by Kate LaSala | Sep 13, 2021 | Dog Training
Humans who live with dogs tend to spend a lot of time trying to stop behavior their dog is doing. Stop chasing squirrels. Don’t chew on the table leg. Don’t shred that paper. Don’t steal the food. Stop jumping on people. Don’t be...
by Kate LaSala | Aug 16, 2021 | Dog Training, Pet Loss & Grieving
I currently share my life with two senior dogs. Mr. Barbo, turned 13 last week and BooBoo will be 13 in October. And I’m here to say, it can be heartbreaking going through this aging process. Barbo has been with us since he was about a year and half...
by Kate LaSala | Aug 2, 2021 | Dog Training, Dogs and Babies and Kids, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
If your dog could talk, he’d have a lot of requests. And I bet you’d be a little surprised at how simple some of those things are. So I’m here, begging you on his behalf. And I hope you’ll listen. 9 Requests, From Me, On Behalf Of...
by Kate LaSala | Jul 5, 2021 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
It can be exhausting and emotional living with a fearful dog. Whether your dog is struggling with stranger danger, separation anxiety, resource guarding or any other fear based behavioral issue, as much as you love your dog, on some days I’m sure...
by Kate LaSala | Jun 28, 2021 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
I have a request and it may seem weird, but please stop having people try to hand feed your fearful dog. Nearly every client that comes to me with a dog who is afraid of strangers tells me at one point they’ve tried to get people to hand feed their dog. ...
by Kate LaSala | Jun 21, 2021 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
There’s a lot of euphemisms in dog training, mostly trying to smooth over things that don’t sit well with us. Aversive trainers and electric fence companies will tell you the shock collar is “just a vibration like your cell phone.”...
by Kate LaSala | Jun 3, 2021 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs, Resource Guarding
Last night I did a free Facebook and YouTube Q&A on Resource Guarding as a supplement to my Resource Guarding Series. Here is the video in case you missed it. There’s also lots of great resources referenced and linked in the comments of the Facebook...
by Kate LaSala | May 31, 2021 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs, Resource Guarding
Behavior suppression is NOT the same as behavior modification. What do I mean? Well, here’s a good analogy I use with clients. If you break your arm and are crying, I might be able to slap you around enough to get you to stop crying. Just stopping the...
by Kate LaSala | May 24, 2021 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
As someone who specializes in fear and aggression cases, I get a lot of people trying to communicate their dog’s issue and use very colorful language. Over time I’ve learned to temper their interpretations and try to get them to focus on...
by Kate LaSala | May 3, 2021 | Dog Training, Dogs and Babies and Kids
Spring is here, at least where I live, and with more things opening up and people starting to venture out a bit more, I thought I’d cover some dog car safety, including management and training! If you’re traveling, short or long distances, with...