Picking Your Pup
The thought of raising a new pup by yourself may be overwhelming. You hope for a puppy that can fit in  nicely with your life-style. Your life in Downers Grove, Illinois possible is fast paced, you’ve got a full-time job, a new family, you may like to travel or you’ve just retired. We provide a stress free experience to add that  spectacular dog to your life.

The Experience Begins With a Assessment
We know it’s important that you know who you will be dealing with. Establishing a relationship is extremely important to us in Downers Grove, Illinois. Our talk begins with straightforward questions and leads into an in depth discussion, which will provide us a clearer idea of who you are and what your perfect dog will be. We like to have a wonderful working relationship with you. It begins the journey to select, teach and raise your pup.

Selecting The Perfect Breed For Your Family
Once you have decided you want to include that perfect dog to your life in Downers Grove, Illinois. You may have your heart set on a particular breed or maybe you’re interested in one of our pups that are currently in our puppy raising program. Certainly there are things to think about like where you live, maybe you work full time, are raising a  little family, you you may love to travel or maybe you have recently retired. This information will not minimize your choices, yet help clarify your everyday life in Downers Grove, IL. We help guide you in this decision making process. As we get to know you better, we can certainly help you decide what you want and which dog will best suit your life-style.

Selecting The Best Breeder in Downers Grove, Illinois
We work with amazing breeders who are genuinely interested in improving their breed with good health and great temperament of their puppies. The initial eight weeks of a new puppy’s life are as vital as to what follows. A excellent breeder is aware of this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have established a relationship with many great breeders. We specifically find breeders who comprehend 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 excellent life.  It’s quite important to work carefully with the breeder. We depend on the breeder’s knowledge along with our years of knowledge to select the puppy with the best temperament for the prospective new family.

The Puppy‘s Training in Downers Grove, Illinois
Training your new puppy is a mixture of teaching new skills including manners, setting boundaries, nurturing healthy relationships, along with exposing your dog successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all various environments.For example, we have the pup sleep overnight with different people in various environments; which in turn creates 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. Because of this and exposures to other factors your dog readily 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 Downers Grove, Illinois. Once we choose the pup 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 start exposing the pup to its new world. Such as, getting him or her to follow us, climb stairs, walk over various things, and even get somewhat near to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your puppy to the world while enhancing our bond. We are huge dog lovers, yet very aware in those moments it is imperative to concentrate more on being a leader and guide as the new pup learns about this new world without the companionship of its litter mates or mom.

Crucial time for learning
In the first few weeks we are teaching your new puppy boundaries, trust and focus. There is no limitation as to what we may incorporate into our approaches. Typically we use certain places or objects to create an experience for the puppy. At times a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Downers Grove, Illinois. Our options and creativity are endless. Every exposure and experience builds on the prior one. Through all of this, we carefully observe the puppy. We do not limit 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 to teaching the puppy.

Every interaction with the new pup is a teaching moment. We like to consider 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 Downers Grove, Illinois. 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 encounter will have a massive effect on their future personalities and decide a lot of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. During the imprinting stage, every experience is crucial. 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 soaking up every experience like a sponge, we must stay very aware of all interactions and yet still have a good time with our new pup.

A Well-Mannered Pal
4 to 6 months 

A 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 important. In addition, desensitization, exposure to various distractions and situations, as well as being comfortable to fit into a lifestyle in Downers Grove, IL  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 improve the dog’s behavior. The goal is to have a stable foundation by about 4 to 6 months. We practice obedience, making it a standard request in our regular routine as well as within each new situation we expose your dog to. We go from shaping to formalizing commands and testing them with distractions, duration and distance. Communication is at the core of our philosophy. Being 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 Downers Grove, IL
6 months to young adult

Enter the teenage years– adolescence. This is the normal age when many dogs are re-homed or surrendered to animal shelters. The adolescent stage can find your sweet pup developing into a monster. That nice puppy can be more mouthy and disobedient than you could ever imagine. Many owners hope their canine will outgrow 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 Downers Grove, Illinois
We work to prevent any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction places. For example, 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, around playgrounds and within public places.

As the puppy moves through the adolescent stage we continue to challenge the dog by putting it in various situations. We imagine 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 aiming to teach a dog how to adapt in every new and different environment or situation. We are raising a puppy that isn’t depending on continual commands that determine what he or she should and should not do. Rather, we want a dog that can make good decisions. Our main goal is to have a well-balanced dog, who will fit into your home.

We continue to strengthen and improve manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. During this time, the puppy has been living with the trainer in his or her individual home. During this time, your puppy will also spend a few days and nights staying with another family member or close friend. Giving this chance, encourages your dog to continue to be confident and comfortable in brand-new surroundings. This makes sure those habits and good manners will stay when he/she goes on to your house in Downers Grove, IL.