Choosing Your Young puppy
The thought of raising a new pup by yourself can be overwhelming. You really want a puppy that will match  wonderfully with your life. Your life in Groton, Massachusetts is stressful, you may have a full-time profession, you may be raising a young family, you 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 Program Begins With a Consultation
We know it’s important that you know who you will be teaming up with. Establishing a rapport is tremendously important to us in Groton, Massachusetts. Our discussion begins with simple questions and leads into an detailed conversation, which will give us a much better idea of who you are and what your perfect dog will be. We would like to have a excellent working relationship with you. It starts the journey to decide on, teach and raise your pup.

Choosing The Perfect Breed For Your Home
Once you have determined you want to add that perfect dog to your life in Groton, Massachusetts. 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. There are things to think of for example, the type of house you live in, maybe you work full time, are raising a young family, you love to go on vacation or maybe you have recently retired. This information will not restrict your choices, but instead help shed light on your lifestyle in Groton, MA. We will help guide you in your decision making process. As we learn more about you, we can certainly assist you pick what you want and which breed will best accommodate your lifestyle.

Picking The Best Breeder in Groton, Massachusetts
We partner with amazing breeders who are genuinely interested in improving their breed with good health and fantastic temperament of their pups. The first eight weeks of a new pups life are as crucial as to what comes after. A excellent breeder understands this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have built a rapport with many fine breeders. We specifically search out breeders who understand 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 excellent life.  It’s incredibly important to work closely with the breeder. We depend on the breeder’s input along with our years of experience to select the puppy with the best temperament for the prospective new family.

The Puppy‘s Training in Groton, Massachusetts
Training your puppy is a combination of teaching new skills including manners, setting boundaries, nurturing healthy relationships, in addition to exposing your puppy successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all types of environments.Such as, we have the puppy 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.

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

Training starts the instant a new puppy is in our hands in Groton, Massachusetts. Once we decide on the pup from the litter, the very first thing we want to accomplish is building confidence and a bond with this new puppy. We begin our relationship having fun while always teaching. Under our close guidance, we start exposing the pup to its new world. For example, getting him or her to follow us, climb stairs, walk over various things, and also 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 incredibly 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 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 limit as to what we will incorporate into our techniques. Typically we utilize certain spots or objects to create an encounter for the pup. At times a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Groton, Massachusetts. Our choices and imagination are limitless. Every exposure and experience builds on the previous one. Through all of this, we closely observe the puppy. We don’t limit ourselves to inflexible rules. We try to get more creative, think outside the box, and make use of occasions that manifest before us. Those opportunities are priceless when it comes down 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 pup. This is the first time away from his or her littermates and living with us in Groton, Massachusetts. 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 huge effect on their future personalities and determine a lot of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. During the course of the imprinting period, every experience is crucial. It is important to build their self-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 need to stay very aware of all interactions and yet still have a good time with our new puppy.

A Well-Mannered Pup
4 to 6 months 

A trained pup 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 extremely important. In addition, desensitization, exposure to various distractions and situations, in addition to having the flexibility to fit into a lifestyle in Groton, MA  is equally important.

Our focus is to raise a puppy 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 refine the dog’s behavior. The goal is to have a strong foundation by about 4 to 6 months. We practice obedience, keeping it a regular request in our day-to-day 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 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 Groton, MA
6 months to young adult

Enter the teenage years– adolescence. This is the typical age when many dogs are re-homed or surrendered 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 picture. Many owners hope their puppy will grow out of undesirable behaviors. Their dog is testing what is allowed and what is not. Allowing a dog to continue rehearsing naughty acts makes changing unwanted behavior more difficult.

Working in the Real World in Groton, Massachusetts
We work to prevent any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction places. Such as, we practice recalls when your dog is highly distracted possibly chasing something like a squirrel. We test and proof obedience in high traffic spots, 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 him or her in various situations. We consider each situation as a picture. How does that look like to the dog? How does that picture shift from day to day or location to location. We are aiming to teach a dog how to adapt in every new and various setting or situation. We are raising a puppy that isn’t reliant on ongoing commands that determine what he or she should and should not do. Instead, we want a dog that can make good choices. Our main goal is to have a well-balanced dog, who will be comfortable your home.

We continue to reinforce and fine-tune manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. During this time, the puppy has been staying with the trainer in his/her individual home. Throughout this time, your puppy will also spend a few days and nights hanging out 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 ensures those habits and good manners will remain when he or she moves on to your home in Groton, MA.