Pricing & Puppy Development

One of the questions I get asked all the time is why our pricing increases as the puppies get older.

The answer isn't because the puppies are older.

It's because every extra week they stay with us is another week of individual training, structured outings, confidence building, and real-world experiences that most puppies simply don't receive before going home.

When I first started breeding, every puppy went home at eight weeks.

After becoming a certified dog trainer, I completely changed the way I looked at raising puppies.

I realized those first few months of a puppy's life are some of the most important weeks they'll ever have. Instead of asking, "How quickly can this puppy go home?" I started asking, "How much can I teach this puppy before they go home?"

That question became the foundation of our entire Puppy Development Program.

Today we offer multiple go-home ages because every family is different. Some families want to experience every stage of puppyhood themselves. Others have busy careers, young children, travel often, or simply want a puppy that's had a little extra time to mature before coming home.

There isn't a right or wrong choice.

Our goal is simply to help you choose the puppy that fits your family's lifestyle.

More Than Just Keeping Puppies Longer

Keeping a puppy for another month doesn't automatically make them better trained.

What matters is what happens during that month.

Every puppy receives approximately 30 minutes of individual training with me every single day.

In addition to those individual sessions, I spend around 10 hours every day working with the puppies as a group through enrichment, confidence-building exercises, structured play, handling, grooming, potty training, crate training, obedience, and carefully planned socialization.

Each puppy learns differently.

Some need more encouragement.

Some mature faster.

Some need more repetition.

One of my favorite things about being both a breeder and a trainer is learning how each puppy thinks.

Over the years I've learned there isn't just one way to train a dog.

There are dozens of ways.

My job is figuring out what motivates each puppy and helping them become the best version of themselves before they ever join your family.

Real Socialization Happens in the Real World

One of the biggest misconceptions about puppies is that socialization means letting them play with as many dogs as possible.

To us, socialization means teaching puppies that the world is safe.

Beginning at 6 weeks of age, every puppy begins visiting Countryside Living Assisted Living Community three times each week.

These visits continue until approximately 14 weeks of age.

The puppies meet residents, hear different voices, see wheelchairs, walkers, oxygen equipment, and experience an environment that teaches them to remain calm and confident around people.

Outside of therapy visits, we also visit pet-friendly businesses, outdoor shopping centers, and other safe locations where puppies experience everyday life.

Automatic doors.

Different flooring.

Traffic.

Children.

People wearing hats.

Umbrellas.

Loud noises.

Car rides.

New smells.

Different environments.

Every outing has a purpose.

We're not just taking puppies on adventures.

We're teaching them how to confidently experience the world they'll spend the rest of their lives living in.

Safe Socialization Matters

One of the hardest parts of raising puppies is finding the balance between proper socialization and protecting them from unnecessary disease exposure.

Our puppies do not walk around public places before they're fully vaccinated.

Until they receive their fourth Distemper/Parvo vaccine and their rabies vaccine, they travel in a stroller during public outings.

This allows them to experience the sights, sounds, smells, and activity around them while significantly reducing their exposure to Parvo and common intestinal parasites.

We don't place puppies in shopping carts. Aside from many stores prohibiting it, we believe there are better and more respectful ways to socialize puppies.

Before puppies are fully vaccinated, all leash work on the ground takes place at home or during training sessions at Home Depot, where we can better control the environment while still giving them valuable leash experience.

Once puppies have completed their vaccine series, public leash training becomes a much bigger part of their daily routine. At 16 weeks, our focus shifts from assisted living visits to polishing leash manners, public engagement, and confidence around real-world distractions.

Therapy Dog Exposure

People often ask if we're training therapy dogs.

The answer is no.

Our puppies are not therapy dogs, and they are not service dogs.

What we do provide is therapy dog exposure.

By visiting assisted living communities, puppies learn to confidently interact with people using wheelchairs, walkers, canes, oxygen tanks, and other medical equipment.

We also only train in pet-friendly businesses because our puppies are pets, not working service dogs. Respecting service dog teams and the places they work is incredibly important to us.

Our goal isn't task training.

Our goal is raising puppies that are confident, polite, adaptable, and comfortable in a variety of environments.

We Build the Foundation. You Continue the Journey.

One thing I always tell families is this:

I can build the foundation. You build the lifelong relationship.

We absolutely teach obedience.

Sit.

Down.

Stay.

Leave It.

Take It.

Loose leash walking.

Patience.

Potty training.

