Stop the Big Behaviors!

The Little Things That Matter Most

How Micro-Signals & Connection Help Fearful Dogs Thrive

When we think about "challenging behavior" in dogs—barking, lunging, freezing, shutting down—it’s easy to focus on the moment things go big. But those behaviors don’t come out of nowhere.

They're the final chapter in a story your dog has been telling for a while. And if we tune in to the small stuff, the early signals & soft communication, we can start to change the whole narrative.

This blog is all about how to notice the whispers before the shout.

🐾 What Are Micro-Signals

Micro-signals are subtle body language cues your dog gives when they’re beginning to feel uncertain, overwhelmed, or uncomfortable. These are often missed because they don’t seem dramatic—but they’re rich with meaning.

Examples include:

• A quick head turn

• Lip licking or yawning (when not tired)

• Freezing in place

• Holding breath, panting suddenly stops, or a deep exhale

• Shifting weight away or a tail position that is opposite of their normal position 

• Dilated pupils, wide eyes, pinned ears

These are your dog’s early coping strategies. When we recognize them, we can respond with empathy instead of waiting for things to escalate.

Micro-signals are your dog saying, “This is getting hard for me.”

The Helping Fearful Dogs Email Club recently received an email on micro-signals!

Why Early Intervention Changes Everything

If we wait until the big behavior happens—like barking, growling, or hiding—we’ve already missed several steps where we could have helped. But when we respond to micro-signals, we tell our dogs:

“I see you. I hear you. You’re safe with me.”

By offering space, freedom to move away, or even just pausing to reassess, we stop challenging situations from becoming a full blown over reaction.

And here’s the truth:

• You won’t reinforce fear by comforting your dog.
• You won't add negative reinforcement to the situation.
• You will build trust by helping them regulate their emotions and/or arousal level before things get out of hand.

Early intervention will vary from situation to situation, but may include redirection, provide a distraction, or activate teamwork skills to avoid the bad.

The Turning Struggles Into Strengths Membership on Patreon recently learned about applying micro-signal observation to challenging behaviors.

🤝 The Power of the Hug (Even if It’s Not Literal)

Some dogs, when afraid or unsure, don’t try to run away or bark—they seek you.

They lean against your leg.
They hide behind you.
They rest a paw on your foot or nudge your hand.
They give you “that look” that says, “Please help me process this.”

This is what I call the Power of the Hug—and it’s one of the most overlooked tools we have.

When your fearful dog seeks connection, they’re not being needy.
They’re practicing emotional regulation through relationship.

Supporting this kind of connection doesn't mean holding your dog back or pushing them forward. It means offering them a calm place to pause, check in, and decide what to do next—with your help.

The Helping Fearful Dogs Membership on Patreon recently reviewed how Hugs Have Helped Lana!

📋 Track the Signs. Strengthen the Bond.

We are creating a simple Micro-Signal & Connection Tracker worksheet to help you recognize patterns in your dog’s communication.

This tool isn’t just for training—it’s for building trust, safety, and a stronger connection.

The Premium Planning Membership on Patreon has the opportunity for a free 30 min planning session to build this resource for future clients.

Support for You & Your Dog Starts Here

If this resonates with you, if you’ve got a sensitive pup who needs more support and more choice, you are not alone. Check out our Patreon Memberships to see what is right for you or send an email to our new address at dogtraining@yooperpaws.com figuring out the resources that are best for you!

Force-free. Dog-centered. Always listening.

What is Stopping You?

 What’s Stopping You from Training With Your Dog?

Let’s have an honest heart-to-heart. You love your dog. You want them to feel safe, calm, and happy. But something’s getting in the way of taking that next step—committing to a training plan, reaching out for help, or simply believing that things can get better.

You’re not alone. Here are three of the most common reasons people hesitate—and why it’s okay to feel this way.

1. "What if I do all this work and my dog still scares people?"

You’re worried that despite your best efforts, your dog will always bark at strangers, lunge at other dogs, or cower at every unexpected sound. That fear is so valid. Especially if you’ve already put in hours of training and still feel stuck.

But here’s the truth: Progress isn’t always linear. Sometimes it’s slow. Sometimes it’s invisible for a while. And sometimes it’s not about the end goal of having a “perfect” dog—it’s about building trust, communication, and resilience together.

Fearful dogs aren’t trying to be difficult. They’re overwhelmed. And every moment you spend showing them the world is a little safer than they thought—it counts.

Want some community support from other dog owners who get it?

Join the Helping Fearful Dogs Feel Safe Facebook Group

When working with fearful dogs, one of the most powerful lessons we can teach them is this: you’re allowed to move away from what scares you. Rather than reacting with barking, lunging, or other stress signals, dogs can learn that they have choices and that choosing space is always okay.

Too often, dog owners unknowingly force fearful dogs into uncomfortable situations. Whether it’s a stranger reaching out to pet them or being led too close to a trigger, these moments can intensify fear. Instead, our goal should be to support the dog’s emotional safety by empowering them with options.

At Crazy 2 Calm Canine Coaches we use the Trauma Informed approach to dog training using the training triangle taking care of the needs of the dog owner, the dog, and the trainer by working together.

2. "It’s going to take too long."

