Advertise on podcast: The Dog Who Asked for More: Helping You Bond, Enrich, and Build a Calmer Life with Your Dog

You followed the advice. Chicken.Rice.Keep it bland.Keep it simple. It’s what everyone says to do when your dog’s stomach is upset. So why does something still feel… off? For many dog parents, that “safe” diet doesn’t bring the relief they expected. Digestion stays sensitive. Energy feels low. Recovery takes longer than it should. And it’s easy to start second-guessing yourself. In this episode of The Dog Who Asked for More, Em gently explores why chicken and rice doesn’t work for every dog — not because you did anything wrong, but because every body is different. Through real-life experience and a whole-dog lens, this conversation looks at how stress, hydration, minerals, and gut support can matter just as much as what’s in the bowl — and why sometimes healing comes from supporting the system, not restricting it. This episode touches on dog nutrition, digestion, gut health, sensitive stomachs, and the quiet pressure pet parents feel to “do the right thing” when their dog isn’t feeling well. If you’ve ever wondered why the usual advice didn’t seem to help your dog, you’re not alone. Press play and listen with a little more trust in what you’re already noticing. Free Resources & Support Free Enrichment Guide: Paws, Brains, and Fun Start here. This free guide introduces simple, low-pressure enrichment ideas to help your dog feel calmer, more fulfilled, and more connected in everyday life. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/enrichment-guide⁠ Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs?We’ll talk through what’s going on and find the next step together. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow⁠ PetMatRx Supplements We Trust Supplements that support gut health and daily wellness.Use code FITZ20 to save. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/PETMATRXtdwafm⁠ Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ to get in touch with Em New episodes of The Dog Who Asked for More release every Monday and Wednesday. This podcast explores life with dogs and life with pets through dog behavior, reactive dogs, dog anxiety, and real-life dog training challenges. It supports overwhelmed pet parents who want to better understand dog body language, communication, daily routines, and canine enrichment so dog life feels clearer and more manageable. Episodes focus on dog behavior while offering practical help and support, exploring common behavior patterns, and addressing real-life challenges many pet parents face — including experiences like dog barking, habits, obedience, and socialization — while also speaking to the emotional side of living with sensitive dogs and navigating lifestyle with dogs. Hosted by a canine nutritionist, dog nutrition coach, dog trainer, and retired vet tech, the show covers canine nutrition, dog nutrition, dog food and behavior, dog gut health, training challenges, training burnout, rescue dogs, dog grief, dog enrichment ideas, dog health, and dog myths — while exploring what it looks like to build a calmer, healthier life with your dog and strengthen the dog–human bond.

You’re walking them.Training.Doing enrichment.Trying everything you’ve been told to try. And somehow… things still feel hard. Focus feels fragile.Recovery takes forever.Small stressors turn into big reactions. It can start to feel like you’re missing something — or doing something wrong. In this episode of The Dog Who Asked for More, Em explores a quiet shift that changed everything for her: realizing some behavior struggles aren’t about training harder at all. They’re about support. Because sometimes what looks like “stubborn” or “too much energy” is really a nervous system that’s overwhelmed, a gut that’s uncomfortable, or a body that hasn’t fully recovered. Through Opal’s story and real-life experience, this conversation looks at what began to change when the focus moved away from pushing and toward caring for the whole dog. This episode touches on dog behavior, nutrition, enrichment, recovery, regulation, and the small ways physical comfort can shape emotional steadiness. If you’ve been trying so hard and still feel stuck, you’re not alone. Press play and take a breath with us. This Episode is Powered by PetMatRx Free Resources & Support Free Enrichment Guide: Paws, Brains, and Fun Start here. This free guide introduces simple, low-pressure enrichment ideas to help your dog feel calmer, more fulfilled, and more connected in everyday life. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/enrichment-guide⁠ Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs?We’ll talk through what’s going on and find the next step together. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow⁠ PetMatRx Supplements We Trust Supplements that support gut health and daily wellness. Use code FITZ20 to save. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/PETMATRXtdwafm⁠ Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ to get in touch with Em This podcast explores life with dogs and life with pets through dog behavior, reactive dogs, dog anxiety, and real-life dog training challenges. It supports overwhelmed pet parents who want to better understand dog body language, communication, daily routines, and canine enrichment so dog life feels clearer and more manageable. Episodes focus on dog behavior while offering practical help and support, exploring common behavior patterns, and addressing real-life challenges many pet parents face — including experiences like dog barking, habits, obedience, and socialization — while also speaking to the emotional side of living with sensitive dogs and navigating lifestyle with dogs. Hosted by a canine nutritionist, dog nutrition coach, dog trainer, and retired vet tech, the show covers canine nutrition, dog nutrition, dog food and behavior, dog gut health, training challenges, training burnout, rescue dogs, dog grief, dog enrichment ideas, dog health, and dog myths — while exploring what it looks like to build a calmer, healthier life with your dog and strengthen the dog–human bond.

