Will My Puppy Grow Out of This? Puppy Problems Explained

Puppy survival school

Break free of the puppy blues and actually enjoy life with your dog

Puppy Survival School is a set of 10 easy-to-follow courses (plus bonus content and support) designed to help you raise a happy, well-behaved puppy without losing your mind.

$24 per month

Is your puppy driving you completely insane?

Your puppy...

You've tried everything:

Nothing works. Some it it just makes things worse

And on top of that, you’re terrified of messing this up, because the dog world makes it sound like every mistake is a disaster. 

What if I ruin this puppy? Maybe they’d be better off if I found them a new home.

No matter what you’re experiencing, one thing’s for sure:

You knew raising a puppy would be hard work, but you were not prepared for THIS

If any of that sounds like you, don’t worry. It’s not too late.

You CAN train your puppy, you CAN build a really strong bond with them. Even if you feel like you have no clue what you’re doing.

Puppy Survival School will show you how.

A note from a member:

“We wanted to extend a heartfelt thanks for your help over the past months. Your videos, and your no-nonsense and humble delivery of information, were invaluable as we navigated raising our sweet but drivey and high-arousal young’un. We’re better parents for it and Olive has a clearer sense of his place in the family and household, and we all made it to the other side in one piece. So, thanks thanks thanks.”

Andrew and Mathi

We’ll walk you through pretty much every aspect of training and socializing your puppy

So you can spend less time Googling (or asking the weirdly judgmental people of Reddit) and more time making progress.

I lost my mind so that you don't have to!

Puppy Survival School is the program I wish I'd had with my own crazy puppy

Hi there! I’m Jake, co-owner of the 3 Lost Dogs Academy.

And trust me, I get it.

My first puppy, Friday, turned my life upside down. I thought I was prepared. I’d read all the books, watched all the videos, and had a solid plan. 

Or so I thought…

Friday was the puppy from hell, it turns out

She would bite CONSTANTLY, and everything I tried just made it worse. 

She never listened. She whined all night long. She peed on my bed. She didn’t seem to like me much.

The feeling was mutual.

I felt like such an idiot. Despite all my research, I couldn’t get this little dog to behave.

Part of the problem was the sheer AMOUNT of information out there. Everyone had an opinion on how to train a dog.

And a lot of the “advice” I found was discouraging and judgy: Like, if my dog had behavior problems, I must be to blame. And if I had doubts and sometimes quietly wondered if I should find Friday a new home, I must be a terrible person.

It was all a bit much.

But I didn’t give up. Friday and I slogged our way through, trial and error. (Emphasis on “error”)

And somehow, things got better.

And somehow, this experience made me want to become a professional dog trainer, instead of swearing off dog training forever.

So I kept learning. Spent countless hours wading into the sea of conflicting advice.

Pulled out what worked, rejected what didn’t. I realized that some of the methods I’d used with Friday were outdated and unnecessarily harsh, which no doubt contributed to the problems I had bonding with her.

Now, my mission is to help my fellow struggling puppy parents break free of the puppy blues and get to the good parts of dog life.

you'll learn how to:

Tame your wild hyperactive child

In the first course of the program, you’ll learn:

Get the biting under control

The biting course covers:

What to do if you suspect your pup has separation anxiety

You’ve heard that you’re supposed to “ignore them until they’re quiet,” but that just sucks for everyone. On the other hand, you also can’t be with them every second of every day. So what actually works? 

You’ll learn:

Help your other pets adjust, and get the puppy to stop terrorizing them

We have a course about creating a more harmonious multi-pet household, so you can stop feeling guilty about inflicting a fluffy demon on your older dog or cat.

You’ll learn how to:

We also cover:

More feedback from our members

HERE'S WHAT YOU GET:

Ten self-study courses

Each dedicated to a different aspect of puppy training:

1. Foundation for a Happy, Well-Behaved Puppy

This will help you quickly get puppy problems under control and be a lot less overwhelmed.

2. Puppy Biting

Get those razor-sharp little baby teeth under control and survive the bitey phase.

