by Kate LaSala | Oct 17, 2022 | Dog Training, Dogs and Babies and Kids, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
Confession time: I cringe when I see most videos online of dogs and kids. There, I said it. Why? Mostly because what people think is “cute” is really an uncomfortable dog asking for space. And that’s what I see but people aren’t aware of dog...
by Kate LaSala | Oct 3, 2022 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Resource Guarding, Separation Anxiety
I recently wrote about Using Non-Pharmaceutical “Calming” Supplements In Training so I thought it was a good time to revisit my original post on Behavioral Medication In Training and common myths that people have about medication, as part of this...
by Kate LaSala | Sep 5, 2022 | Dog Training, Dogs and Babies and Kids, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
Many people take personal offense if a dog doesn’t immediately warm up to them. I get it – it’s hard if you love dogs and want them to like you but they’re a little afraid. It’s hard not to take that personally. Of course some people may...
by Kate LaSala | Aug 29, 2022 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Resource Guarding, Separation Anxiety
Let me first start this post with my standard disclaimer: I AM NOT A VET. But as a trainer in the US who specializes in fear, aggression, reactivity and separation anxiety, I get asked a lot about medication and non-pharmaceutical interventions like calming...
by Kate LaSala | Aug 15, 2022 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs, Separation Anxiety
Often when I’m talking with clients, I can sense their frustration about their dog’s behavior issues. Living with a fearful or anxious dog is hard for owners. And it’s normal to want things to be resolved as quickly as possible. And I’ve...
by Kate LaSala | Aug 1, 2022 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Pet Loss & Grieving, Separation Anxiety
When you share your life with a dog struggling with fear, separation anxiety or are caring for a sick or senior dog, it’s easy to get so immersed in caring and protecting for them, that you push your own needs aside. This is a topic that comes up with...
by Kate LaSala | Jul 4, 2022 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs, Separation Anxiety
A while ago I wrote about the importance of interval training in dog training. This idea of mixing high intensity practices with periods of rest or easier practices is a concept encourage my clients to use when training their dogs, especially separation anxiety...
by Kate LaSala | Jun 20, 2022 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs, Separation Anxiety
If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur – Red Adair I love helping people and their dogs. My mission is to help people and their dogs live happier lives together. And I provide tons of freely...
by Kate LaSala | Jun 13, 2022 | Dog Training, Dogs and Babies and Kids, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
As I recently discussed, behavior is never random. And it’s also not a slippery slope. Dog-dog issues don’t predict dog-human issues or vice versa. There are plenty of dogs who are great with other dogs but who are afraid of strangers. Just as there are...
by Kate LaSala | Jun 6, 2022 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs, Separation Anxiety
Whenever I do an initial separation anxiety assessment or have my initial consult with behavior clients, they inevitably ask “how long will this take to fix?” and I can never give them a concrete answer. I’m not hiding anything, in fact,...