Crate training.

But no trainer, no matter how experienced, can train a puppy once and expect those skills to last forever.

Training requires consistency.

That's why every family goes home with much more than just a puppy.

Every puppy includes:

• A customized 5-week training plan

• A personalized potty training plan

• A crate training plan

• A leash pulling guide

• Access to our YouTube training series

• Lifetime breeder and trainer support by phone, text, or email

If you're struggling with potty training, barking, chewing, jumping, leash pulling, or almost anything else, chances are I've already written a training guide for it.

If I haven't, I'll make one.

I truly believe there are a hundred different ways to teach one dog.

Every puppy learns differently.

Every family learns differently.

Part of my job is figuring out what works best for both of you.

My goal isn't just to help puppies succeed.

It's to help your entire family succeed.

Why We Believe This Saves Families Money

Professional Board & Train programs typically cost anywhere from $1,000 to over $2,000 per week, depending on the trainer and where you live.

It's not unusual for families to invest $4,000 to $10,000 after bringing their puppy home to build the same foundation we begin before they ever leave us.

Because I'm already raising these puppies every day, I can continue their education while they're here instead of asking families to send them away a few months later.

Not every family needs the Top Gun Graduate Program.

Some people love starting with the Foundation Program and experiencing every stage of puppyhood.

Others appreciate bringing home a puppy that's already sleeping through the night, understands routines, and has weeks of professional guidance behind them.

Neither choice is better.

It's simply about finding the right fit for your family.

Our Puppy Development Programs

🐶 Foundation Program

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8 Weeks • $3,500

Perfect for families who want to experience every stage of puppyhood while building a strong bond through training at home.

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🎓 Confidence Program

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10 Weeks • $4,500

Two additional weeks of professional puppy development.

Your puppy continues receiving daily one-on-one training, therapy dog exposure three times each week, public stroller outings, confidence-building exercises, crate training, potty training, leash foundations, and reinforced obedience.

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🏅 Adventure Program

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12 Weeks • $5,500

Four additional weeks of professional puppy development.

As puppies mature emotionally, we begin asking more of them through longer training sessions, increased impulse control, grooming and veterinary handling, additional commands, and more challenging public experiences.

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✈️ Therapy Exposure Program

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14 Weeks • $6,500

One of our most popular programs.

By fourteen weeks your puppy has participated in approximately 24 therapy dog exposure visits, completed countless public outings, and received hundreds of individual training sessions.

We begin introducing more advanced public leash work while continuing to build confidence, manners, and reliability.

Nationwide hand delivery is included anywhere in the continental United States.

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🎖️ Top Gun Graduate Program

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16 Weeks • $7,500

Our most advanced Puppy Development Program.

Once puppies have completed their vaccination series, our focus shifts from assisted living visits to polishing real-world skills.

This program emphasizes:

• Excellent leash manners

• Public engagement

• Confidence around distractions

• Longer obedience sessions

• Fully potty trained

• Fully crate trained

• Advanced real-world exposure

Nationwide hand delivery is included anywhere in the continental United States.

Every Puppy Goes Home Ready for Success

Bringing home a new puppy can feel overwhelming, especially if it's your first.

I remember bringing home my first dog and wondering if I'd forgotten something.

Over the years I've started putting together the kind of puppy go-home bag I wish someone had handed me.

Every Top Gun puppy goes home with a fully stocked puppy care package to help make those first few weeks easier.

Inside you'll find things like:

• Three different blankets with familiar scents from home

• Leash and collar

• Treat pouch

• Food and water bowls

• Refillable travel water bottle

• Stuffed toys

• Chew toys

• Safe puppy chews

• Toothbrush

• Grooming brush

• Starter food

• Potty training bell

• Approximately one year's worth of poop bags

• Veterinary records

• Personalized children's book

• Your customized training plans

• Go-home folder with helpful resources

• Plus a few surprises throughout the year

I don't include these things because they increase the value of the puppy.

I include them because I want you to spend your first night enjoying your new best friend instead of making five trips to the pet store.

No Matter Which Program You Choose

Every Top Gun puppy is raised with the same philosophy.

Purposeful breeding.

Intentional puppy development.

Honest communication.

Lifetime support.

Whether your puppy comes home at eight weeks or sixteen weeks, my commitment to you stays exactly the same.

When you join the Top Gun family, you'll never have to wonder who to call when you need help.

I'll always be here.

❤️ Welcome to the Top Gun family.