by Kate LaSala | Oct 19, 2020 | Dog Training, Separation Anxiety
SUSPEND ABSENCES. Now, hear me out. I know your gut reaction is that impossible – maybe a little less so during Covid but under normal circumstances you have errands to run, work meetings, social engagements, vacations, date night, going to the gym and...
by Kate LaSala | Sep 28, 2020 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Resource Guarding
Does your dog growl, freeze, lunge or try to bite if you approach him when she’s got a high value chew, used Kleenex or stolen sock? Just like food guarding that I talked about a few weeks ago, guarding high value resources is a completely normal and very...
by Kate LaSala | Aug 25, 2020 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity
Many dogs are reactive (often looks like lunging and/or barking) to cars. This can make walks stressful, embarrassing or downright miserable for you. So what do we do? We train your dog to do something else, something that he’s unable to do at the same time...
by Kate LaSala | Jul 27, 2020 | Dog Training, Fear, Aggression and Reactivity, Rescue Dogs
As a trainer whose primary focus is on fear and aggression cases, I’m often asked by clients – both private and rescues – about sending dogs off to a “sanctuary*.” They’re always asking about this because they need to make tough...
by Kate LaSala | May 12, 2020 | Dog Training, Separation Anxiety
If this picture reminds you of how you’ve been working for the last two months, you’re not alone. Many dogs (and cats!) have been our co-workers recently and as things look like they’re beginning to move towards returning to a new normal, now is the...
by Kate LaSala | Jan 31, 2020 | Dog Training, Dogs and Babies and Kids
As a licensed Family Paws Parent Educator and a certified behavior consultant whose speciality is fear and aggression, I work with a lot of families with dogs and kids. Some contact me ahead of time, to help prepare their dog, or address concerns before the baby...
by Kate LaSala | Jan 13, 2020 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Separation Anxiety
THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED AS OF 2024. The new post is located here. This is now an archival post. If you’ve been around here a bit, you may have noticed a strong theme of transparency in my posts and on social media. For those who may have missed it, dog...
by Kate LaSala | Dec 27, 2019 | Dog Training, Puppy Training
This time of year a lot of dogs find their new homes, and many of these are being integrated into homes where there is already a resident dog, so it’s a good time to review the best way to set both your new and existing dog up for success during the initial...
by Kate LaSala | Dec 23, 2019 | Dog Training, Puppy Training, Rescue Dogs
Just last week a NJ rescue I was formerly associated with (I resigned 4 years ago, to the day, this news story broke) was charged with almost 20 counts of varying charges including falsifying records “for the purpose of deceiving prospective pet owners,”...
by Kate LaSala | Nov 25, 2019 | Dog Training, Dog Training Regulation, Rescue Dogs
In my previous post cautioning about aversive dog training “boot camps” I touched on the long-lasting negative effects that often happen. I wanted to share the story of a dog I worked with, named Noelle. I worked with Noelle after she was sent to a 6 week...
