Choosing Your Puppy
The thought of raising a new pup by yourself is overwhelming. You hope for a puppy that will fit in  beautifully with your life. Your life in River Forest, Illinois is fast paced, you’ve got a full time schedule, you may be raising a new family, you may like to travel or may be you just retired. Peace of Mind Puppy provide s a stress free experience to add that  outstanding dog to your life.

The Process Begins With a Assessment
We know it’s essential that you know who you will be dealing with. Developing a relationship is very important to our team in River Forest, Illinois. Our talk begins with easy questions and leads into an in depth discussion, which will give us a much better idea of who you are and what your ideal dog will be. We want to have a excellent working relationship with you. It starts the journey to pick, teach and raise your pup.

Choosing The Best Breed For Your Home
Once you have made a decision you want to add that amazing dog to your life in River Forest, Illinois. You have your heart set on a particular breed or maybe you’re interested in one of our pups that are presently in our puppy raising program. Certainly there are things to take into account for example, where you live, maybe you work full time, are raising a young family, you you may love to go on vacation or you’ve recently retired. This information will not minimize your options, but instead help clarify your daily life in River Forest, IL. We will help guide you in your decision making process. As we learn more about you, we can aid you pick what you want and which breed will best suit your life-style.

Choosing The Perfect Breeder in River Forest, Illinois
We team up with amazing breeders who are genuinely interested in improving their breed with good health and exceptional temperament of their pups. The first eight weeks of a new pups life are as crucial as to what follows. A great breeder knows this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have developed a rapport with many exceptional breeders. We particularly search out breeders who comprehend the early role they play in a puppies life. They understand when one of their puppies goes through our program, it ensures the puppy will end up having a terrific life.  It’s incredibly important to work carefully with the breeder. We rely on the breeder’s feedback along with our years of experience to pick the puppy with the best temperament for a prospective new family.

The Puppy‘s Training in River Forest, Illinois
Training your dog is a mixture of teaching new skills including manners, setting boundaries, promoting healthy relationships, as well as exposing your puppy successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all types of environments.Such as, we may have the puppy stay overnight with various people in various environments; which in turn develops a dog for you who is comfortable and easy to live with because he or she adapts|adjusts} to your way of life. Because of this and exposures to other factors your dog readily connects with you and your family.

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

Training starts the minute a new puppy is in our hands in River Forest, Illinois. Once we choose the pup from the litter, the first thing we would like to accomplish is building 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 puppy to its new world. For instance, getting him or her to follow us, go up and down stairs, walk over logs, and maybe even get somewhat close to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your dog to the world while at the same time enhancing our bond. We are huge dog lovers, yet remarkably aware in those moments it is imperative to focus more on being a leader and guide as the new pup discovers this new world without the presence of its litter mates or mom.

Most important time for learning
During the initial few weeks we are teaching your new puppy boundaries, trust and focus. There is no limit as to what we will incorporate into our techniques. Frequently we take advantage of particular locations or objects to create an encounter for the pup. In some cases a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in River Forest, Illinois. Our options and creativity are unlimited. Every exposure and experience builds on the prior one. Through all of this, we closely supervise the puppy. We don’t confine ourselves to stiff rules. We try to become more creative, think outside the box, and benefit from occasions that unfold before us. Those opportunities are invaluable when it comes 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 pup. This is the first time away from their littermates and living with us in River Forest, 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 any other period of time in their lives. 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. Throughout 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 taking in every experience like a sponge, we need to stay very aware of all interactions and yet still have fun with our new pup.

A Well-Mannered Puppy
4 to 6 months 

A trained dog 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 critical. In addition, desensitization, exposure to many different distractions and situations, as well as having the flexibility to fit into a lifestyle in River Forest, IL  is equally important.

Our focus is to raise a puppy with remarkable manners and social skills. We start 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 solid foundation by about 4 to 6 months. We practice obedience, making it a standard request in our day-to-day routine as well as within each new situation we expose your puppy to. We go from shaping to formalizing commands and proofing 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 River Forest, IL
6 months to young adult

Enter the teenage years– adolescence. This is the typical age when many dogs are re-homed or surrendered to animal shelters. The adolescent stage can find your sweet pup becoming 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 undesirable behaviors. Their dog is testing what is permitted and what is not. Allowing a dog to continue rehearsing naughty acts makes changing unwanted behavior more difficult.

Testing in the Real World in River Forest, Illinois
We work to reduce any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction locations. For example, we practice recalls when your dog is highly distracted perhaps chasing something like a squirrel. We test and proof obedience in high traffic areas, 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 think of each situation as a picture. What does that look like to the dog? How does that picture change from day to day or location to location. We are aiming to teach a dog how to adapt in every new and various environment or situation. We are raising a dog that isn’t depending on constant commands that control what he or she should and should not do. Rather, we desire a dog that can make good choices. Our top goal is to have a well-balanced puppy, who will fit into your home.

We continue to reinforce 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 individual home. During this time, your dog will also spend a few days and nights staying with another relative or close friend. Giving this opportunity, encourages your puppy to continue to be confident and comfortable in different environments. This ensures those habits and good manners will stay when he/she moves on to your house in River Forest, IL.