Your puppy lives in our home with our family. We have specific areas set up for pups in training to be safe and have access to outdoors as well as being near the family. Each puppy has their own crate that moves to different parts of the house and training spaces so that they get comfortable being crated in different areas. In addition to the house we have a few other spaces that you may see in videos and updates where pups spend time. These spaces are: outside in the yard (we have a few yard areas), the bunk shed (this is a space the kids hang and sometimes we do trainings there), and our garage which is where I have a training set up and a full grooming set up.

Yes, puppies are always crated overnight. In the beginning when they are learning they are crated on or right next to my personal bed so that I can soothe them and hear them to take them potty. Eventually when they are comfortable they begin to be crated in different parts of the house.

Pups have dedicated outside play time 2-3x per day. We have a full “puppy playground” set up where we practice confidence skills and they get opportunity for supervised interaction with other pups of the same age and/or calm adult dogs. Pups who have received at least 3 rounds of immunizations and are over 13 weeks also get short walks 2x per day.

We believe that the key to success when it comes to house training comes from a clear structure and set up. Each puppy is taught to use a dog door and is kept on a clear schedule that encourages pups to learn to hold their bladder longer and be successful at puttying outside. We do not use any sort of potty pad or litter boxes inside the house, all potty needs are expected to be taken care of outside on the turf area that is designated for potty. At request of families, we can introduce puppies to potty bells or potty buttons but this is a skill that families will always need to work on a lot at home as well.

Your puppy is likely to be around other dogs and other puppies doing training. Every puppy in training will have some time around my own personal dogs who I use to assist with training and guiding pups. Puppies learn a lot through observing and mimicking older dogs so I use my own dogs often to model good behavior for the puppies. If other pups are in training your puppy will also have specific times in the day when we do play sessions. All puppies/dogs in the home will have verified vaccine records and any incoming new puppy is kept away from play groups for at least 3 days to monitor and ensure that they are healthy and not bringing in any outside pathogens. We also work hard to have play sessions be with pups who have similar energy levels so that it is always kept safe and controlled and prevents any pups from getting overwhelmed or overstimulated. Anytime your puppy is around another dog or puppy they are supervised.

Yes! Your puppy will be around kids daily in our home. We also have cats that we introduce the pups to as well as a tortoise and a snake. With the kids we work a lot on pups learning to be gentle and calm and with the other animals the goal is always neutrality.

We require that all puppies coming into our home provide proof of at least 2 parvo/distemper vaccinations as well as deworming records. Within the home and property we maintain an environment that is regularly cleaned and disinfected with kennel approved cleaners to reduce chances of illness. Puppies are supervised anytime they are out of their crates and handled daily to check for any injuries. We also require that all puppies in training maintain an active pet insurance policy for the duration of training. If a puppy is injured or becomes sick we will take pups to our local vet (after notifying the family) and we maintain liability insurance as well. We work hard to make sure these pups are treated with the same love and care that we would expect for any of our own dogs.

Socialization and public spaces is a huge part of the puppy training programs. If your puppy has not yet received their full round of immunizations we make sure that public outings are done in a way that keeps them safe. We have a “no feet on the ground” rule for those pups. While we may be in public we bring clean blankets for pup to lay on or we keep them in a backpack or stroller. We do not allow any greetings or interactions with other dogs in public and we also do not allow other people to touch your puppy.