Choosing Your New Puppy
The thought of raising a new young puppy by yourself may be stressful. You want a doggy that is going to fit in  perfectly with your life-style. Your life in Tampa, Florida may be fast paced, you’ve got a full-time job, a young family, you may like to travel or you’ve just retired. Peace of Mind Puppy provides a anxiety free experience to add that  spectacular dog to your life.

The Program Starts With a Consultation
We think it’s very important that you know who you will be dealing with. Building a relationship is exceptionally important to our team in Tampa, Florida. Our talk begins with straightforward questions and leads into an in depth discussion, which will give us a better idea of who you are and what your perfect dog would be. We want to have a fantastic working relationship with you. It starts the journey to choose, teach and raise your puppy.

Selecting The Best Breed For Your Household
Once you have decided you want to include that amazing dog to your life in Tampa, Florida. You may have your heart set on a specific breed or maybe you want one of our dogs that are presently in our puppy raising program. There are things to think about including the type of house you live in, maybe you work full time, are raising a young family, you you may love to travel or you’ve recently retired. This information will not limit your choices, yet help clarify your lifestyle in Tampa, FL. We help guide you in your decision making process. As we learn more about you, we can aid you pick what you want and which dog will best suit your lifestyle.

Choosing The Best Breeder in Tampa, Florida
We work with responsible breeders who are truly interested in improving their breed with good health and exceptional temperament of their puppies. The initial eight weeks of a new pups life are as significant as to what comes after. A great breeder knows this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have established a rapport with many exquisite breeders. We particularly seek breeders who understand the early role they play in a puppies life. They understand when one of their pups grows through our program, it ensures the puppy will end up having a excellent life.  It’s very important to work carefully with the breeder. We depend on the breeder’s feedback together with our years of expertise to choose the puppy with the best temperament for a potential new family.

Your Puppy‘s Training in Tampa, Florida
Training your new puppy is a combination of teaching new skills including manners, setting boundaries, nurturing healthy relationships, and also exposing your dog successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all various environments. For instance, we may have the puppy sleep overnight with various people in various environments; 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. As a result of this and exposures to other variables your dog easily bonds with you and your family members.

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

Training starts the moment a new puppy is in our care in Tampa, Florida. Once we choose the pup from the litter, the very first thing we want to achieve is developing 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 start exposing the pup to its new world. For instance, getting him or her to follow us, go up and down stairs, walk over logs, and also get somewhat close to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your dog to the world while building up our bond. We are huge dog lovers, yet remarkably aware in those moments it is imperative to concentrate more on being a leader and guide as the new puppy learns about this new world without the companionship 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 limitation as to what we may integrate into our strategies. Typically we make use of certain locations or objects to create an experience for the pup. At times a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Tampa, Florida. Our choices and creativity are unlimited. Every exposure and experience builds upon the prior one. Through all of this, we carefully monitor the puppy. We never restrict ourselves to inflexible rules. We try to get more creative, think outside the box, and take advantage of activities that manifest before us. Those opportunities are priceless when it comes to teaching the dog.

Every interaction with the new puppy is a teaching moment. We often consider it as an early investment in the life of this pup. This is the first time away from his or her littermates and staying with us in Tampa, 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 much of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. During the course of the imprinting phase, every experience is important. It is important to build their 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 must stay very aware of all interactions and yet still have fun with our new puppy.

A Well-Mannered Pup
4 to 6 months 

A well-trained puppy is a lot 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. Additionally, desensitization, exposure to many different distractions and situations, along with being comfortable to fit into a lifestyle in Tampa, FL is equally important.

Our focus is to raise a dog 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 improve the dog’s behavior. The goal is to have a solid foundation by about 4 to 6 months. We practice obedience, making 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 defining commands and proofing them with distractions, duration and distance. Communication is at the center of our philosophy. Being 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 Tampa, 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 puppy can be more mouthy and disobedient than you could ever imagine. Many owners hope their puppy 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 undesirable behavior more difficult.

Working in the Real World in Tampa, Florida 
We work to prevent any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction locations. For instance, we practice recalls when your dog is extremely distracted possibly chasing something as common as a squirrel. We test and proof obedience in high traffic areas, 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 consider each situation as a picture. How does that look like to the puppy? 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 dog that isn’t depending on continual commands that dictate what he or she should and shouldn’t do. Instead, we want a dog that can make great decisions. Our main priority is to have a well-balanced dog, who will be comfortable your home.

We continue to strengthen and improve good manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. Throughout this time, the dog has been staying with the dog trainer in his/her own home. During this time, your puppy will also spend a few days and nights hanging out with another family member or friend. Giving this opportunity, encourages your puppy to continue to be confident and comfortable in different surroundings. This makes sure those habits and good manners will stay when he goes on to your house in Tampa, FL.