Two months, with the “clock” starting the day of your first Zoom session.

There’s no registration deadline at this point – it’ll depend on how long it takes to fill up all the spots.

Since this is a one-on-one program, not a group program, there’s no specific start date. A couple people have already gotten started. When you join, you can pick any start date within two weeks of registration.

Nope! You’ll get the exact same experience, and fully customized plan, as clients in our standard program. You just won’t pay as much for it.

We recognize that puppy parents are often stressed out, tired, and full of complicated emotions. And you’re having a hard time juggling all the things as it is, even without adding a camera to the mix!

We’ll work with you to make sure the filming thing is as easy and non-intrusive as possible.

You won’t have to film anything extra than what we ask of clients in our standard coaching program. Clients record some of their training sessions so we can check their form, and determine when they’re ready to “level up.”

Not necessarily every training session – speaking from personal experience, that gets tedious. Just enough so we can follow along and get a sense of how it’s going.

We also sometimes ask them to film clips of playtime, walks, interactions with other pets, and any “weird” body language the client isn’t sure about. This helps us get to know their dog and pick up on any potential warning signs the client didn’t notice.

What we’ll use your footage for: 

Tutorials and other educational content in the Academy. We may also use it for promotional purposes on our websites and social media. We’re protective of our clients and we always showcase their videos with respect and discretion.

It’s up to you how much credit or anonymity you want.

The faces/identifying features of any children who appear in the videos will be obscured. If you want, we’ll do the same for adults as well.

Yep! So far we’ve had clients from the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, and Spain. The time difference has never been much of an issue.

We understand. Times are tough, and we don’t want cost to be a barrier if you and your pup are a good fit for the program. We have a limited number of scholarship spots available at an additional discount. Let us know in your application, in the last box that says “do you have any questions for us?” and we’ll work something out.

There’s no strict age limit. We’re mostly, but not only, looking for puppies under the age of six months.

Many older puppies are eligible too, depending on their specific needs. In older puppies, there are some behavior challenges that are beyond the scope of this project.

It’ll be a case-by-case basis, so fill out an application and we’ll let you know what we think.

That’s something we’ll determine at your first Zoom session. It largely depends on the type of behavior issue we’re working on, and your unique learning style.

Some people do best training their dog on camera, and getting live demonstrations and immediate feedback from us (just like what would happen at an in-person coaching session).

Others prefer to spend the Zoom sessions just talking through their current challenges, troubleshooting, taking notes, and discussing the next step. They can then work through their training homework on their own and send us the footage later.

Most of our puppy clients find this initial two-month program is enough to get them on track, but you’re welcome to continue if you’d like.

If you’re dealing with complex issues like food aggression or aggression between your dogs, two months is a good start but it won’t be enough to completely resolve it.

Additional coaching packages can be purchased at the same reduced rate later on.

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’ll break this down into easy steps and 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.

Of course. In fact, we encourage it. Everyone can attend the coaching sessions and work through the online courses we recommend as part of your training homework.

For the Text a Trainer service, we’ll set up a Whatsapp group chat and any family/household members age 18+ can be added, so they can ask us questions directly and submit training homework as well.

Sure!  The most efficient way to do that is to just fill out the application, because we’ll need that information to to answer your questions anyway. There’s no pressure or obligation to join after applying.

But you’re also welcome to email us at contact@3lostdogs.com