3. House Training

Potty train your pup with a simple plan that actually works, even if they’ve had a lot of accidents.

4. Your Puppy and Your Other Pets

Create a harmonious multi-pet household, so you can stop feeling guilty about inflicting a demon puppy on your older dog or cat.

5. Working From Home While Raising a Puppy

Get your puppy to chill out and stop screeching during your work day, so you can concentrate and not get fired.

6. Baby Obedience Training

Video tutorials for teaching your puppy cues and basic manners that will make life easier, using fun games and puppy-friendly methods.

7. Puppy Life Skills

Teach your puppy important “skills that will save you time and help you get your freedom back.

8. Understanding Your Puppy

Learn how to understand what's going on in your puppy's head, so you can communicate clearly and reduce frustration.

9. Socialization

Teach your puppy about the world in a way that’s fun, builds your bond, and turns them into the best dog they can be.

10. The WTFWIT Phase

A guide to the critical but often-ignored mental and emotional side of raising a puppy. Make it through the times when self-doubt starts eating you alive.

On-demand workshop: Help! I'm a Prisoner in My Own Home

How to get your puppy to stop freaking out when you leave them alone

You’ll learn how to start getting your life back and raise a confident dog who’s okay with being alone.

Click here for more details on this workshop

Support and guidance for YOUR puppy, not generic training advice

This is an affordable way to get consistent access to a dog trainer

(Two dog trainers, actually)

You don’t have to navigate this alone, guessing what to do next or feeling stuck when setbacks happen. We’re here to guide you and help adjust your training plan as needed.

You’re invited to our twice-monthly live coaching calls on Zoom where you can tell us about your situation, and we’ll give you some tailored advice.

Can’t attend the live session? No worries! Submit your questions in advance and then watch the replay.

You also get access to our forums where you can ask us questions, vent about your canine conundrums, and share your wins.

We've got your back

You’re not a random faceless subscriber to us. (Unless you want to be. That’s cool too)

Come hang out on the forums and/or Zoom sessions, and we’ll get to know you and your dog. We’ll base our advice on your pup’s unique personality and motivations.

We’ll remember what dog training project you’re working on, and help you plan what to do next.

Want to avoid the high price of private lessons or the chaos of puppy classes at your local big box pet store?

At $24 per month, our program is a low-cost way to get ongoing help from experienced dog trainers. 

You also get access to ALL of our other courses and content

In addition to the puppy-specific courses, your membership includes access to our full course and webinar library. 

We cover topics like: 

  • Focus in the presence of distractions
  • Reliable recalls
  • Pulling on leash
  • Building reliably-trained behaviors without relying on food or punishment
  • Introducing dogs to each other safely

You CAN grit your teeth and stoically survive the next few months of puppy blues drama...

Or you can join our program and feel better by next week

Gain the knowledge and support you need to confidently tackle puppy raising

 Our aim is to help you feel less like a giant ball of anxiety. (I know some of us will always feel like a giant ball of anxiety no matter what, woohoo #mentalhealth, but still)

I won’t lie, this stuff does take work. 

Raising a puppy is never exactly a breeze, no matter what. 

But if you follow the program, things will get easier, you’ll be less stressed, and you and your dog will be ready for a lifetime of adventures together.

What if, instead of dreading the next bite or accident on the carpet, you found yourself relaxing and feeling optimistic for a change?

What if, instead of spending 90% of your time chasing your puppy around saying “NO DON’T DO THAT,” you could chill out and feel like a human being again?

That’s the future we want to help you create.

And it’s not just a dream – it’s literally our full-time job.

ready to get started?

Get Puppy Survival School when you sign up for the Academy All-Access Pass

MONTHLY

$ 24
per month
  • All courses, workshops, and special events
  • Twice-monthly group Zoom sessions with Erin and Jake
  • Community forums

ANNUAL

Like getting five months free!
$288
$ 147
per year
  • All courses, workshops, and special events
  • Twice-monthly group Zoom sessions with Erin and Jake
  • Community forums
best value

No commitment. Easily cancel at any time by going into your account settings. Click here to learn more about the All-Access Pass

We offer full refunds on All-Access Pass monthly and annual memberships. If you decide the Academy isn’t for you, send us an email within two months of purchase and we’ll refund 100% of your payment, no questions asked.

