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 | Jun 22, 2026 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
As a behavior consultant who specializes in fear, aggression, reactivity, and separation anxiety, my primary goal is to help families work through their dog’s behavior challenges. I’ve helped thousands of dogs and their people navigate issues that...
by Kate LaSala | Jun 15, 2026 | Dog Training, Separation Anxiety
When people think about separation anxiety, they usually picture a young dog, maybe a newly adopted rescue still decompressing, or a pandemic puppy who never learned to be alone. Separation anxiety as a senior dog problem doesn’t come up nearly as often....
by Kate LaSala | May 25, 2026 | Dog Training, Puppy Training, Separation Anxiety
One of the most common things I hear from new clients is some version of this: “My dog has separation anxiety. He freaks out every time I put him in his crate.” I understand why those two things feel connected. In many homes, confinement and being...
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 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 | 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 9, 2026 | Dog Training, Rescue Dogs, Separation Anxiety
When your dog is suffering from separation anxiety, it is completely normal to want to do everything you can, as quickly as possible, to help give them relief and try to help them. A quick internet search will turn up a wealth of recommendations for seemingly...