Have you ever hesitated before pulling out the crate or the muzzle — even when you knew it was the safest choice? That little voice that says:“I should be able to fix this.”“People are going to judge me.”“Maybe I’m failing my dog.” Safety tools can carry a surprising amount of shame. Even when they’re exactly what our dogs need. In this episode of The Dog Who Asked for More, Em talks about the emotional weight so many dog parents carry around kennels, muzzles, and other forms of management. Not from a training or tactics lens — but from a real-life one. Because sometimes love isn’t about giving more freedom. Sometimes it’s about creating more safety. Through stories and everyday moments, this conversation explores how tools can support regulation, protect trust, and help everyone breathe a little easier — without pressure or guilt. This episode touches on dog behavior, reactivity, management tools, nervous system safety, and the quiet decisions we make to protect our dogs even when they feel heavy. If you’ve ever felt torn between what’s safest and what looks “right,” you’re not alone. Press play and take that weight off your shoulders. Free Resources & Support Free Enrichment Guide: Paws, Brains, and Fun Start here. This free guide introduces simple, low-pressure enrichment ideas to help your dog feel calmer, more fulfilled, and more connected in everyday life. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/enrichment-guide⁠ Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs?We’ll talk through what’s going on and find the next step together. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow⁠ PetMatRx Supplements We Trust Supplements that support gut health and daily wellness.Use code FITZ20 to save. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/PETMATRXtdwafm⁠ Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ to get in touch with Em New episodes of The Dog Who Asked for More release every Monday and Wednesday. This podcast explores life with dogs and life with pets through dog behavior, reactive dogs, dog anxiety, and real-life dog training challenges. It supports overwhelmed pet parents who want to better understand dog body language, communication, daily routines, and canine enrichment so dog life feels clearer and more manageable. Episodes focus on dog behavior while offering practical help and support, exploring common behavior patterns, and addressing real-life challenges many pet parents face — including experiences like dog barking, habits, obedience, and socialization — while also speaking to the emotional side of living with sensitive dogs and navigating lifestyle with dogs. Hosted by a canine nutritionist, dog nutrition coach, dog trainer, and retired vet tech, the show covers canine nutrition, dog nutrition, dog food and behavior, dog gut health, training challenges, training burnout, rescue dogs, dog grief, dog enrichment ideas, dog health, and dog myths — while exploring what it looks like to build a calmer, healthier life with your dog and strengthen the dog–human bond.