We live in a quick-fix world. When a behavior issue crops up, we want it solved yesterday. So it’s frustrating to hear that real progress—especially with fear-based or complex behaviors, might take weeks or even months.

But here's the shift: training isn’t a chore, it’s a relationship. It's learning to understand each other. It’s tiny wins—like a soft gaze, a relaxed body, a tail wag—in situations that used to be overwhelming.

And yes, it takes time. But so do all the best things in life.

What to learn how to develop Confidence in your dog?

Check out the Confidence Canines Collection on Patreon

Some trainers will promise you a quick fix! Try this tool or punish your dog for acting that way. At Yooper Paws of Love we don't make promises on the amount of time it takes to train your dog. That's because your dog is just as unique as you! Every human and dog team progresses at their own rate. Our goal is to help you learn how to make simple changes in your dog's day-to-day that set them (and you) up for success. Then we can look at teaching the dog to do more of the behaviors you love, naturally reducing the behaviors you would like to go away. Everything we do is based on teamwork!

3. "It’s my fault."

Maybe someone told you that you “spoiled” your dog. Or that you “let them get away with too much.” Maybe you’re blaming yourself for not starting sooner, or for making mistakes along the way.

Let’s stop right there: Guilt is a heavy weight to carry, and it doesn’t belong in your training journey.

Dogs aren't keeping score. They’re learning in the now. And you’re showing up now. That’s what matters.

We all know and have felt the judgement or the disapproving eye of another human who doesn't like the way we are training our dog, walking our dog, or doing enrichment activities with our dog. Even when sometimes the feeling of being judged is only in our mind. But here is the thing, we can't control what other people think any more than we can control what they do. So let's forget a moment that people can be cruel and instead focus on the kindness of those trying to help us.

What's most important to your dog is that you spend TIME with them. They can easily forget about the simple mistakes we make on any given day. What they remember is how we made them feel! And let's face it, that's what we remember most about our dogs too. So let's just spend a bit more time "feeling" together as a team.

Take a Breath!

Fearful dogs are not broken. They're not “bad,” and they’re not too far gone. They're sensitive, overwhelmed, and trying their best to navigate a confusing world.

With the right support—gentle, ethical, and relationship-centered support—they can build confidence. And so can you.

So... what’s stopping you?

Let’s make space for hope. Let’s take the first step—together.

Visit the "Fearful & Fizzy Dog Training" tab on our website to get started on the path to helping your dog.

FAD Family Pets - Adolescent Classes

  

FAD Family Pets Classes are scheduled as needed to support local clients with teaching their dog basic skills and manners. These classes are often divided into 3 categories:

• Beginner Adolescents - For dogs between the ages of 6-18 months old who did not complete a puppy class.
• Intermediate Adolescents - For dogs between the ages of 6-24 months old who completed the Pawsitively Puppy Class or Private Session Package.
• Advanced Community Activities - For dogs of any age that are working on expanding skills and manners at community events and pet friendly businesses.

All classes begin at the Yooper Paws Training Center and may move out into the community as needed.

We often mix and match clients of Yooper Paws & Pawsitively Pups for these classes based on the needs of the dogs attending. Trainers will often be a mix of Penny Beeman, Tammy Carlson, and Athena Grailer.

FAD Intermediate Class

During the summer the Intermediate Class takes place in the form of Group Walks so that we can practice the skills learned in puppy class and/or private sessions while enjoying some outside time.
Each week we will learn a new skill, a new game, a new form of enrichment, and how to apply reinforcement effectively. This allows for a more flexible schedule to accommodate weather, vacations, and summer holidays.

Beginner Group Walks are scheduled for Tuesdays & Thursdays at 6 PM & Saturday at 11 AM

Check out the Group Walks page and schedule directly with Penny each week.

Announcing the FAD Beginners Class for Small Dogs

The next FAD Family Pets Class is designed for small dogs under 25 lbs

begins on Monday, July 7th at 4PM

Yooper Paws Training Center

611 N. Hooper St. Kingsford, MI 49802

This class runs every week for 6 weeks for $200 per dog.

Adolescent dogs often struggle most with distractions that are beyond our control. This can be other people and/or dogs we meet while out on a walk, wild animals or pets that pop up unexpectedly, or any of a million other things that our dogs might react to. This class is designed to help teach your dog the value of focusing on their person more then the environment by using games to build up the reinforcement history. At the same time, owners will be learning about various positive reinforcement training techniques to train various behaviors they want their dogs to enjoy repeating.

Students should plan to arrive about 15 minutes prior to class and do a walk outside the building to help them calm down a little before entering class. Please keep your dog at a safe distance away from other dogs at this time and enter the building one at a time. Be prepared to clean up after your dog! Disposal bags will be available inside if needed.

To register fill out the form below or contact Penny Beeman & Tammy Carlson

This class will be limited to 8 students so please register ASAP and make your payment via PayPal or Venmo to reserve your spot in class.

If you prefer to pay in cash please email yooperpaws@gmail.com to make arrangements.

You will be contacted by one of our trainers within 48 hours of filling out this form.

If you are not contacted by a trainer, please reach out to yooperpaws@gmail.com for assistance.

Here is the PayPal link for payment: https://www.paypal.me/YooperPaws

Here is the Venmo link for payment: https://venmo.com/YooperPaws

Payments must be received to reserve your spot in class.