About Us

Welcome to Yooper Paws of Love

Positive, personalized dog training—done with love.

At Yooper Paws of Love, we believe every dog and human deserves a relationship built on trust, communication, and joy. We offer force-free, science-based training tailored to your unique needs whether you’re just starting out or fine-tuning advanced skills.

Email us at dogtraining@yooperpaws.com or join one of our great FB Groups

Our Training Philosophy

Training should never be one-size-fits-all. We create customized training plans that are:

✅ Motivation-based

✅ Game-filled and engaging

✅ Focused on building teamwork

✅ Designed around your dog and your lifestyle

Whether you're working on manners, fear based behaviors, or advanced public access skills, We are here to help you and your dog move forward together.

All training is based in modern behavior science, force-free philosophy, and lots of love.

Lead Trainer & Owner: Penny Beeman

Hi! I’m Penny, the heart behind Yooper Paws of Love. I’ve been working with dogs for over 30 years—starting with my own family pets, helping friends and rescues, and eventually training my own Service Dogs.

I’ve always believed in kindness, but over the last five years, I’ve fully embraced positive reinforcement and force-free methods to help families train their dogs in a way that’s respectful, fun, and effective.

I hold a certificate in Advanced Animal Behavior from ILLIS Animal Behavior Courses and  in Trauma Informed Dog Practioners from PawsUp Dogs.

Meet My Paws Partners: Azul & Belle

I’m joined by two incredible canine teammates:

Azul – My 5-year-old semi-retired Service Dog, who enjoys working with small dogs & puppies. He loves going out as a Therapy Dog to say hi to new friends.

Belle – My 1.5-year-old Service Dog, who assists newer learners with enthusiasm and curiosity, often helps fearful dogs by demonstrating calmness, and most importantly, takes care of me where ever we go. You'll see her doing medical alerts, retrieving items for me and helping to prevent falls with counterbalance and forward momentum pull tasks.

You’ll often find them at the Training Center or in virtual sessions, demonstrating skills and cheering on your progress.

Services I Offer

I specialize in large-breed working dogs and family companions. Common services include:

• Fear and reactivity support in the Helping Fearful & Fizzy Dogs programs
• Manners and foundational training for FAD Family Pets
• Public access preparation & evaluation for Service Dogs 
• Therapy Dog prep with assistance going through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs certification.

With a certificate in Advanced Animal Behaviors combined with nearly 30 years of experience, I am qualified to assist with a wide range of training needs. As a Certified Trauma Informed Dog Practitioner, I work towards providing a safe space for all sides of the trauma informed triangle including the dog, dog owner, and myself.

All of my training is done without the use of force, fear or intimidation sharing compassion, awareness, knowledge, and empathy with all individuals who walk through our doors.

I'm dedicated to teaching games based training created using scientific training methods relying on creating a reinforcement history for the behaviors we want our dogs to repeat and preventing accidental reinforcement of those not so desirable behaviors by implementing management strategies and setting everyone up for successful training sessions as a team.

Pawsitively Pups Partner: Tammy

Tammy has been in training in the Kingsford areas for years using positive reinforcement methods. Recently she has taken on the role of training for some of our group classes. Tammy specializes in:

• Pawsitively Puppy Classes
• Small Dog Adolescent Classes & Private Sessions
• Nosework Classes & Private Sessions
• AKC Testing for STAR Puppy, Canine Good Citizen Tests & Trick Dog Titles

Tammy is a long time member of Bay de Noc Kennel Club where she loves to compete in Nosework including attending AKC & UKC Competitions with her dogs and is now having fun with Agility Competitions too. Tammy & her husband share their house with a whole family of dogs including Katie, Colby, Oliver, Charlie, Oz, Angel, & MaDoogan. Angel is part of the Yooper Paws Therapy Dog Team and often assists with small dog lessons. MaDoogan is the baby of the family, currently assisting with puppy & adolescent classes as needed.

Email Tammy

Check out her YouTube Channel

Administrative Assistant: Athena

Athena started out in our Service Dog Mentor Program and loved Yooper Paws so much, she stuck around to help us out. She specializes in new client intakes & supporting online training platforms. She also does pretty much us we need! Athena & her family share their house with Hanna, Bo & Roz. Roz is part of the Yooper Paws Therapy Dog Team

Community Outreach

Yooper Paws of Love has 4 dogs (Azul, Belle, Angel, & Roz) who volunteer in our Therapy Dog Team as well as several other local Therapy Dogs that we work with.

You can find us monthly at the Dickinson County Library for the Bow Wows & Books Program—held every second Wednesday from 5–6 PM at the Main Branch in Iron Mountain & the last Wednesday at the Norway Branch from 5-6PM. Readers of all ages are welcome! Call 906-774-1218 to register.

We also offer presentations on Service and Therapy Dogs for schools, organizations, and businesses. 

Email us to schedule a visit from us!

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Ready to Get Started?

Whether you're nearby or prefer to work virtually, We’d love to meet you and your dog.

Let’s build the bond you’ve always dreamed of with love, clarity, and a wagging tail.

Sign up for a free 15 Min Discovery Call.

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