Reframing & Redirecting Workshop

 

Reframing & Redirecting Behavior 

Live Workshop Invite

Is Your Dog’s Behavior Confusing You? Let’s Turn Struggles Into Strengths!

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “Why does my dog do that?!” 

Barking, lunging, jumping, or freezing; it can feel like our dogs are acting out on purpose. But here’s the truth: behavior is never random. It’s communication. And when we understand what our dogs are really telling us, we can help them feel safe, calm, and confident and enjoy life together.

That’s why I’m excited to invite you to our live workshop: Reframing & Redirecting Behavior, part of our February Focus on Behaviors theme in the Turning Struggles Into Strengths Workshop Series.

Put this workshop on your calendar!

February 3rd

11AM Central Time

Reserve you FREE Space Today!

In our live workshop, we’ll teach you how to reframe your dog’s behavior, understand their emotions, and redirect them in a supportive way.

Behavior is communication. Barking, lunging, or “ignoring” you doesn’t mean your dog is bad, it means they’re trying to tell you something.

We can look at that behavior as the problem that needs correcting, or we can look at that behavior as communication that tells us to support our dog, redirecting them to more of the behaviors we love.

In this workshop we will cover:

• Why reframing the behavior matters.

• Where reinforcement often fails.

• How redirecting in the right way is most effective.

Let’s stop feeling frustrated and start feeling connected!

This is your chance to step off the “punishment treadmill” and start seeing behavior as information instead of a problem. By the end, you’ll walk away with a clear plan for reframing one challenge—and the tools to start helping your dog feel safe and understood.

Sign Up for the Live Workshop Now

Why Reframing Behavior Matters (and How It Changes Everything)

When a dog’s behavior feels challenging, it’s easy to label it as the problem.

• The barking is the problem. 
• The lunging is the problem. T
• he jumping, pulling, ignoring cues… that’s the problem.

When Behavior Becomes “The Problem”
When our focus is on stopping behavior, we often miss what’s actually creating it.

Behavior Is a Symptom, Not the Root Cause.

Lunging might be a request for distance.

Freezing might be confusion or overwhelm.

“Crazy” adolescent behavior might be a nervous system that hasn’t learned regulation yet.

How Reframing Changes the Conversation

It softens frustration and opens the door to understanding.
It slows us down just enough to see the why behind the behavior. As dog owners, we move from fixing the behavior to understanding the behavior which changes the outcome to one of support.

If overwhelm is the cause, we can reduce pressure and expectations.

If lack of skills is the issue, we can teach—rather than correct.

Reframing Leads to a Plan (Not Just Hope)! With a plan w focus on teaching, “Here’s how to handle this situation.” We can turn struggles into strengths when we realize our dog is communicating with us and we begin to communicate back in a way they can understand. By addressing the root cause of the behavior, we can begin to change the emotions behind the behavior and create lasting change; not just a quick fix.

When behavior is framed as a problem, something subtle, but powerful, happens next. We start looking for a way to fix it. Fast.

Viewing behavior as a problem often brings along some unhelpful companions:

• Blame: “My dog knows better.” 
• Resentment: “Why does this keep happening?” 
• Urgency: “I need this to stop now.”

This mindset makes total sense. Living with challenging behavior is exhausting, embarrassing, and emotionally draining. Of course we want it to stop. But here’s the catch, that’s when progress stalls.

Behavior doesn’t come out of nowhere. It’s a response to emotion, environment, and past experience. Barking might be rooted in fear or uncertainty but when we treat behavior as the problem, we’re addressing the symptom,not the cause. And symptoms have a frustrating habit of coming back… sometimes louder than before.

Reframing behavior means shifting from:

“How do I make this stop?”

to:

“What is my dog experiencing right now?”

This shift removes blame and replaces it with curiosity. Instead of reacting to what we see on the outside, we start considering what’s happening on the inside and that’s where real change begins! When behavior is no longer the enemy, we stop fighting our dog and start supporting them.

