by Kate LaSala | Dec 3, 2024 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Pet Loss & Grieving, Rescue Dogs
I was recently on the RISK! podcast talking about what else? Dogs! If you’re not familiar with Risk!, it’s a storytelling podcast (similar to The Moth, but not always PG!) and my husband is one of the audio editors and engineers. RISK! is weekly...
by Kate LaSala | Nov 27, 2024 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Pet Loss & Grieving, Rescue Dogs
I was recently honored to be on the podcast, Good Grief with Nikki The Death Doula, talking about what a companion animal death doula does, how I help clients suffering from stigmatized losses like behavioral euthanasia, and how to best prepare for the death of...
by Kate LaSala | Nov 18, 2024 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Separation Anxiety
I get a lot of client inquiries with people concerned that their “Velcro dog” follows them room to room and they’re concerned their dog has separation anxiety (SA). Is there any evidence of this? Is your Velcro dog at risk for separation...
by Kate LaSala | Nov 12, 2024 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Pet Loss & Grieving, Rescue Dogs
I was recently honored to be a guest on the Starlight Pet Talk podcast, talking about where fear in dogs comes from, how trauma affects some dogs, while also emphasizing how resilient dogs can be and how we can help them adjust to their new lives. Amy, the...
by Kate LaSala | Nov 11, 2024 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity
Can dogs be racist? This is a question I get from clients when they sheepishly bring this up in consults and sort of whisper “I think my dog is a racist.” I assure them, first, that they’re not alone and second, that as embarrassing as this...
by Kate LaSala | Nov 8, 2024 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Pet Loss & Grieving, Rescue Dogs
I was recently honored to be a guest on the The Pet Loss Companion podcast, talking about my personal grief journey with BooBoo, why I think it’s important to share it, my companion animal Advance Care Directive and why I am passionate about planning and...
by Kate LaSala | Nov 4, 2024 | Dog Training, Dogs and Babies and Kids, Pet Loss & Grieving, Rescue Dogs
Navigating the loss of a beloved animal is never easy but it can be even harder when there are children in the family. Often the death of a pet is the first loss a child will experience and as an end-of-life death doula for animals, my strong belief is that the...
by Kate LaSala | Oct 28, 2024 | Dog Training, Puppy Training, Resource Guarding
If your dog growls, freezes, eats faster or tries to bite if you approach him when he’s eating, then it’s possible he’s guarding his food. Food guarding is a completely normal and very common dog behavior but it understandably upsets owners...
by Kate LaSala | Oct 21, 2024 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
Turid Rugaas, a Norwegian dog trainer, came up with the term “calming signals” to refer to the appeasement behaviors dogs do. People will often coin these as submissive or deference behaviors. Many dogs will use this body language signs to...
by Kate LaSala | Oct 15, 2024 | Dog Training, Pet Loss & Grieving, Rescue Dogs
I was recently honored to be a guest on the Grey Muzzle Diaries podcast, talking about BooBoo and Barbo, and even our dog before that, Bandit. Lindsay, the host, says her podcast is a place for senior dog owners and is a place for “practical tips, shared...
