Choosing Your Puppy
The idea of raising a new young puppy on your own may be overwhelming. You hope for a doggy that will match  perfectly with your life-style. Your life in Port Saint Lucie, Florida may be fast paced, you may have a full-time schedule, maybe you’re raising 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  remarkable dog to your life.

The Program Starts With a Consultation
We know it is crucial that you know who you will be dealing with. Establishing a relationship is extremely important to us in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. Our chat begins with straightforward questions and leads into an in detail discussion, which will provide us a better idea of who you are and what your perfect dog will be. We like to have a great working partnership with you. It begins the journey to select, teach and raise your puppy.

Picking The Best Breed For Your Household
Once you have decided you are ready to add that amazing dog to your life in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. You have your heart set on a specific breed or maybe you’re interested in one of our dogs 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 you may love to travel or you’ve recently retired. All this will not reduce your choices, but instead help shed light on your lifestyle in Port Saint Lucie, FL. We help guide you in your decision making process. As we get to know you better, we can assist you pick what you want and which breed will best match your life-style.

Choosing The Perfect Breeder in Port Saint Lucie, Florida
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 puppy’s life are as essential as to what happens after. A excellent breeder recognizes this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have established a relationship with many exquisite breeders. We specifically search out breeders who recognize the early role they play in a puppies life. They know when one of their pups grows through our program, it ensures the puppy will end up having a good life.  It’s very important to work carefully with the breeder. We depend on the breeder’s input together with our years of knowledge to select the puppy with the best temperament for a prospective new family.

The Puppy‘s Training in Port Saint Lucie, Florida
Training your dog is a mixture of teaching new skills including manners, setting boundaries, promoting healthy relationships, along with exposing your dog successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all different types of environments.Such as, we may have the pup stay overnight with different people in different settings; which in turn develops a dog for you who is relaxed and easy to live with because he or she can easily adapt|adjusts} to your lifestyle. Because of this and exposures to other factors your dog easily bonds with you and your family.

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

Training starts the instant a new puppy is in our hands in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. Once we pick the pup from the litter, the very first thing we want to accomplish is developing 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 logs, and maybe even get relatively near to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your dog to the world while enhancing our bond. We are huge dog lovers, but still extremely aware in those moments it is essential to focus more on being a leader and guide as the new pup learns about this new world without having the companionship of its litter mates or mom.

Most important 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 may integrate into our approaches. Frequently we utilize particular spots or objects to create an experience for the pup. Occasionally a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. Our options and vision are unlimited. Every exposure and experience builds upon the last one. Through all of this, we thoroughly supervise the puppy. We do not restrict ourselves to inflexible rules. We try to be more creative, think outside the box, and make use of events that manifest 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 about 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 Port Saint Lucie, 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 time than they can learn in a lifetime. The quality and quantity of what they experience will have a huge effect on their future personalities and decide much of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. During the course of the imprinting phase, every experience is vital. It is essential to build their self-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 need to stay very aware of all interactions and yet still have fun with our new dog.

A Well-Mannered Pal
4 to 6 months 

A trained puppy is so much more than just obedient. Knowing how to sit, stay or walk nicely on a loose leash are very important things to learn. Good manners, great social skills and a healthy relationship with his or her family are paramount. In addition, desensitization, exposure to many different distractions and situations, in addition to being comfortable to fit into a lifestyle in Port Saint Lucie, FL is equally important.

Our focus is to raise a puppy with impeccable 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 solid foundation by about 4 to 6 months. We practice obedience, keeping it a standard request in our everyday routine as well as within each new situation we expose your puppy to. We go from shaping to formalizing 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 mean 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 Port Saint Lucie, FL
6 months to young adult

Enter the teenage years– adolescence. This is the typical 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 pup can be more mouthy and disobedient than you could ever think of. Many owners hope their canine will outgrow unwanted 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 difficult.

Testing in the Real World in Port Saint Lucie, Florida 
We work to prevent 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 places, around barking dogs, near playgrounds and within public places.

As the dog goes through the adolescent stage we continue to challenge the dog by putting it in various scenarios. We imagine each situation as a picture. What does that look like to the puppy? How does that picture change from day to day or location to location. We are aiming to teach a dog how to cope in every new and different setting or scenario. We are raising a dog that isn’t reliant on continuous commands that determine what he or she should and should not do. Instead, we prefer a dog that can make good choices. Our main priority is to have a well-balanced puppy, who will fit into your home.

We continue to strengthen and fine-tune manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. Throughout this time, the dog has been staying with the trainer in their own home. During this time, your puppy will also spend a few days and nights hanging out with another family member or friend. Providing them with this opportunity, encourages your dog to continue to be confident and comfortable in brand-new areas. This ensures those habits and good manners will remain when he/she moves on to your house in Port Saint Lucie, FL.