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 | Aug 19, 2024 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs, Separation Anxiety
Clients almost always ask “how long will this take to fix?” and I can never give them a concrete answer. I don’t have a crystal ball or a magic wand. I’m not hiding anything, in fact, I’m being completely transparent, unlike...
by Kate LaSala | Jun 24, 2024 | Dog Training, Separation Anxiety
I’ve written in the past about behavior regressions in areas like separation anxiety or house training. But occasionally new separation-related behavior issues pop up in dogs who have not previously displayed any separation issues. Sometimes this can be...
by Kate LaSala | Feb 12, 2024 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
This Valentine’s Day week, I am resharing one my popular posts about how to truly love a fearful dog. Often well-meaning but mistaken people tell others that fearful dogs “just need love” to get better. This is like telling someone with a fractured...
by Kate LaSala | Feb 5, 2024 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs, Separation Anxiety
Displacement behaviors are normal behaviors that are performed out of context and they can indicate if a dog is conflicted or anxious. I talk about them when I’m reviewing dog body language with clients, especially for fearful dogs or with my separation...
by Kate LaSala | Jan 15, 2024 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Separation Anxiety
Professional licensure is not required to call yourself a dog trainer in the US. If you’ve been around here a bit, you may have noticed a strong theme of transparency in my posts and on social media and you may have picked up on that already. Not only...
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 There’s a lot of bad, often wrong, outdated, information that is widely...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 | 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 | Jul 10, 2023 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Rescue Dogs, Separation Anxiety
When I have my initial consult with separation anxiety clients, most, if not all of them, have some misguided understanding or belief about separation anxiety. And with all the widely found information online and given from friends, it’s easy to see why...
by Kate LaSala | May 29, 2023 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Pet Loss & Grieving, Resource Guarding, Separation Anxiety
Let me first start this post with my standard disclaimer: I AM NOT A VET. But as a trainer who specializes in fear, aggression, reactivity and separation anxiety, I always ask clients about their dog’s medical history and I’m always scanning for...