Living with two dogs who don’t get along can quietly make you dread your own home. The tension.The corrections.The constant feeling like you’re doing something wrong. If your dogs avoid each other, clash, or just never became “best friends,” you’re not failing — and neither are they. In this episode, I share what it really looked like with Fitz and Toby, the guilt I carried for years, and the reframe that changed everything: harmony doesn’t mean friendship. Some dogs aren’t meant to be buddies.Some dogs just need safety, space, and support. And that’s not a problem to fix — it’s a relationship to understand. We talk about overstimulation, trauma, personality differences, and how to build a calmer home without forcing dogs to like each other. If you’ve ever wondered, “Why can’t my dogs just get along?” this one’s for you. Free Resources & Support Free Enrichment Guide: Paws, Brains, and Fun Start here. This free guide introduces simple, low-pressure enrichment ideas to help your dog feel calmer, more fulfilled, and more connected in everyday life. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/enrichment-guide⁠ Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs?We’ll talk through what’s going on and find the next step together. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow⁠ PetMatRx Supplements We Trust Supplements that support gut health and daily wellness.Use code FITZ20 to save. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/PETMATRXtdwafm⁠ Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ to get in touch with Em New episodes of The Dog Who Asked for More release every Monday and Wednesday. This podcast explores life with dogs and life with pets through dog behavior, reactive dogs, dog anxiety, and real-life dog training challenges. It supports overwhelmed pet parents who want to better understand dog body language, communication, daily routines, and canine enrichment so dog life feels clearer and more manageable. Episodes focus on dog behavior while offering practical help and support, exploring common behavior patterns, and addressing real-life challenges many pet parents face — including experiences like dog barking, habits, obedience, and socialization — while also speaking to the emotional side of living with sensitive dogs and navigating lifestyle with dogs. Hosted by a canine nutritionist, dog nutrition coach, dog trainer, and retired vet tech, the show covers canine nutrition, dog nutrition, dog food and behavior, dog gut health, training challenges, training burnout, rescue dogs, dog grief, dog enrichment ideas, dog health, and dog myths — while exploring what it looks like to build a calmer, healthier life with your dog and strengthen the dog–human bond.

Rushing meals.Gulping.Guarding the bowl.Walking away halfway through. Sometimes mealtime feels tense or chaotic — even when you’re doing everything you’ve been told is “right.” And it’s easy to assume it’s a training issue. Or a behavior problem. Or something you need to fix. But for some dogs, the meal itself just doesn’t feel good. In this conversation, Em sits down with Carol Smeja to talk about what dogs actually experience during feeding — how environment, setup, scent, posture, and nervous system load can quietly change the way a meal feels in their body. Because sometimes what looks like “bad behavior” is really discomfort, frustration, or overwhelm. And sometimes small shifts in how we support them can change everything. If mealtime has ever felt stressful, rushed, or confusing for you and your dog, this episode will feel like permission to slow down and notice what your dog might be trying to say. Save 10% with code TDWAFM10 at https://minepetplatter.com/ Free Resources & Support Free Enrichment Guide: Paws, Brains, and Fun Start here. This free guide introduces simple, low-pressure enrichment ideas to help your dog feel calmer, more fulfilled, and more connected in everyday life. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/enrichment-guide⁠ Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs? We’ll talk through what’s going on and find the next step together. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow⁠ PetMatRx Supplements We Trust Supplements that support gut health and daily wellness. Use code FITZ20 to save. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/PETMATRXtdwafm⁠ Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ to get in touch with Em This podcast explores life with dogs and life with pets through dog behavior, reactive dogs, dog anxiety, and real-life dog training challenges. It supports overwhelmed pet parents who want to better understand dog body language, communication, daily routines, and canine enrichment so dog life feels clearer and more manageable. Episodes focus on dog behavior while offering practical help and support, exploring common behavior patterns, and addressing real-life challenges many pet parents face — including experiences like dog barking, habits, obedience, and socialization — while also speaking to the emotional side of living with sensitive dogs and navigating lifestyle with dogs. Hosted by a canine nutritionist, dog nutrition coach, dog trainer, and retired vet tech, the show covers canine nutrition, dog nutrition, dog food and behavior, dog gut health, training challenges, training burnout, rescue dogs, dog grief, dog enrichment ideas, dog health, and dog myths — while exploring what it looks like to build a calmer, healthier life with your dog and strengthen the dog–human bond.

