by Kate LaSala | Sep 30, 2024 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
If I asked most dog guardians if they liked their dog, they’d quickly reply something like “Of course, I love my dog!” But loving your dog isn’t the same as liking your dog. Love and like are different psychological experiences, so...
by Kate LaSala | Sep 23, 2024 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
If you have a new dog and are online, you’ve no doubt come across the 3-3-3 rule for new dogs. This idea and various graphics of it circulate often, making the rounds on social media. I am unsure of the origin of this rule, but I suspect it started in the...
by Kate LaSala | May 13, 2024 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Dogs and Babies and Kids, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Puppy Training, Rescue Dogs, Resource Guarding, Separation Anxiety
I’ve previously written about the fallout effects specifically of shock collars. But I wanted to more broadly touch on our regular interactions with our dogs, especially puppies in their critical socialization window, and why things like clamping a...
by Kate LaSala | Mar 11, 2024 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
Today I’m sharing a post I wrote for Pets and Their People, a resource dedicated to pet owners, provided by the Pet Professional Guild, which is a force-free organization that I’m proud to be a member of. I am also a committee member of their...
by Kate LaSala | Feb 19, 2024 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
This might surprise you, but I think teaching a dog to sit is one of the the skills your dog really doesn’t need. Now hold on, hear me out before you hate me. It might be convenient but it’s not essential. It’s not a life or death skill, like...
by Kate LaSala | Jan 8, 2024 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
I believe all my clients are well intentioned, even if they have been misguided or given bad information. It’s a symptom of this unregulated industry we call dog training. There’s a lot of bad, often wrong, outdated, information that is widely...
by Kate LaSala | Oct 30, 2023 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
With Halloween this week and Christmas right around the corner, it’s a good time to remind people that Scared Dogs Aren’t Funny. Social media posts, usually videos, of clearly scared dogs and people laughing at them make me sad. Dogs startling at lawn...
by Kate LaSala | Sep 25, 2023 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Puppy Training, Rescue Dogs, Resource Guarding, Separation Anxiety
I’ve previously written about 5 Myths About Shock Collars and have my free download 3 Reasons Not To Use A Shock Collar. I talk more about why not to use these tools, take a deeper dive into regulation and give you citations to research if you’d...
by Kate LaSala | Sep 11, 2023 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
A few times a year I get called in on cases of two female housemates having aggression issues. Often these dogs have lived together for a while, with sort of normal, predictable fights over resources like food, toys, resting spots or attention. But then the fights get...
by Kate LaSala | Aug 28, 2023 | 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...
