by Kate LaSala | Apr 18, 2022 | Dog Training, Dogs and Babies and Kids, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
You want to know what makes me weep? When I see people, often well-meaning but grossly mistaken, telling others that their fearful dog “just needs love” to get better. This is akin to telling someone with a fractured leg that they just need love to heal...
by Kate LaSala | Apr 4, 2022 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs, Separation Anxiety
If you’ve ever exercised a lot or trained for a big event, you’re familiar with interval 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...
by Kate LaSala | Mar 7, 2022 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs, Resource Guarding
Are you ready to set you and your dog up for successful training sessions? Here’s 5 secrets to help make your training sessions the most effective and efficient they can be. Keep your sessions short. For basic skills, try to train in 10-15 minute blocks....
by Kate LaSala | Feb 28, 2022 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
When you have a dog who is afraid of stranger and leash reactive, it can make walks and just living your life, very challenging. It’s embarrassing, disruptive and in some cases, possibly dangerous. But there are things we can do in the course of training...
by Kate LaSala | Feb 14, 2022 | Dog Training, Puppy Training
Puppies are hard work. They’re usually harder than people anticipate and that’s assuming you have a well-bred, generally problem free puppy. I’ve had puppy clients with severe fear issues and I’ve had puppy clients with medical issues...
by Kate LaSala | Feb 7, 2022 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Separation Anxiety
If you’ve been here a while, you know I’m a huge advocate for evidence based training, continuing education and debunking myths that can be harmful or misleading. In all my work with rescues and shelters, every single one has ascribed to the myth of...
by Kate LaSala | Jan 31, 2022 | Dog Training, Dogs and Babies and Kids, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
FEAR IS NOT DISOBEDIENCE. Yes, I’m screaming. If I could reach my rooftop I’d scream this from there. As someone who specializes in fear and aggression cases, so often I come across clients who are frustrated with their dog “not...
by Kate LaSala | Jan 24, 2022 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
“I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.” -Maya Angelou This is Bandit. He was my first dog as an adult, long before I was a certified and highly credentialed trainer and behavior consultant. While he wasn’t the...
by Kate LaSala | Nov 22, 2021 | Dog Training, Dogs and Babies and Kids, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Pet Loss & Grieving, Rescue Dogs
During this week of Thanksgiving and Barbo’s recent medical situation, I’m reflecting on the many things I’m thankful for and that includes all of you. Today I am thankful for dogs, not just my own, but all of my clients, that I get to know...
by Kate LaSala | Oct 11, 2021 | Dog Training, Puppy Training
This is probably one of my most asked questions from clients. And if it’s not that, they’re telling me “But, my dog isn’t food motivated.” I understand – having food on you all the time is annoying! But more often than the...