Training designed for real life, developed in real life, filmed in real life

IMG_8747

This particular project started when I adopted River, a four-month-old Belgian Malinois.

Beginning on day one, I filmed everything I did with River. House training, problem solving, socializing, playing, adventuring, etc.

A few months later, I decided that River needed a friend, so I went back to the shelter and adopted Hazel, a three-month-old lab/pit bull mix.

I filmed everything I did with her, too.

All this footage became Puppy Survival School.

River hazel play fight

As real-life as it gets!

This is no fancy studio production. These videos were recorded in my messy house, with my noisy housemates, with a resident cat who liked to wander into the shot.

You’ll see these puppies learning, making progress, and growing. I’ll even point out my mistakes.

You won’t have to use your imagination to figure out how all these lessons fit into real life, you’ll get to watch them happen in real life.

FAQ

There’s no strict age limit. Most of our Puppy Survival School students join when their puppies are between two and five months old, but we also have folks sign up with their 6-10 month old pups, and they still get a lot out of the program.

Basically, if you’ve been nodding your head as you read this page, going “wow that sounds just like my situation,” you’re in the right place.

We get this question a lot! So we added a feature to help you adapt the puppy program to your adult rescue dog. More on that below.

But the short answer is: Possibly. While the Puppy Survival School courses are designed for puppies, it can also help an older dog with things like house training, crate training, basic obedience and manners, and getting settled into their new home.

Raising a puppy and a rescue dog are similar, but different experiences. What you really need are bits and pieces of ALL the Academy courses, not just the puppy program.

Good news – when you sign up for the All Access Pass, you get access to ALL of our courses, plus:

The Rescue Dog Roadmap. This will show you exactly which lessons to take from each course, so you can get your new dog settled in. 

Puppy Survival School is not designed to help adult dogs with problems related to: fear, aggression, reactivity, resource guarding, poor socialization history, or predatory behavior toward other pets. If you’re still unsure, email me at contact@3lostdogs.com, and I’ll let you know if the program is appropriate for your dog.

Thanks for asking! 

Broadly speaking, our methods fall into the force-free category. We’ve found this to be the most effective way to build a strong bond with your dog and get them to WANT to listen to you, while minimizing the chances they’ll develop aggression-related behavior problems.

Just like toddlers have meltdowns when they’re cranky and overtired, most of the really annoying (or infuriating!) things puppies do is a result of them feeling frustrated, confused, overstimulated, or having a need that isn’t being met.

So the first step in achieving harmony with your little gremlin is to think teamwork:

“I know this is hard, Sparky, but we’re gonna figure it out together!”

Then start teaching them how to ask for what they need, break down training into baby-friendly steps, and structure their routine so they get all their needs met.

We teach you how to properly use positive reinforcement (like food, play, and real-life rewards), to teach your puppy exactly what you want them to do – while avoiding common mistakes that cause positive reinforcement to fail.

We also teach you how and when to use enrichment, exercise, redirection, and management to further improve your puppy’s behavior and create good habits.

Where appropriate, we use desensitization, habituation, and counter-conditioning to help puppies build confidence and overcome fear or aggression issues. We go at the dog’s pace and do not force them into situations they aren’t ready for. (In technical terms, we don’t use “flooding”)

All together, this approach will drastically improve your puppy’s behavior. They’ll bite less and listen to you more.

If any of that sounds daunting or made your eyes glaze over, don’t worry – we have a bunch of frameworks, exercises, and games in Puppy Survival School to show you exactly how to do all this. Our methods aren’t just puppy-friendly, they’re human-friendly, too.

We do not use: Aversives like spray bottles, scary noises, collar corrections or physical punishment. Because while those methods sometimes work to stop unwanted behavior in the short term, they often create worse behavior or even aggression in the long term, and make it harder to build a strong bond.

