by Kate LaSala | Jan 16, 2023 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Puppy Training
I have many clients that find themselves to me because their dog, whether newly adopted from a rescue or purchased from a breeder, discover their dog is afraid of being outside. This is especially prominent in dogs who come from quiet rural settings and then...
by Kate LaSala | Jan 2, 2023 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs, Separation Anxiety
Happy New Year! Thank you for all the responses to my recent survey asking for blog topics. Many of them have already been covered but I will revisit them and maybe break them down a bit more. But, with the start of the new year, I thought it would be a good...
by Kate LaSala | Dec 26, 2022 | Dog Training
2022 was a hard year for many, including my own family losing Mr. Barbo in August. I’ve had clients struggling with separation anxiety, and other fearful or aggressive situations: dogs biting children, resource guarders, dogs who don’t like to be...
by Kate LaSala | Dec 12, 2022 | Dog Training, Dogs and Babies and Kids, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
Often in dog/toddler or dog/baby interactions I see parents urging their child to “be gentle” and while I’m sure this is well intentioned by the parent, it’s really not a safe way to allow your child to interact with your dog. Depending on the...
by Kate LaSala | Nov 14, 2022 | Dog Training, Dogs and Babies and Kids, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
With Thanksgiving and winter holidays approaching (here in the US), it’s likely you’re gathering with friends and family and your dog is expected to seamlessly integrate into that chaos. While you may be out of time for training helpful skills like...
by Kate LaSala | Oct 24, 2022 | Dog Training, Dogs and Babies and Kids, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
Often during my family dog consults I get asked about when kids can walk the family dog alone. Many times a dog is added to the family to “help teach the kids responsibility” (by the way, not something I recommend) but usually parents are hoping they can...
by Kate LaSala | Oct 17, 2022 | Dog Training, Dogs and Babies and Kids, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
Confession time: I cringe when I see most videos online of dogs and kids. There, I said it. Why? Mostly because what people think is “cute” is really an uncomfortable dog asking for space. And that’s what I see but people aren’t aware of dog...
by Kate LaSala | Sep 19, 2022 | Dog Training, Puppy Training
The myth, and frankly, dangerous, outdated “advice” breeders, rescues and even vets are giving to new owners that puppies can’t go outside until all their vaccines are complete, has reared its ugly head again. (Note: I am not a vet, so there may be...
by Kate LaSala | Aug 1, 2022 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Pet Loss & Grieving, Separation Anxiety
When you share your life with a dog struggling with fear, separation anxiety or are caring for a sick or senior dog, it’s easy to get so immersed in caring and protecting for them, that you push your own needs aside. This is a topic that comes up with...
by Kate LaSala | Jul 25, 2022 | Dog Training, Pet Loss & Grieving
As I’ve written in the past, I currently share my life with two senior dogs. Mr. Barbo, who will be 14 in just 2 weeks and BooBoo will be 14 in October. And I know, as lucky as we are to have two large dogs reach these senior ages, it’s also...