The Story of Azul - SD Handler Symposium

  I'm super excited to be a part of the first ever Service Dog Symposium!

I’ll be sharing a deeply personal part of my journey with my Rockstar Service Dog, Azul—how his health struggles changed everything for us, and how I coped as a disabled person who relies on a service dog for multiple daily tasks. This isn’t just a presentation—it’s an emotional, vulnerable look at the guilt, grief, and sense of failure I felt when I had to start leaving him home.

For the first 3.5 years of his life, Azul and I did everything together. We were a team in every sense of the word. But then one health issue led to another, and gradually, his ability—and even his desire—to work started slipping away.

When he was no longer by my side every day, we had to find new ways to connect. His sense of smell, once one of his greatest strengths, was impacted by illness. He stopped enjoying scent work, and his medical alerts faded. Still, Azul loves a good sniff-a-bout—but that alone wasn’t enough for either of us.

At the Service Dog Handler Symposium, I’ll be sharing how we rebuilt our bond beyond the working partnership, and what it means to love and support your service dog even when everything changes.

I hope you’ll join us to hear the rest of our story. 💙

Save the Date!

Crazy2Calm Canine Coaches proudly present the very first
Service Dog Handler Symposium
June 19th – 22nd, 2025

We're thrilled to announce an incredible virtual gathering for the service dog community! Starting June 19th, an international team of Canine Coaches, Behavior Consultants, Dog Trainers, and Service Dog Handlers will come together for a groundbreaking event: the SD Handler Symposium.

This four-day experience is designed to foster connection, spark conversation, and address the unique challenges service dog teams face. It’s a meeting of minds, hearts, and hands—all working toward more compassionate, effective support for SD teams everywhere.

What to Expect Each Day:

• 2–3 pre-recorded training sessions delivered straight to your inbox
  
  

• A live Zoom panel discussion led by experienced professionals and handlers
  
  

Mark Your Calendar for the Live Panels
(All times are in Central Daylight Time / Chicago)

• June 19th @ 6 PM – Emotional Challenges in Your SD Journey
  
  

• June 20th @ 11 AM – Extra Welfare Needs SD Teams Experience
  
  

• June 21st @ 11 AM – Let’s Talk About the Ethics Behind Your Decisions
  
  

• June 22nd @ 6 PM – Training Tips that Build Teamwork

Sign up here!

Register before June 5th to receive a free SD Handler Symposium Workbook to take notes during the conference.

Join us as we strive to create a SD Community with a TEAM Foundation

Teach - Engage - Adapt - Motivate

First Session Info

What to Expect During Your First Session with

Yooper Paws of Love

At Yooper Paws of Love, our mission is simple: to provide compassionate, effective training with love for you and your 4-legged best friend.

As your trainer, I’m here to help you build a strong, communicative relationship with your dog. My approach is centered around teaching you how to better engage with your dog, so together, you can confidently work toward your goals using positive motivation and teamwork. I truly believe every dog and handler can become the perfect team with the right guidance and support.

Before Your First Session

Before we even meet in person, we'll connect—via phone, email, or messenger—to discuss a few important things:

• Why you're seeking training
  
  

• What methods I use (spoiler alert: they’re all positive!)
  
  

• And what tools you'll bring to your first session
  
  

Many of my clients are working on Service Dog foundations, while others are navigating challenges with fearful or reactive dogs. No matter your goals, you can count on a kind, science-based approach that avoids punishment and focuses on setting your dog up for success.

We'll use reinforcers your dog loves—like treats, toys, or praise—to encourage the behaviors you want to see more of. Tools should always be safe and comfortable, and I’ll usually recommend a harness with both front and back clips, a flat collar, and a standard 6-foot leash. In some cases, a head halter or martingale collar may be suggested for safety.

⚠️ Please note: I do not work with dogs wearing tools designed to issue corrections—such as choke chains, prong collars, or e-collars. This is non-negotiable, as it’s not compatible with the teamwork-based, force-free methods I teach. If you're currently using a corrective collar, I’ll be happy to let you try one of my harnesses during your first session before making any purchases.