But if you’re already using aversive methods? No worries! When you join our program, we meet you where you’re at and we can help you gradually remove the need for those corrections.

So your pup’s breed is known for being stubborn, or sensitive, or extra clingy, or extra independent, or notoriously hard to train. 

Don’t worry. We got you. 

We’ve had the whole range of breeds come through our training programs:

Headstrong types like malamutes and huskies. Big tough German shepherds, malinois, Dobermans, and mastiffs.

Little guys like pomeranians, Chihuahuas, shih tzu, toy poodles. Enormous guys like Newfoundlands and Bernese mountain dogs.

Intense herding breeds like border collies, Aussies, and cattle dogs. All types of hunting dogs, from scenthounds to sighthounds. Pointers, setters, spaniels, beagles, terriers, Irish wolfhounds, etc.

A million pit bulls and pit mixes. Every variety of “doodle” and you can think of. Even unusual types like Greek village dogs and one bonafide, rare Chinook. 

Not to mention the whole range of personalities and temperaments:

Independent and “stubborn.” Clingy and affectionate. High energy and low energy. Fearless social butterflies and shy, fearful pups. Exuberant or sensitive.

Dogs who are obsessed with toys, and dogs who have zero interest in toys. Super food-motivated, and extremely picky eaters. 

Dogs who love training, and dogs who get easily frustrated with training. 

We have an overarching philosophy that works no matter the breed or personality.  And we recognize that different dogs require different approaches:

A Siberian husky probably won’t be motivated by the same things as border collie. A delicate little toy poodle has different needs than a Great Pyranees. If you have a shy puppy who’s afraid of strangers, you’ll need to prioritize different things than if you have a confident pup who loves everyone they meet. 

We’ve seen it all, and we’ve developed a methodology that can be adapted to fit the needs of any dog.

That’s up to you! This isn’t like a puppy class with a set schedule or end date. Work through the courses at your own pace.

There’s enough training material to guide you through at least the next three months of your puppy’s life. And then if you want, you can work on the other included courses to build on their training skills throughout their adolescence and adulthood.

The All-Access Pass is a monthly or annual membership. When you sign up, you’re covered for 30 or 365 days respectively, and then your membership will renew automatically unless you cancel.

Puppy Survival School consists of multiple self-study courses, each on a different puppy subject. When you sign up for an All-Access Pass, you’ll get immediate access to all of these courses (plus all of the other Academy courses and workshops) and you can proceed at your own pace. 

The course lessons are a combination of videos and written instructions. You can go back and rewatch previous lessons at any time.

You’ll also have access to our forums, where you can post questions for us and your fellow students to answer. You’re also invited to our twice-monthly live Q&A/group coaching sessions on Zoom, where you can get tailored advice and commiserate with your fellow puppy parents.

(Don’t worry, my fellow introverts: there’s no pressure to participate on the Zoom calls! You can just sit back and listen in)

To access the courses and forums, you’ll sign in to 3LostDogsAcademy.com with the username and password that you create upon checkout. The site is accessible from any internet-enabled device, like your phone or computer.

When you join, there will be an orientation video to show you the ropes.

G’day mate! Half of the team here (Erin) is Australian, so we feel your pain. We know you’re used to Northern Hemispherians forgetting you exist and scheduling things while you’re sleeping. Rude.

First of all, no matter why you can’t attend, you can still get your questions answered on the live Q&A. Just post your question in the “Q&A Questions” forum, we’ll answer it on the call, and you can watch the recording later.

Second of all, starting in February 2025, we’ll begin holding one of the monthly Zooms at a more Aus/NZ-friendly time. Somewhere between 11am-1pm your time.

Nope. We, too, hate subscription services that make you do things like fill out a form, print it, bury it in a crossroads at midnight and then wait two weeks for them to consider your request.

To cancel, just go to “view/edit membership” in the navigation menu, and hit the cancel button. You’ll have access to the Academy for the remainder of the subscription period, and then it won’t renew.

Sure! Send an email to contact@3lostdogs.com and I will personally get back to you. – Jake