Winter can feel heavy. Walks get shorter.Sidewalks get icy.Cabin fever creeps in. And suddenly your dog is pacing, barking, whining, or bouncing off the walls — and you’re left wondering if you’re doing something wrong. A lot of dog parents quietly feel this time of year. Like progress disappears.Like they’re failing.Like everything feels harder inside their own home. But winter isn’t a setback. It’s just a season that asks for something different. In this episode, Em talks about what’s really happening when our dogs seem more restless or overwhelmed in the colder months, and what changes when we stop trying to push through and start supporting their nervous systems a little more gently instead. If winter has felt tense, chaotic, or exhausting for both of you, this conversation will feel like permission to slow down and meet your dog where they are. Free Resources & Support Free Enrichment Guide: Paws, Brains, and Fun Start here. This free guide introduces simple, low-pressure enrichment ideas to help your dog feel calmer, more fulfilled, and more connected in everyday life. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/enrichment-guide⁠ Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs?We’ll talk through what’s going on and find the next step together. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow⁠ PetMatRx Supplements We Trust Supplements that support gut health and daily wellness.Use code FITZ20 to save. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/PETMATRXtdwafm⁠ Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ to get in touch with Em New episodes of The Dog Who Asked for More release every Monday and Wednesday. This podcast explores life with dogs and life with pets through dog behavior, reactive dogs, dog anxiety, and real-life dog training challenges. It supports overwhelmed pet parents who want to better understand dog body language, communication, daily routines, and canine enrichment so dog life feels clearer and more manageable. Episodes focus on dog behavior while offering practical help and support, exploring common behavior patterns, and addressing real-life challenges many pet parents face — including experiences like dog barking, habits, obedience, and socialization — while also speaking to the emotional side of living with sensitive dogs and navigating lifestyle with dogs. Hosted by a canine nutritionist, dog nutrition coach, dog trainer, and retired vet tech, the show covers canine nutrition, dog nutrition, dog food and behavior, dog gut health, training challenges, training burnout, rescue dogs, dog grief, dog enrichment ideas, dog health, and dog myths — while exploring what it looks like to build a calmer, healthier life with your dog and strengthen the dog–human bond.

Does your dog freeze, cling to your leg, or turn their head away — and you’re not sure what to make of it? Those moments are easy to miss. They’re quiet. Subtle. Often brushed off. But for many dogs, they’re the first signs that something feels like too much. In this episode of The Dog Who Asked for More, we talk about the small behaviors that often show up before a bigger reaction — and what starts to change when you notice them for what they are. This isn’t about correcting behavior or managing outcomes. It’s about learning to see the moments where your dog is already communicating, even if it doesn’t look dramatic. In this episode, we explore: The subtle ways dogs show discomfort, overwhelm, or the need for space Why behaviors like freezing, turning away, or sticking close aren’t defiance What can shift when you respond to early signals instead of waiting for a meltdown This episode touches on dog behavior, communication, body language, reactivity, emotional regulation, and the quiet burnout that comes from always responding after things escalate. Press play if you’ve been wondering whether your dog is trying to tell you something — and want space to notice without pressure to fix it. Free Resources & Support Free Enrichment Guide: Paws, Brains, and Fun Start here. This free guide introduces simple, low-pressure enrichment ideas to help your dog feel calmer, more fulfilled, and more connected in everyday life. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/enrichment-guide⁠ Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs?We’ll talk through what’s going on and find the next step together. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow⁠ PetMatRx Supplements We Trust Supplements that support gut health and daily wellness.Use code FITZ20 to save. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/PETMATRXtdwafm⁠ Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ to get in touch with Em New episodes of The Dog Who Asked for More release every Monday and Wednesday. This podcast explores life with dogs and life with pets through dog behavior, reactive dogs, dog anxiety, and real-life dog training challenges. It supports overwhelmed pet parents who want to better understand dog body language, communication, daily routines, and canine enrichment so dog life feels clearer and more manageable. Episodes focus on dog behavior while offering practical help and support, exploring common behavior patterns, and addressing real-life challenges many pet parents face — including experiences like dog barking, habits, obedience, and socialization — while also speaking to the emotional side of living with sensitive dogs and navigating lifestyle with dogs. Hosted by a canine nutritionist, dog nutrition coach, dog trainer, and retired vet tech, the show covers canine nutrition, dog nutrition, dog food and behavior, dog gut health, training challenges, training burnout, rescue dogs, dog grief, dog enrichment ideas, dog health, and dog myths — while exploring what it looks like to build a calmer, healthier life with your dog and strengthen the dog–human bond.