---

When You Arrive

Your first session will be held at:

Yooper Paws Training Center
611 N Hooper St.
Kingsford, MI 49802

We share the building with other businesses, but finding us is easy—we’re in the section closest to the road. Use the door on the far right and head up the ramp. There’s a grassy area nearby if your pup needs a potty break before coming in.

Once inside, you’ll notice I’ve set up some treats, toys, and enrichment games for your dog to explore. This initial “settling in” time helps your dog acclimate while I quietly observe—watching how they respond to the environment, me, and you.

---

Observation = Understanding

This first session is all about getting to know both of you. That means listening—to your concerns, your dog’s body language, and the dynamics of your partnership.

If your dog is fearful or reactive, I’ll start behind a gate to ensure they feel safe. If there's a bite risk, just let me know in advance so I can put extra safety measures in place.

My goal here is not to judge—it’s to gather valuable insights so I can provide the most helpful, customized guidance possible. If your dog already has a solid sit-stay or focus behavior, there’s no need to start from scratch. I want to meet you where you are and build from there.

Depending on your dog’s comfort level, I may approach slowly or offer treats from a distance. Every dog is different—some may warm up to me right away, while others may need more time. Either way, that’s perfectly okay.

---

Creating Your Training Plan

After the initial observation period, we’ll sit down and dive deeper into your training goals and challenges. Together, we’ll come up with a customized training plan for moving forward.

You’re always welcome to request this plan in writing—we want to make sure you feel clear and supported every step of the way.

🔹 First Session Cost: $150 for a 90-minute evaluation and planning session

---

What Comes Next?

Following your first session, we’ll talk about your options for continued support:

• Private Sessions: $75 each
• 6-Session Package: $300 
• 10-Session Package:$450
• Scheduling: Weekly or biweekly—your choice, based on your needs and availability

Depending on your goals, we may also suggest group activities like:

• Nosework Club
• Group Walks
• Mini-Sessions with other teams

We address everything from fearful behaviors (like barking, lunging, or nipping) to high-energy dogs who struggle with distractions or have over-the-top greetings. We also work with teams training for Service Dog work, Therapy Dog prep, or other advanced manners.

And yes—we can definitely help with common household challenges too: counter surfing, leash pulling, resource guarding, and more.

Let’s Get Started!

If you’re ready to schedule your first session, you can do so here:

https://calendly.com/yooperpaws/first_session

Still have questions? I’m just an email away!
📧 yooperpaws@gmail.com

---

With love and tail wags,
Yooper Paws of Love
Where training happens through trust, teamwork, and lots of treats. 🐾

Enrichment for Behaviors

Enrichment to Enhance Your Dog's Life

Not all dogs find the same things enriching. But how can we know what our dogs find most enriching?

First lets figure out what the difference is between reinforcement and enrichment. As dog owners, we use reinforcement to reward our dogs for the behaviors we like. Enrichment is not meant to be a reward but more of a way to meet our dog's natural instinct needs from day to day. Dog Trainers & Behavior Consultants from around the world have pretty much agreed that enrichment activities should into these criteria.

Enrichment should...

• be an activity that has interaction between the participants.
• effect the response a dog has to a particular action.
• lead to evidence based, behavior changes.
• be changing constantly.
• differ from dog to dog based on their needs.
• reliant on the evolution of learning experiences of the dog and human.

Sign up for a FREE Patreon Membership to receive the FREE Enrichment E-Book!

 "Enrichment for Behavior" Workshop!

Available on Patreon

In the Enrichment for Behavior Workshop we will be taking a look at enrichment and how it impacts our dog's behavior. This will be a deep dive into what makes "enrichment" enriching to our dogs, how individual dogs have different needs and how meeting our dog's needs can impact their behavior.

In March, Yooper Paws did a series of videos on simple enrichment activities using food. But what do you do if your dog doesn't enjoy food? 

Most dogs find sniffing to be enriching and that can make food more enjoyable. Some dogs love to hunt, some love to chase, some love to dig and so forth. Many owners know what their dog loves, but often struggle with ways to take that behavior the dog loves and use it in an enriching way that can then aid in training the behaviors you love.

