Picking Your Pup
The idea of raising a new pup on your own may be frustrating. You want a dog that is going to match  perfectly with your lifestyle. Your life in Saint Petersburg, Florida possible is stressful, you’ve got a full-time schedule, a new family, you like to travel or may be you just retired. Peace of Mind Puppy provides a anxiety free experience to add that  remarkable dog to your life.

The Experience Begins With a Assessment
We know it’s very important that you know who you will be working with. Establishing a rapport is very important to us in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Our conversation begins with easy questions and leads into an detailed discussion, which will give us a much better idea of who you are and what your ideal dog would be. We want to have a wonderful working partnership with you. It begins the journey to pick, teach and raise your pup.

Selecting The Perfect Breed For Your Family
Once you have determined you want to include that perfect dog to your life in Saint Petersburg, Florida. You have your heart set on a particular breed or maybe you want one of our pups that are presently in our puppy raising program. There certainly are things to think about such as the type of house you live in, your schedule, maybe you are raising a young family, you love to travel or you’ve recently retired. This information will not minimize your options, but instead help clarify your life-style in Saint Petersburg, FL. We help guide you in this decision making process. As we get to know you better, we can certainly assist you decide what you want and which puppy will best match your life-style.

Selecting The Best Breeder in Saint Petersburg, Florida
We team up with responsible breeders who are truly interested in improving their breed with good health and exceptional temperament of their puppies. The first eight weeks of a new puppy’s life are as crucial as to what follows. A excellent breeder recognizes this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have built a rapport with many exquisite breeders. We particularly search out breeders who comprehend the early role they play in a puppies life. They understand when one of their pups goes through our program, it ensures the puppy will end up having a fantastic life.  It is very important to work closely with the breeder. We rely on the breeder’s feedback and also our years of knowledge to pick the puppy with the best temperament for the prospective new family.

Your Puppy‘s Training in Saint Petersburg, Florida
Training your pup is a combo of teaching new skill-sets including manners, setting boundaries, encouraging 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 different settings; which in turn develops a dog for you who is relaxed and easy to live with because he or she adapts|adjusts} to your lifestyle. As a result of this and exposures to other variables your dog easily bonds 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 hands in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Once we pick the puppy from the litter, the very first thing we wish to achieve is developing confidence and a bond with this new puppy. We start our relationship having fun while always teaching. Under our close guidance, we begin exposing the puppy to its new world. For instance, getting him or her to follow us, climb stairs, walk over branches, and also get relatively close to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your puppy to the world while strengthening our bond. We are huge dog lovers, but still very aware in those moments it is essential to concentrate more on being a leader and guide as the new puppy learns about this new world without having the companionship 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 restriction as to what we will integrate into our methods. Often we make use of certain areas or objects to create an encounter for the puppy. In some cases a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Saint Petersburg, Florida. Our choices and creativity are endless. Every exposure and experience builds on the last one. Through all of this, we closely monitor the puppy. We do not limit 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 down to teaching the puppy.

Every interaction with the new puppy is a teaching moment. We often think of it as an early investment in the life of this dog. This is the first time away from his or her littermates and living with us in Saint Petersburg, 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 they can learn in a lifetime. The quality and quantity of what they encounter will have a substantial effect on their future personalities and determine a lot of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. Throughout the imprinting period, every experience is important. It is essential to build their confidence. The phrase ‘don’t sweat the small stuff’ does not apply to their early interactions. Because puppies are taking in every experience like a sponge, we need to stay very aware of all interactions and yet still have a good time with our new dog.

A Well-Mannered Dog
4 to 6 months 

A trained puppy is a lot 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 vital. Additionally, desensitization, exposure to various distractions and situations, as well as being comfortable to fit into a lifestyle in Saint Petersburg, FL is equally important.

Our focus is to raise a puppy 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 normal request in our daily routine as well as within each new situation we expose your puppy 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 very clear and consistent is key. We restrict 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 Saint Petersburg, 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 rescues. The adolescent stage can find your sweet pup developing into a monster. That nice pup can be more mouthy and disobedient than you could ever think of. Many owners hope their canine will grow out of unfavorable behaviors. Their dog is testing what is allowed and what is not. Allowing a dog to continue practicing naughty acts makes changing unwanted behavior more difficult.

Working in the Real World in Saint Petersburg, Florida 
We work to reduce any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction locations. Such as, we practice recalls when your dog is highly distracted maybe chasing something as common as a squirrel. We practice and proof obedience in high traffic areas, around barking dogs, around playgrounds and within public places.

As the dog goes through the adolescent stage we continue to challenge the dog by putting it in various situations. We consider each situation as a picture. How does that look like to the dog? How does that picture differ from day to day or location to location. We are working to teach a dog how to cope in each new and various setting or situation. We are raising a puppy that isn’t depending on continuous commands that dictate what he or she should and should not do. In fact, we prefer a dog that can make great decisions. Our number one goal is to have a well-balanced puppy, who will fit into your home.

We continue to strengthen and refine good manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. Throughout this time, the dog has been residing with the dog trainer in his or her own home. During this time, your puppy will also spend a few days and nights hanging out with another family member or friend. Offering this chance, encourages your puppy to continue to be confident and comfortable in brand-new areas. This makes sure those habits and good manners will stay when he/she moves on to your home in Saint Petersburg, FL.