Vaccines are supposed to feel simple. Follow the schedule.Do what you’re told.Don’t overthink it. So why does it feel so confusing sometimes? A lot of dog parents quietly wonder whether their dog really needs every routine booster — but feel nervous even asking the question. Because no one wants to do too little. Or too much. Or get it wrong. In this episode, Em sits down with Noga Schiller from BioGal Labs to talk about how protection actually works inside your dog’s body, what titer testing measures, and how some decisions can be more individualized than a one-size-fits-all calendar. Not to avoid care.Not to question your vet. But to understand what’s happening so you can advocate with confidence instead of fear. If vaccine decisions have ever felt confusing or stressful, this conversation offers clarity, context, and a calmer way to think it through. Guest Info: [email protected] https://www.biogal.com/pet-owners/ Free Resources & Support Free Enrichment Guide: Paws, Brains, and Fun Start here. This free guide introduces simple, low-pressure enrichment ideas to help your dog feel calmer, more fulfilled, and more connected in everyday life. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/enrichment-guide⁠ Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs?We’ll talk through what’s going on and find the next step together. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow⁠ PetMatRx Supplements We Trust Supplements that support gut health and daily wellness.Use code FITZ20 to save. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/PETMATRXtdwafm⁠ Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ to get in touch with Em New episodes of The Dog Who Asked for More release every Monday and Wednesday. This podcast explores life with dogs and life with pets through dog behavior, reactive dogs, dog anxiety, and real-life dog training challenges. It supports overwhelmed pet parents who want to better understand dog body language, communication, daily routines, and canine enrichment so dog life feels clearer and more manageable. Episodes focus on dog behavior while offering practical help and support, exploring common behavior patterns, and addressing real-life challenges many pet parents face — including experiences like dog barking, habits, obedience, and socialization — while also speaking to the emotional side of living with sensitive dogs and navigating lifestyle with dogs. Hosted by a canine nutritionist, dog nutrition coach, dog trainer, and retired vet tech, the show covers canine nutrition, dog nutrition, dog food and behavior, dog gut health, training challenges, training burnout, rescue dogs, dog grief, dog enrichment ideas, dog health, and dog myths — while exploring what it looks like to build a calmer, healthier life with your dog and strengthen the dog–human bond.

What if your dog isn’t wired because they have too much energy… but because they never get a real chance to settle? A lot of us are told the same thing. Walk them more.Play harder.Tire them out. So we keep adding. More walks.More stimulation.More activity. And somehow everything just feels louder. More barking.More pacing.More chaos. For a long time, Em thought this meant she wasn’t doing enough. Until she realized the problem wasn’t energy at all — it was overwhelm. In this episode, she shares what changed when she stopped chasing exhaustion and started paying attention to regulation instead, and how “more” sometimes makes sensitive dogs feel worse, not better. If you’ve been working so hard to meet your dog’s needs and still feeling stuck, this conversation will feel like permission to slow down and try something gentler. Free Resources & Support Free Enrichment Guide: Paws, Brains, and Fun Start here. This free guide introduces simple, low-pressure enrichment ideas to help your dog feel calmer, more fulfilled, and more connected in everyday life. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/enrichment-guide⁠ Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs?We’ll talk through what’s going on and find the next step together. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow⁠ PetMatRx Supplements We Trust Supplements that support gut health and daily wellness.Use code FITZ20 to save. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/PETMATRXtdwafm⁠ Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ to get in touch with Em New episodes of The Dog Who Asked for More release every Monday and Wednesday. This podcast explores life with dogs and life with pets through dog behavior, reactive dogs, dog anxiety, and real-life dog training challenges. It supports overwhelmed pet parents who want to better understand dog body language, communication, daily routines, and canine enrichment so dog life feels clearer and more manageable. Episodes focus on dog behavior while offering practical help and support, exploring common behavior patterns, and addressing real-life challenges many pet parents face — including experiences like dog barking, habits, obedience, and socialization — while also speaking to the emotional side of living with sensitive dogs and navigating lifestyle with dogs. Hosted by a canine nutritionist, dog nutrition coach, dog trainer, and retired vet tech, the show covers canine nutrition, dog nutrition, dog food and behavior, dog gut health, training challenges, training burnout, rescue dogs, dog grief, dog enrichment ideas, dog health, and dog myths — while exploring what it looks like to build a calmer, healthier life with your dog and strengthen the dog–human bond.

