BIRTH - 4 WEEKS: Puppies start their training at birth with lots of handling and stimulation to give them a jump start on the socialization process so vital for well-adjusted adult dogs. Many of the most common problems adolescent dogs develop come from fear - fear of the unknown and unfamiliar. By exposing our pups to a lot of people, places, situations, and various sounds played through a speaker, our puppies grow in confidence and thus the ability to deal with unfamiliar situations.

 

Our puppies are also raised in a specially designed environment to help them develop good habits, primarily in the areas of elimination, chewing/biting, and jumping excessively when excited. Their puppy house is designed to encourage elimination outside rather than inside, and they are trained “where” to eliminate rather than indiscriminately wherever they happen to be (this “passive potty training” is vital if you are acquiring a CMD as a companion dog that will be inside the house often). Meals are served entirely through chew toys as they progress beyond nursing. This helps puppies release excess energy in a healthy manner as well as learn what is appropriate to chew/bite on.  

  

5-8 WEEKS: Obedience training starts with teaching pups to be attentive to the people around them, in this case, us. They are taught to sit and look directly in our eyes, thus preparing them for future commands. A dog who doesn't pay attention to you can't easily be trained. We will also start with basic commands such come, sit, & down. We are now implementing basic grooming with the pups (brushing coats, trimming nails, and brushing teeth).

​

Livestock Training:

CMDs are natural protectors and our pups live around sheep, goats, chickens, our donkey, several cats, and other dogs from birth so they are trained by both their mother and our other dogs. We only correct when necessary, generally only when they get a little too rambunctous.

​

​Taking Your Puppy Home:

We breed for the best puppy "nature" can achieve, but "nurture" is just as important. Once you bring your puppy home, other factors will come into play to shape your dog’s temperament. They are:

               - when and how you interact with your dog

               - the environment you bring your dog into

               - the dog's individual personality as well as yours

               - other animals in your household

A puppy needs a lot of guidance the first year so we send buyers home with training tips for raising great dogs. We are also happy to consult with anyone who has purchased one of our pups.