by Kate LaSala | Oct 27, 2025 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
Occasionally I’ll get inquiries about a family wanting to get a protection dog. It’s natural to want to keep your family safe. In a world where news headlines can make us feel vulnerable, the idea of bringing home a trained “protection dog” may sound appealing....
by Kate LaSala | Oct 13, 2025 | Dog Training, Pet Loss & Grieving, Rescue Dogs
I wasn’t sure I was going to keep up with these grief post updates but last week was BooBoo’s birthday and the 18-month marking of her passing. And to my surprise, the last few months have been hard, much harder than I would have expected a year and...
by Kate LaSala | Oct 6, 2025 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Dogs and Babies and Kids, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Puppy Training, Rescue Dogs, Resource Guarding, Separation Anxiety
Today I want to take a closer look at the fallout effects of aversive training tools such as prong collars, shock collars, bark collars, electric fences, and noise aversives. These methods all have one thing in common: they rely on fear, pain, or intimidation...
by Kate LaSala | Sep 29, 2025 | Dog Training, Puppy Training, Rescue Dogs
Because I work primarily with fearful dogs, I see a lot of people who describe their dog’s fear as a “problem” that needs “fixing.” But fear is not disobedience. The more I thought about this, the more I realized it highlights a bigger issue in dog training....
by Kate LaSala | Sep 15, 2025 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Puppy Training, Rescue Dogs
Much like the lack of transparency in dog training, there’s also a lack of transparency in sheltering and rescue organizations. In 2018 eight prominent animal welfare organizations and foundations released a joint mission statement regarding...
by Kate LaSala | Sep 8, 2025 | Pet Loss & Grieving
The loss of a beloved pet can be devastating. Our companion animals often play a constant role in our lives, offering comfort, companionship, emotional support and unconditional love. When they’re gone, the change in your daily routine, the lack of caretaking...
by Kate LaSala | Aug 11, 2025 | Pet Loss & Grieving
When someone you know is grieving the loss of a beloved pet, it can be hard to know what to say, even if you’ve lost a pet before. You may feel nervous about saying the wrong thing, or unsure how to offer comfort to them…and maybe you just think staying...
by Kate LaSala | Jul 21, 2025 | Dog Training, Puppy Training, Separation Anxiety
It can be confusing for new puppy parents to know if their puppy is experiencing separation anxiety or normal “puppy stuff” since there can be a lot of crossover between the two. Puppies inherently have separation anxiety – vocalizing to reunite with mom...
by Kate LaSala | Jul 14, 2025 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Pet Loss & Grieving, Rescue Dogs
Recently I submitted my one year grief update to The Pet Loss Companion podcast, because they had graciously shared my story about BooBoo shortly after she passed away, and I wanted to give them an update. My Lessons and Gratitude in Grief One Year in was...
by Kate LaSala | Jun 23, 2025 | Dog Training, Puppy Training, Rescue Dogs, Separation Anxiety
The problem Do you live in a place where people leave their dogs in the yard all the time and all you hear is dogs barking? Sadly, in many places in the country, this is the norm and animal welfare being what it is, in most places if the dog has water and some...