What if your dog’s anxiety, hyperactivity, or big reactions aren’t about training — but about how their body feels? Many dog parents spend months (or years) working on behavior, only to feel stuck and confused when nothing really changes. The barking continues. The restlessness doesn’t settle. And the pressure to “do more training” just adds to the burnout. In this episode of The Dog Who Asked for More, Em shares how paying attention to gut health quietly shifted everything for her dogs, Toby and Fitz — not as a quick fix, but as a missing layer no one had explained before. This is a conversation about listening differently, noticing patterns, and understanding how physical discomfort can show up as emotional and behavioral overwhelm. In this episode, we talk about: What behavior can look like when a dog isn’t feeling good internally The subtle signs that discomfort — not defiance — might be driving big reactions How supporting the body can create more room for calm, regulation, and connection This episode touches on dog behavior, nutrition, gut health, reactivity, and the emotional exhaustion that comes from trying everything without clear answers. Press play if you’ve been wondering whether there’s more going on beneath your dog’s behavior — and want space to explore that possibility without pressure or blame. Free Resources & Support Free Enrichment Guide: Paws, Brains, and Fun Start here. This free guide introduces simple, low-pressure enrichment ideas to help your dog feel calmer, more fulfilled, and more connected in everyday life. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/enrichment-guide⁠ Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs?We’ll talk through what’s going on and find the next step together. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow⁠ PetMatRx Supplements We Trust Supplements that support gut health and daily wellness.Use code FITZ20 to save. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/PETMATRXtdwafm⁠ Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ to get in touch with Em New episodes of The Dog Who Asked for More release every Monday and Wednesday. This podcast explores life with dogs and life with pets through dog behavior, reactive dogs, dog anxiety, and real-life dog training challenges. It supports overwhelmed pet parents who want to better understand dog body language, communication, daily routines, and canine enrichment so dog life feels clearer and more manageable. Episodes focus on dog behavior while offering practical help and support, exploring common behavior patterns, and addressing real-life challenges many pet parents face — including experiences like dog barking, habits, obedience, and socialization — while also speaking to the emotional side of living with sensitive dogs and navigating lifestyle with dogs. Hosted by a canine nutritionist, dog nutrition coach, dog trainer, and retired vet tech, the show covers canine nutrition, dog nutrition, dog food and behavior, dog gut health, training challenges, training burnout, rescue dogs, dog grief, dog enrichment ideas, dog health, and dog myths — while exploring what it looks like to build a calmer, healthier life with your dog and strengthen the dog–human bond.

