by Kate LaSala | Aug 10, 2026 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Puppy Training, Rescue Dogs, Separation Anxiety
If you have ever found yourself frustrated because your eight-week-old puppy will not stop biting at your hands, had an accident on the rug for the third time this week, or completely ignored you the moment another dog trotted by, you are not alone, and you are...
by Kate LaSala | Jul 27, 2026 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs, Separation Anxiety
Every single day, we ask our dogs to be something they were never designed to be. We ask them to be less dog. Walk on a leash and don’t pull, even though dogs naturally cover far more ground than any human. Don’t bark, even though barking is one of the...
by Kate LaSala | Jul 20, 2026 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs, Separation Anxiety
First, let me start by saying this post comes from a place of care and education, not judgment. Most people doing the things I’m about to describe love their dogs deeply but they may not know better. As I’ve written about before, love isn’t...
by Kate LaSala | Apr 6, 2026 | Dog Training, Dogs and Babies and Kids, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
Behavior is never random. It is also not a slippery slope. Dog-dog issues do not predict dog-human issues, and vice versa. There are plenty of dogs who are completely comfortable with other dogs but fearful of strangers. And there are plenty more who are warm...
by Kate LaSala | Dec 22, 2025 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
It’s that time of year when everyone starts to reflect back on the year and look ahead to next year. And I’m no different. I’ve done a version of this post every year for the last 6 years since I’ve been blogging, with lots of ups and...
by Kate LaSala | Oct 6, 2025 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Dogs and Babies and Kids, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Puppy Training, Rescue Dogs, Resource Guarding, Separation Anxiety
Today I want to take a closer look at the fallout effects of aversive training tools such as prong collars, shock collars, bark collars, electric fences, and noise aversives. These methods all have one thing in common: they rely on fear, pain, or intimidation...
by Kate LaSala | May 5, 2025 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Puppy Training, Rescue Dogs
I’ve previously written about 5 Myths About Shock Collars and have my free download 3 Reasons Not To Use A Shock Collar where I talk more about why not to use these tools, take a deeper dive into regulation and give you citations to research if...
by Kate LaSala | Oct 7, 2024 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
Adopting a fearful dog from a puppy mill, hoarding situation or backyard breeder dog can be incredibly rewarding and very challenging. There’s something to helping a fearful dog blossom into a confident, non-fearful dog. But, I get a lot of clients who are not...
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 | 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...
