Deciding on Your Young puppy
The idea of raising a new young puppy by yourself may be overwhelming. You hope for a pup that can match  wonderfully with your lifestyle. Your life in Nantucket, Massachusetts may be fast paced, you’ve got a full time schedule, you may be raising a young family, you may like to travel or may be you just retired. We provide a anxiety free experience to add that  awesome dog to your life.

The Process Starts With a Consultation
We think it’s crucial that you know who you will be dealing with. Building a relationship is very important to our company in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Our chat begins with straightforward questions and leads into an in detail conversation, which will provide us a clearer idea of who you are and what your ideal dog will be. We want to have a fantastic working partnership with you. It starts the journey to pick, teach and raise your pup.

Choosing The Best Breed For Your Home
Once you have determined you want to add that perfect dog to your life in Nantucket, Massachusetts. You have your heart set on a particular breed or maybe you want one of our dogs that are currently in our puppy raising program. There certainly are things to consider for example, the type of house you live in, your schedule, maybe you are raising a  little family, you you may love to travel or you’ve recently retired. This information will not minimize your options, but instead help shed light on your lifestyle in Nantucket, MA. We help guide you in this decision making process. As we learn more about you, we can certainly help you decide what you want and which breed will best accommodate your life-style.

Choosing The Right Breeder in Nantucket, Massachusetts
We partner with amazing breeders who are truly interested in improving their breed with good health and excellent temperament of their pups. The initial eight weeks of a new puppy’s life are as crucial as to what comes after. A great breeder is aware of this and helps get the puppy off to a great start.

We have established a rapport with many exceptional breeders. We specifically search out breeders who understand the early part 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 terrific life.  It’s really important to work closely with the breeder. We depend on the breeder’s input in addition to our years of knowledge to pick out the puppy with the best temperament for the prospective new family.

Your Puppy‘s Training in Nantucket, Massachusetts
Training your pup is a mixture of teaching new skills including manners, setting boundaries, promoting healthy relationships, together with exposing your puppy successfully to people, other dogs and desensitizing him or her to all types of environments. For instance, we may have the puppy stay overnight with different people in various environments; which in turn produces a dog for you who is comfortable and easy to live with because he or she adapts|adjusts} to your lifestyle. Because of this and exposures to other factors your dog readily bonds with you and your family.

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

Training starts the instant a new puppy is in our hands in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Once we select the puppy from the litter, the very first thing we wish to achieve is building confidence and a bond with this new puppy. We begin our relationship having fun while always teaching. Under our close guidance, we begin exposing the puppy to its new world. For example, getting him or her to follow us, climb stairs, walk over various things, and even get somewhat close to loud noises. By doing this, we are environmentally socializing your dog to the world while strengthening our bond. We are huge dog lovers, yet incredibly aware in those moments it is imperative to concentrate more on being a leader and guide as the new puppy discovers this new world without having the company of its litter mates or mom.

Most important time for learning
During 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 methods. Typically we make use of particular locations or objects to create an experience for the puppy. In some cases a spur of the moment opportunity may present itself in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Our decisions and creativity are limitless. Every exposure and experience builds upon the last one. Through all of this, we carefully monitor the puppy. We do not restrict ourselves to stiff rules. We try to get more creative, think outside the box, and make the most of activities that manifest before us. Those opportunities are priceless when it comes down to teaching the pup.

Every interaction with the new pup is a teaching moment. We often think about it as an early investment in the life of this dog. This is the first time away from their littermates and living with us in Nantucket, 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 period than they can learn in a lifetime. The quality and quantity of what they experience will have a huge effect on their future personalities and determine much of their “good” or “bad” behavior tendencies. During the course of the imprinting stage, every experience is vital. 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 absorbing every experience like a sponge, we need to stay very aware of all interactions and yet still have a good time with our new dog.

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 necessary things to learn. Good manners, great social skills and a healthy relationship with his or her family are vital. Additionally, desensitization, exposure to many different distractions and situations, as well as being comfortable to fit into a lifestyle in Nantucket, MA  is equally important.

Our focus is to create a dog with impeccable manners and social skills. We start 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 normal request in our everyday routine in addition to within each new situation we expose your dog to. We move 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 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 Nantucket, MA
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 animal shelters. The adolescent stage can find your sweet pup becoming a monster. That nice pup can be more mouthy and disobedient than you could ever think of. Many owners hope their puppy will outgrow 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.

Testing in the Real World in Nantucket, Massachusetts
We work to stop any unwanted behavior by instilling boundaries and practicing obedience in high distraction locations. For instance, we practice recalls when your dog is extremely distracted maybe chasing something like a squirrel. We test and proof obedience in high traffic places, around barking dogs, around 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 shift from day to day or location to location. We are aiming to teach a dog how to adapt in each new and different setting or scenario. We are raising a puppy that isn’t depending on constant commands that dictate what he or she should and shouldn’t do. In fact, we prefer a dog that can make great decisions. Our number one goal is to have a well-balanced puppy, who will be comfortable your home.

We continue to strengthen and improve manners making good behavior a habit for the dog. Throughout this time, the puppy has been staying with the dog trainer in his/her individual home. During this time, your dog will also spend a few days and nights hanging out with another family member or close friend. Providing the puppy with this opportunity, encourages your puppy to continue to be confident and comfortable in brand-new settings. This ensures those habits and good manners will remain when he goes on to your home in Nantucket, MA.