by Kate LaSala | Aug 24, 2026 | Dog Training, Puppy Training
Can dogs and cats live in harmony? In many cases yes! In some cases, absolutely not. How can we best set everyone up for success? Read on! Dogs and cats can often live in harmony, or at least peacefully coexist, but it’s not likely to happen on its own,...
by Kate LaSala | Aug 17, 2026 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
This might surprise you, but I think teaching a dog to sit is one of the the skills your dog really doesn’t need. Now hold on, hear me out before you hate me. It might be convenient but it’s not essential. It’s not a life or death skill, like leave it or...
by Kate LaSala | Aug 10, 2026 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Puppy Training, Rescue Dogs, Separation Anxiety
If you have ever found yourself frustrated because your eight-week-old puppy will not stop biting at your hands, had an accident on the rug for the third time this week, or completely ignored you the moment another dog trotted by, you are not alone, and you are...
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 | Jul 13, 2026 | Dog Training, Pet Loss & Grieving, Rescue Dogs
If you’ve ever sat with your aging or ill dog and felt a wave of sadness wash over you while they were still right there beside you, still breathing, still warm, still yours, you were experiencing anticipatory grief. I did it. When Barbo and Boo were both...
by Kate LaSala | Jul 6, 2026 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Pet Loss & Grieving, Separation Anxiety
If you share your life with a hard dog, whether they’re reactive, fearful, anxious, aging, or struggling to with strangers or your child, there’s a version of your life you’ve quietly let go of. Maybe you stopped having people over because your dog...
by Kate LaSala | Jun 29, 2026 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
As a trainer who specializes in fear and aggression cases, I’m regularly asked by private clients and rescue organizations about sending dogs off to a “sanctuary,” and I want to be clear about how I’m using that term here. I’m referring...
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....