Reframing leads us to ask better questions:

• Is this environment too much right now? 
• Does my dog have the skills they need here?
• Are they feeling safe, confused, excited, or overwhelmed?

These questions don’t excuse behavior, but they explain it and gives us direction. Once we understand the root cause of a behavior, we can actually influence the outcome. 

If fear is driving the behavior, we can increase distance and predictability. Instead of repeatedly reacting to the same struggle, we begin changing the conditions that create it.

That’s when behavior starts to shift; naturally and sustainably.

One of the most powerful outcomes of reframing is clarity. When we understand why a behavior is happening, we can create a plan that supports the dog emotionally, teaches them what to do instead, and builds skills they can use in real-life situations. This is where redirection shines; not as distraction, but as education.

We’re no longer saying, “Don’t do that.”

And that’s how dogs learn.

Challenging behavior doesn’t mean you’re failing. When we stop seeing behavior as a problem to fix and start seeing it as information to understand, everything changes:

• The relationship softens 
• The plan becomes clearer 
• Progress feels possible again

Reframing behavior isn’t about lowering standards or ignoring challenges. Ignoring behavior never fixes the problem, it only makes things worse. But when we change the cause, the outcome takes care of itself.

Learn how to start reframing your dog's behavior and how to use redirection that actually works by joining us on February 6th for the Reframing & Redirecting Workshop!

Sign up today as FREE spaces are limited!

You're not alone in your dog training struggles!

Let’s turn those daily struggles into strengths together!

Planning CAKES2

 Planning for Success the CAKES Way (Part 2)

Flexibility, Connection, and Defining Success on Your Terms

In Part 1, we explored how Compassion, Awareness, Knowledge, Empathy, and Support create the foundation for training plans that don’t collapse under real life.

But even with a strong foundation, many dog owners still wonder:
What does it look like to actually live inside a plan long-term?

This is where planning moves beyond theory and into sustainability.

Plans Should Flex, Not Break

One of the biggest myths in dog training is that consistency means rigidity.

In reality, rigid plans are the first to fail.

Life shifts. Schedules change. Energy levels fluctuate; for both humans and dogs. When a plan doesn’t bend, it breaks, often leaving owners feeling like they’ve “ruined” everything.

Flexible planning means recognizing that consistency lives in patterns, not perfection. Training that adapts to real life lasts longer and builds more reliable skills than training that demands ideal conditions.

A plan that survives imperfect days is a plan worth keeping.

Training Is a Relationship, Not a Checklist

Many owners measure success by what their dog can do on cue.

But dogs don’t experience training as a checklist; they experience it as a relationship.

When training is built around connection, dogs learn that their human is a source of safety, guidance, and predictability. That emotional foundation is what allows skills to hold up under stress later on.

If training feels tense or transactional, something important is missing. Connection isn’t a bonus, it’s the glue that holds the plan together.

Slow Progress Is Stable Progress

Another reason owners abandon plans is because progress doesn’t look the way they expected.

There are plateaus. Backslides. Sudden regressions that feel discouraging.

But slow progress isn’t wasted progress.

Skills built with emotional stability are far more durable than skills rushed through pressure. Dogs who are allowed to learn at their pace develop confidence instead of compliance and confidence doesn’t disappear when the environment gets harder.

Stability takes time. That’s not failure. That’s biology.

You Are Allowed to Change the Plan

Many owners stay stuck in plans that clearly aren’t working because they fear that changing course means giving up.

It doesn’t.

Adapting a plan is a sign of learning, not quitting.

As dogs grow, mature, and move through developmental stages, their needs change. A plan that worked three months ago may no longer fit the dog in front of you today.

Planning for success means being willing to reassess, adjust, and refine without guilt.

Success Looks Different for Every Team

Comparison quietly destroys confidence.

