Helping Distracted & Fearful Dogs Workshops

Helping the Distracted Dog Workshop!

Register for a FREE Workshop!

Does your dog get so excited to make friends that they seem to lose their mind in the moment?

 🤪 Barking, lunging, jumping...sound familiar?

You might have a “Fizzy Dog” on your hands!

These are the pups who love life a little too much. They are so eager to meet people or dogs that they become over-aroused and struggle to self-regulate. Many adolescent dogs (6–24 months) fall into this category simply because they haven’t learned how to manage those big feelings yet.

✨ The tricky part? Fizzy and fearful dogs often look the same on the outside! Both can have big, loud reactions but their emotions underneath are different. Luckily, the path to helping them is similar: we focus on calm confidence, safety, and emotional regulation.

Our Helping Distracted Dogs Workshop is designed to help owners understand what’s really going on behind those over-the-top reactions and learn how to create training setups that make success possible.

💡You’ll learn:
✅ How to identify your dog’s triggers and thresholds
✅ Ways to use distance and environment for calmer walks
✅ How to turn distractions into opportunities for connection
✅ The first steps to setting up successful training sessions

🎓 This workshop is FREE for all dog owners. it’s a perfect intro to our Fearful & Fizzy Program and a great way to see if our training approach is a good fit for you and your pup!

Register for a FREE Patreon Membership to Watch this Workshop for Free!

🐾 Helping Fearful Dogs Feel Safe Workshop 💛

Has your dog ever suddenly overreacted; barking, lunging, or panicking at something in the environment? Maybe it’s a car pulling in the driveway, another dog on the trail, or that thunder that just won’t quit. These moments can catch us off guard, but here’s the truth: most dogs are fearful of something.

Register Here!

Some fears are easy to manage (like Azul’s funny fear of balloon animals 🎈). But others, like people, dogs, or unpredictable noises, require a more thoughtful approach.

✨ The key to helping fearful dogs isn’t about “fixing” their behavior. The is about helping them feel safe. Once they feel safe, learning and good manners naturally follow.

In the Helping Fearful Dogs Feel Safe Workshop, you’ll learn:

✅ Why your dog reacts the way they do

✅ How to create calm and safety in everyday moments

✅ Gentle training techniques to build confidence

✅ Ways to support your dog through fear-based triggers

If you’ve ever felt unsure how to help your dog through their fears, this is the perfect place to start. Together, we’ll build safety, trust, and connection; one calm moment at a time.

👉 Join the Helping Fearful Dogs Feel Safe Workshop today!

If you have any questions, email us at dogtraining@yooperpaws.com.

🐾 Connect with Us on Facebook!

At Yooper Paws, helping owners of fearful dogs isn’t just our purpose; it’s our passion. 

We believe no dog owner should have to struggle alone. Our Helping Fearful Dogs Feel Safe Facebook Group is a free, supportive community where you can:

✨ Ask questions and share your experiences

🎥 Get video feedback and training insights

📚 Search for helpful tips and past discussions

🌿 Connect with other compassionate dog owners

Join the Helping Fearful Dogs Facebook Group Here

🌟 Want to Go Deeper?  Join the Helping Fearful Dogs Club!

If you’re ready for more hands-on support and educational resources, check out our Helping Fearful Dogs Membership!

You’ll gain access to exclusive training materials, workshops, webinars, client case studies, and in-depth posts that help you build real-world confidence and success for your dog.

There ae 2 great ways to join via our monthly membership option on Patreon or the one-time payment for lifetime access to the Helping Fearful Dogs Collection.

👉 Choose your path and start helping your fearful dog feel safe today!

Slow Down, Notice, & Adjust

Noticing Needs November: Slow Down, Notice, and Adjust

Dog training is more than following a plan; it’s noticing the subtle messages your dog is giving you. Too often, we focus on what we want to achieve and overlook the small cues that tell us when our dog is struggling, bored, or overstimulated.

This November we are going to expand on our previous Noticing Needs November posts & a series we started in June on Micro-Signals, both of which are important for helping fearful dogs feel safe. On the Noticing Needs page you'll find posts from 2024 on Mistakes and 2023 on Wisphers, Screams & Singing - different ways to communicate with your dog. This year I plan to pull that all together with tips to slow down enough to hear what your dog is telling you, noticing when your dog has an unmet need, and making small changes that have lasting huge impacts on your dog's well-being.

Of course the really educational posts are going to be on Patreon in our membership tiers, but I'm not going to leave my blog and social media out of the fun. Here are some things we will be addressing during Noticing Needs November!

Common training struggles often come from not paying attention to these signals:

1️⃣ Distractions & Environments
Ever try recall at a busy park and your dog ignores you? Azul once ignored my cues because geese landed nearby; a distraction I hadn’t accounted for. The mistake wasn’t his; it was mine for misjudging the environment. Noticing distractions and adjusting the plan is key.

2️⃣ Pushing Too Far or Too Long
Whether it’s mat training, heel work, or walks with multiple cues, dogs have limits. If a session is too long, too repetitive, or too demanding, your dog may stop participating, leave the mat, or show frustration. Early signals like yawning, stretching, or loose attention are your green light to adjust or end the session.

3️⃣ Choosing the Wrong Reinforcement
Reinforcement isn’t one-size-fits-all. Sometimes low-value treats are enough; other times, a high-value reward or a quick game is needed. For example, Azul loves to tug on his longline after a sniff-a-bout. It helps him transition by releasing his last minute zoomies before switching  to calm as we go inside.

4️⃣ Misreading Behavior
Dogs show us what they need in subtle ways. Cam would opt out of retrieves when frustrated; Azul lets me know food reinforcement isn’t motivating him at the moment. Belle gets more vocal when she is struggling with something in the environment. Ignoring these signals can turn a productive session into a negative experience, hurting confidence, impacting teamwork, sometimes even spoiling food or reducing it’s value.

5️⃣ Overlooking the End of a Session
Ending on a positive note isn’t just about stopping when the behavior is correct. It’s about leaving your dog engaged, happy, and confident. A clear “End of Session” cue like All Done! or a playful tug game can help your dog transition smoothly and learn that training is fun, not stressful.

The Takeaway:
Slow down. Watch. Listen. Adjust. Every yawn, tail wag, or sigh is feedback. By noticing what your dog is showing you, you can:

 ✨ End sessions positively
✨ Keep reinforcement motivating
✨ Respect your dog’s limits
✨ Build confidence and focus

Training isn’t a race, it’s a conversation. And the better we notice our dogs’ needs, the stronger our bond grows. 💛

Be sure you are following our social media sites. You can find links to all of our free social media on the Yooper Paws Home Page!  If you are looking for a bit of info about some of the more advanced resources we have available this month, check out our bio-site. This gets updated every month with links to the most valuable support available.