by Kate LaSala | Apr 20, 2026 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs, Separation Anxiety
A while back I wrote about the importance of interval training in dog training. The idea of mixing higher-intensity practice with periods of rest is something I encourage all my clients to use, especially when working through separation anxiety or fear-based...
by Kate LaSala | Apr 13, 2026 | Dog Training, Pet Loss & Grieving, Rescue Dogs
I recently submitted a two year update on losing Boo to The Pet Loss Companion and I wanted to share a bit more here. Last week marked two years without BooBoo. This two year mark feels unfathomable, like it’s impossible she’s been gone for that...
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 | Mar 30, 2026 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs, Resource Guarding, Separation Anxiety
If you are struggling with your dog’s behavior, I want you to hear this first. You are not failing. You are not behind. And you absolutely deserve qualified help. But I want you to also know that the quality of information you get and who you hire matters. A lot....
by Kate LaSala | Mar 23, 2026 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Pet Loss & Grieving, Rescue Dogs, Resource Guarding
A little over a year ago, we adopted a new dog, Gertie. Full name: Gertrude Wigglebottom, because if you’ve seen some of my videos of her…well, it’s obvious. If you’ve been here a while, you might remember that just four days after making her...
by Kate LaSala | Mar 16, 2026 | Dog Training
Do you ever feel like your dog listens to you better than your spouse? Do you wonder if you’re just lucky or maybe the dog “likes you better”? Sure, your dog might be more attached to one person over the other, but maybe instead of luck,...
by Kate LaSala | Mar 9, 2026 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs, Resource Guarding, Separation Anxiety
Professional licensure is not required to call yourself a dog trainer nor is there any industry specific government regulation. Anyone can wake up tomorrow, print business cards, make an Instagram account, and call themselves a trainer or “behaviorist.”...
by Kate LaSala | Feb 24, 2026 | Dog Training
If you have ever picked up a bag of dog treats and found yourself squinting at the ingredient list, you are not alone. A lot of commercial treats are packed with fillers, vague ingredients, and things most of us would never intentionally feed our dogs. And what...
by Kate LaSala | Feb 23, 2026 | Dog Training, Rescue Dogs
First things first. Unless your dog is sick, if your dog is eating and managing to stay alive, then he is food motivated enough to walk over to a bowl or figure out how to get calories some other way. I could stop here, but I won’t. I was recently interviewed...
by Kate LaSala | Feb 16, 2026 | Dog Training, Puppy Training, Rescue Dogs
One of the trickiest parts (and best parts!) of dog training is that dogs are excellent at connecting dots. It’s one of the ways dogs learn. Sometimes they connect dots that we don’t want them to connect and that’s where clients can run into...
