Selecting Your Puppy
The idea of raising a new young puppy on your own is stressful. You hope for a doggy that will match  perfectly with your daily life. Your life in Oak Park, Illinois may be busy, you’ve got a full-time profession, maybe you’re raising a new family, you like to travel or may be you just retired. We provide a anxiety free experience to add in that  amazing dog to your life.

The Experience Begins With a Assessment
We know it’s vital that you know who you will be coordinating with. Developing a relationship is exceptionally important to our team in Oak Park, Illinois. Our discussion begins with straightforward questions and leads into an detailed discussion, which will give us a better idea of who you are and what your ideal dog will be. We like to have a excellent working relationship with you. It starts the journey to pick, teach and raise your pup.

Picking The Perfect Breed For Your Family
Once you have decided you are ready to add that amazing dog to your life in Oak Park, Illinois. You may have your heart set on a particular breed or maybe you want one of our pups that are currently in our puppy raising program. Certainly there are things to think of for example, the type of house you live in, how much you work, are raising a young family, you love to go on vacation or you’ve recently retired. This information will not limit your options, but instead help clarify your everyday life in Oak Park, IL. We help guide you in your decision making process. As we get to know you better, we can certainly aid you choose what you want and which breed will best fit your life-style.

Picking The Right Breeder in Oak Park, Illinois
We work 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 happens after. A great breeder understands this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have developed a relationship with many amazing breeders. We specifically find breeders who know the early role they play in a puppies life. They know when one of their puppies goes through our program, it ensures the puppy will end up having a wonderful life.  It is extremely important to work closely with the breeder. We rely on the breeder’s knowledge and also our years of expertise to select the puppy with the best temperament for the potential new family.

The Puppy‘s Training in Oak Park, Illinois
Training your new puppy is a mixture of teaching new skills including manners, setting boundaries, encouraging healthy relationships, together with exposing your dog successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all different types of environments.For example, we have the pup sleep overnight with various people in various environments; which in turn produces 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 factors your dog easily 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 Oak Park, Illinois. Once we choose the puppy from the litter, the first thing we want to accomplish 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 branches, and maybe even get somewhat near 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 significantly aware in those moments it is imperative to focus 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
During the initial few weeks we are teaching your new puppy boundaries, trust and focus. There is no restriction as to what we may incorporate into our approaches. Frequently we take advantage of certain places or objects to create an experience for the puppy. In some cases a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Oak Park, Illinois. Our choices and vision are unlimited. Every exposure and experience builds upon the prior one. Through all of this, we carefully monitor the puppy. We never confine ourselves to stiff rules. We try to become more creative, think outside the box, and take advantage of occasions that unfold before us. Those opportunities are priceless when it comes to teaching the dog.

Every interaction with the new puppy is a teaching moment. We like to 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 staying with us in Oak Park, 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 period than they can learn in a lifetime. The quality and quantity of what they experience will have a significant influence on their future personalities and decide many of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. During the course of the imprinting period, every experience is vital. 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 must stay very aware of all interactions and yet still have a good time with our new puppy.

A Well-Mannered Puppy
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 very important. Furthermore, desensitization, exposure to various distractions and situations, as well as having the flexibility to fit into a lifestyle in Oak Park, IL  is equally important.

Our focus is to create a dog with impeccable manners and social skills. We begin by teaching obedience the day we bring them home from the breeder; which continues 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, keeping it a normal request in our regular routine in addition to within each new situation we expose your dog to. We go from shaping to defining commands and proofing them with distractions, duration and distance. Communication is at the core of our philosophy. Being clear and consistent is key. We limit 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 Oak Park, 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 think of. Many owners hope their dog 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.

Testing in the Real World in Oak Park, Illinois
We work to prevent any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction areas. Such as, we practice recalls when your dog is extremely distracted possibly chasing something like a squirrel. We practice and proof obedience in high traffic spots, 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 scenarios. We think of each situation as a picture. How does that look like to the dog? How does that picture change from day to day or location to location. We are striving to teach a dog how to adapt in every new and different setting or scenario. We are raising a puppy that isn’t dependent on ongoing commands that control what he or she should and shouldn’t do. Rather, we prefer a dog that can make good decisions. Our top 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 living with the trainer in his or her individual home. During this time, your dog will also spend a few days and nights hanging out with another relative or friend. Providing the dog with this opportunity, encourages your dog to continue to be confident and comfortable in different settings. This makes sure those habits and good manners will stay when he goes on to your home in Oak Park, IL.