We, as dog owners, don't always love our dogs doing the behaviors they love. Sometimes other people don't love our dog's behaviors. And sometimes other dogs & animals don't love our dog's behaviors. However as a Canine Coach I believe that it's not fair to our dogs to totally prevent them from doing the things they love. This would be like asking the artist not to paint or telling the musician they can't sing or play music. With a little bit of thought, we can find ways to let our dogs do the behaviors they love without causing problems for us, other people, or other animals.

Azul loves to watch or stare at other dogs but often other dogs do not appreciate this behavior. As Azul's human, I've struggled to find ways to allow him to do the staring he loves safely. With some trial and error, I've learned to work with this, giving Azul a chance to stare when it's safe and training a "look away" cue when staring isn't a good idea. I make sure that he has time to stare every day, meeting his needs to do the staring behavior. Then I can ask Azul to look away if his stare is causing stress to another animal.

When we meet the dog's needs and train the right behaviors, we can keep everyone feeling safe, calm, and happy!

   

Repetition Without Success: Why It’s Not Enough in Dog Training

Let’s pause and think about this simple but powerful idea:

Repetition without success is useless.

At first, that might sound a little harsh, but when it comes to dog training, it's absolutely true. Repeating a behavior over and over without progress doesn't lead to learning—it leads to frustration (for both you and your dog).

So let’s unpack that.

---

What Is Repetition in Dog Training?

Repetition is doing the same thing multiple times—asking your dog to “sit,” then “down,” then back to “sit.” Think of it like a cycle, sometimes even turning into a routine like “puppy push-ups.”

This type of repetition helps build muscle memory if it's paired with reinforcement. Reinforcement (treats, praise, or play) is how dogs understand which behaviors are worth repeating. Without it, repetition becomes noise instead of learning.

---

Why Reinforcement Must Evolve

We don’t want to reinforce “sit” every day for the rest of our dog’s life, right? At some point, we want that “sit” to evolve into something more—a polite greeting, part of a recall routine, or a step in learning heelwork. That’s where shaping comes in.

---

From Repetition to Shaping

Traditionally, shaping means waiting for your dog to offer a behavior (like stepping into heel position), then using a marker (like “yes” or a click) and reinforcing. The dog starts repeating that behavior to earn the reward.

But if we only reward the first baby step—like stepping into heel—and never ask for more, learning stops there. The behavior becomes stagnant.

Instead, shaping should look like this:

• Step into heel → treat.
  
  

• Step into heel + take one step with you → treat.
  
  

• Step into heel + walk a few steps + turn left → treat.
  
  

This progression builds toward your final goal while keeping your dog engaged.

---

Team-Based Shaping: A Better Way to Learn

While traditional shaping involves waiting for your dog to “guess right,” I prefer a team-based shaping approach. Instead of waiting and hoping, I use body language and movement cues to help guide the dog toward success.

For example:

• As your dog finishes a treat in heel position, pivot your body slightly in the direction you’ll walk next.
  
  

• This subtle cue helps them adjust naturally without confusion or repeated mistakes.
  
  

This type of communication helps build behaviors more quickly, with fewer boring repetitions of the same old thing.

---

When Repetition Does Matter: Generalization

Now, let’s talk about when repetition is essential—generalization.

Teaching a behavior like heel or stay is one thing. Getting your dog to do it in any environment is another. Dogs don’t automatically generalize behaviors from your kitchen to your front yard or the local pet store.

So here’s how to generalize:

1. Start simple. Teach in a quiet space.
   
   

2. Add low-level distractions. Another calm dog in the room, a friend nearby.
   
   

3. Change the location. Try the backyard, then the porch, then the driveway.
   
   

4. Go public. Practice during a walk, at a park, near a group of kids, or in a store.
   
   

Each time, your dog needs repetition in that specific environment to solidify the skill. This is where purposeful repetition becomes valuable.

---

Wrapping It Up: Quality Over Quantity

So, is repetition useless? Not entirely. But repetition without reinforcement or progress is.

Instead:

• Use shaping to guide your dog with clear body language.
  
  

• Keep them engaged with meaningful progression.
  
  

• Use repetition where it matters most—generalizing behaviors to real-world environments.
  
  

With smart training, your dog will learn faster, stay motivated, and carry those behaviors wherever life takes you.