is in our care in Longboat Key, Florida. Once we choose the pup from the litter, the first thing we would like to achieve is developing confidence and a bond with this new puppy. We begin our relationship having fun while always teaching. Under our close guidance, we begin 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 maybe even get somewhat close to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your dog to the world while at the same time strengthening our bond. We are huge dog lovers, but still very aware in those moments it is imperative to focus more on being a leader and guide as the new pup discovers this new world without the presence of its litter mates or mom.

Crucial time for learning
During the first few weeks we are teaching your new puppy boundaries, trust and focus. There is no limitation as to what we will integrate into our strategies. Typically we utilize particular locations or objects to create an experience for the pup. In some cases a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Longboat Key, Florida. Our decisions and vision are limitless. Every exposure and experience builds upon the previous one. Through all of this, we very closely monitor the puppy. We don’t restrict ourselves to inflexible rules. We try to be more creative, think outside the box, and make use of activities that manifest before us. Those opportunities are priceless when it comes down to teaching the pup.

Every interaction with the new puppy is a teaching moment. We often think of it as an early investment in the life of this puppy. This is the first time away from their littermates and living with us in Longboat Key, Florida. 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 any other period of time in their lives. The quality and quantity of what they encounter will have a substantial impact on their future personalities and determine many of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. During the imprinting stage, every experience is important. It is essential to build their confidence. The expression ‘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 pup.

A Well-Mannered Friend
4 to 6 months 

A well-trained pup is 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 critical. In addition, desensitization, exposure to various distractions and situations, as well as being comfortable to fit into a lifestyle in Longboat Key, FL is equally important.

Our focus is to raise 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 fine-tune 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 everyday routine in addition to 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 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 right away.

Proofing Behavior in a Social World in Longboat Key, FL
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 turning into a monster. That nice pup can be more mouthy and disobedient than you could ever envision. Many owners hope their dog will grow out of 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.

Testing in the Real World in Longboat Key, Florida 
We work to reduce any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction places. Such as, we practice recalls when your dog is highly distracted maybe chasing something like a squirrel. We test and proof obedience in high traffic locations, 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 him or her in various situations. We consider 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 striving to teach a dog how to cope in each new and different setting or scenario. We are raising a dog that isn’t depending on continuous commands that determine what he or she should and shouldn’t do. Rather, we prefer a dog that can make great choices. Our top priority is to have a well-balanced dog, who will be comfortable your home.

We continue to strengthen and fine-tune good manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. During this time, the dog has been living with the trainer in their own home. During this time, your puppy will also spend a few days and nights hanging out with another loved one or friend. Giving this chance, encourages your puppy to continue to be confident and comfortable in brand-new environments. This makes sure those habits and good manners will remain when he or she moves on to your home in Longboat Key, FL.