When owners measure their progress against other dogs, other timelines, or social media highlight reels, they lose sight of their own growth.

Success isn’t universal. It’s personal.

For one team, success is calm walks.
For another, it’s emotional recovery after stress.
For another, it’s rebuilding trust after fear.

The most successful plans are the ones aligned with the dog’s needs and the owner’s life.

The CAKES Takeaway: Sustainable Plans Are Human Plans

Planning for success doesn’t mean controlling every outcome.

It means building plans that:

• Adapt to change

• Prioritize emotional safety

• Strengthen connection

• Allow room for growth

• Support both ends of the leash

When training plans honor real life, they stop feeling like obligations and start feeling like support systems.

And that’s where lasting change happens.

Reflection for the Reader

Take a moment to consider:

• Where has rigidity made training harder?

• What part of your plan could benefit from more flexibility?

• How are you defining success right now and is it serving you?

Small adjustments, made with intention, can shift everything.

HFDFS Mini-Class

 A Better Starting Point for Fearful Dogs

If you’re living with a fearful or reactive dog, you already know how heavy it can feel.

You head out for a walk hoping for a calm moment together… and instead you’re scanning the environment, bracing for reactions, and wondering if today will be better or worse than yesterday. You’re trying to do the right thing, but so much of the advice out there feels conflicting, overwhelming, or simply not built for your dog.

Have you’ve ever wondered, “Am I making this worse?”  You’re not alone!

Fearful Dogs Aren’t “Bad” Dogs

Fearful and reactive behavior isn’t about stubbornness or disobedience. It’s often a sign that the environment is asking more than a dog can handle in that moment. Too much noise. Too much movement. Too many expectations layered on top of a nervous system that’s already working overtime.

Most dogs don’t need more pressure or stricter rules.
They need help feeling safe enough to learn.

Why I Created the Helping Fearful Dogs Mini-Class

Over the years, I’ve seen how often well-meaning dog owners are told to “just keep going,” “push through it,” or “expose them more.” And while those approaches might work for some dogs, they can backfire badly for fearful ones.

I created the Helping Fearful Dogs Mini-Class to give dog owners a better starting point; one that focuses on understanding, safety, and support instead of forcing progress.

This mini-class is designed to help you slow down, observe what your dog is actually experiencing, and make choices that help them process the world more successfully.

What You’ll Learn Inside the Mini-Class

This is a self-paced course that walks you through the foundations of supporting a fearful dog in real-life environments.

Inside, we cover topics like:

• The difference between fear, overwhelm, and reactivity

• How environments impact behavior more than most people realize

• What canine sensory overload looks like (and how to spot it early)

• How to reduce pressure during walks with strategies like the Go Nowhere Walk

• How to choose training environments that support learning instead of sabotaging it

• Confidence-building activities like parkour and nosework

• Helping dogs recover from stress instead of stacking it day after day

The goal isn’t perfection.
The goal is helping your dog feel safer and helping you feel more confident in how you’re supporting them.

Who This Mini-Class Is For

This mini-class is a great fit if:

• Your dog is fearful, sensitive, or easily overwhelmed

• Walks and outings feel stressful or unpredictable

• You want training that prioritizes emotional safety

• You’re tired of guessing and ready for a clearer plan

It’s not about quick fixes or suppressing behavior. It’s about building skills, trust, and resilience over time.

You Don’t Have to Fix Everything at Once

One of the biggest misconceptions about working with fearful dogs is that progress has to be fast to be meaningful. In reality, small, thoughtful changes often create the biggest shifts.

This mini-class is meant to meet you where you are and help you take the next right step for your dog.

If you’re ready to learn more and see if this feels like the right fit for you and your dog, you can explore the Helping Fearful Dogs Mini-Class here:  https://ypoflove.podia.com/hfdfs_mini-class

You’re not behind.
You’re not failing.
You’re learning how to support your dog in a way that truly helps them feel safe.