by Kate LaSala | Jul 17, 2023 | Dog Training, Puppy Training, Resource Guarding
I’ve written in the past about resource guarding prevention, and what to do if you have a puppy or a new dog who doesn’t resource guard and how to help teach them that people approaching is good, not threatening. You can see that post and videos...
by Kate LaSala | Jul 3, 2023 | Dog Training, Puppy Training, Rescue Dogs
Bringing home a new dog, whether a puppy or an adult, is exciting. But, if you have a resident dog already, you may be a little anxious about the best way to introduce them and how to make things go as smoothly as possible. It’s up to us to set both your new and...
by Kate LaSala | Jun 26, 2023 | Dog Training, Dogs and Babies and Kids
We all love our dogs and we want to show them how much we love them. One of the most common bits of information I deliver to clients is that most dogs don’t like to be hugged or kissed. It’s a hard conversation to have and it often shatters them. They...
by Kate LaSala | Jun 12, 2023 | Dog Training, Dogs and Babies and Kids
As a licensed Family Paws Parent Educator and a certified behavior consultant whose speciality is fear and aggression, I work with a lot of families with dogs and kids. Some contact me ahead of time, to help prepare their dog, or address concerns before the baby...
by Kate LaSala | Jun 5, 2023 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity
Understanding how to read your dog’s communication is the single most important thing you can to improve your relationship with your dog. This is probably why one of my most popular free downloads is my infographic on dog communication. If you missed it, you...
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...
by Kate LaSala | May 22, 2023 | Dog Training, Resource Guarding
Over the years I’ve had clients come to me sheepishly asking for help because their dog doesn’t like when they are getting intimate or showing affection like handshakes, hugging or kissing with other humans. And kudos for them being brave enough to...
by Kate LaSala | May 8, 2023 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
People mean well. I know they do, but there’s many old ways of interacting with dogs that we were once thought to be the right way, but aren’t. One of these myths is that when we meet a dog we should present our hand “for them to sniff.”...
by Kate LaSala | May 1, 2023 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
Full disclosure, I have a strong bias against big dogs playing with and living with small dogs. There, I said it. Sure, many big and small dogs successfully do play or live together, but for me, the risk of something going wrong, just isn’t worth it. Many...
by Kate LaSala | Mar 20, 2023 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
Just like humans, dogs go through different stages of development over time, both physical, emotional and social. Every stage has its special moments. Puppies turn into uncoordinated juveniles testing boundaries then into unruly teenagers and then finally...