Are you constantly managing your dog’s big moments? The barking.The spinning.The pulling.The sudden shutdowns. And no matter how much effort you put in, it feels like you’re always bracing for the next one. It can feel chaotic.Embarrassing.Exhausting. And it’s easy to start wondering what you’re doing wrong. But what if those “outbursts” aren’t disobedience at all? What if they’re your dog’s nervous system saying: this is too much? In this conversation, Em sits down with Robert Forto to talk about what meltdowns often look like from the inside — especially for sensitive, high-drive, or purpose-bred dogs whose needs don’t always fit into everyday life. Because behavior is often communication long before it becomes a problem. And sometimes everything changes when you learn to notice the build-up instead of only reacting to the explosion. If you’ve been feeling tired, frustrated, or like you’re always managing the next crisis, this episode will feel like sitting beside someone who understands. Check out Dog Works Radio with Em's episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1maMbtzneLogH87tY7ABJV?si=Lbsx33GkQQi94Lruna2xaA Free Resources & Support Free Enrichment Guide: Paws, Brains, and Fun Start here. This free guide introduces simple, low-pressure enrichment ideas to help your dog feel calmer, more fulfilled, and more connected in everyday life. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/enrichment-guide⁠ Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs?We’ll talk through what’s going on and find the next step together. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow⁠ PetMatRx Supplements We Trust Supplements that support gut health and daily wellness.Use code FITZ20 to save. 👉⁠ https://tinyurl.com/PETMATRXtdwafm⁠ Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ to get in touch with Em New episodes of The Dog Who Asked for More release every Monday and Wednesday. This podcast explores life with dogs and life with pets through dog behavior, reactive dogs, dog anxiety, and real-life dog training challenges. It supports overwhelmed pet parents who want to better understand dog body language, communication, daily routines, and canine enrichment so dog life feels clearer and more manageable. Episodes focus on dog behavior while offering practical help and support, exploring common behavior patterns, and addressing real-life challenges many pet parents face — including experiences like dog barking, habits, obedience, and socialization — while also speaking to the emotional side of living with sensitive dogs and navigating lifestyle with dogs. Hosted by a canine nutritionist, dog nutrition coach, dog trainer, and retired vet tech, the show covers canine nutrition, dog nutrition, dog food and behavior, dog gut health, training challenges, training burnout, rescue dogs, dog grief, dog enrichment ideas, dog health, and dog myths — while exploring what it looks like to build a calmer, healthier life with your dog and strengthen the dog–human bond.

How do you help a dog who still struggles… even after you’ve done everything you were told to do? More training.More structure.More effort. And somehow it still feels hard. This episode is a personal look at what it really took for Em to support Fitz — not by pushing harder, but by slowing down and listening to what his behavior was trying to say. Because it wasn’t about obedience. Or control. Or getting it “right.” It was about noticing stress.Noticing thresholds.And realizing that safety sometimes matters more than progress. If you’ve ever felt burned out, frustrated, or quietly wondering why nothing seems to stick, this conversation will feel like sitting beside someone who’s been there too. Free Resources & Support Free Enrichment Guide: Paws, Brains, and Fun Start here. This free guide introduces simple, low-pressure enrichment ideas to help your dog feel calmer, more fulfilled, and more connected in everyday life. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/enrichment-guide Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs?We’ll talk through what’s going on and find the next step together. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow PetMatRx Supplements We Trust Supplements that support gut health and daily wellness.Use code FITZ20 to save. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/PETMATRXtdwafm Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ to get in touch with Em New episodes of The Dog Who Asked for More release every Monday and Wednesday. This podcast explores life with dogs and life with pets through dog behavior, reactive dogs, dog anxiety, and real-life dog training challenges. It supports overwhelmed pet parents who want to better understand dog body language, communication, daily routines, and canine enrichment so dog life feels clearer and more manageable. Episodes focus on dog behavior while offering practical help and support, exploring common behavior patterns, and addressing real-life challenges many pet parents face — including experiences like dog barking, habits, obedience, and socialization — while also speaking to the emotional side of living with sensitive dogs and navigating lifestyle with dogs. Hosted by a canine nutritionist, dog nutrition coach, dog trainer, and retired vet tech, the show covers canine nutrition, dog nutrition, dog food and behavior, dog gut health, training challenges, training burnout, rescue dogs, dog grief, dog enrichment ideas, dog health, and dog myths — while exploring what it looks like to build a calmer, healthier life with your dog and strengthen the dog–human bond.

Does your dog start to unravel on walks… sometimes before you even reach the door? The pacing.The scanning.The pulling.Like everything already feels like too much. Winter can quietly make this worse. Cold air.Bundled strangers.Early darkness.Broken routines. And suddenly, something that used to feel normal feels heavy or impossible. A lot of dog parents blame themselves here. Like skipping a walk means they’re failing. But sometimes the kindest thing you can do is step back. In this episode, Em talks about what changes when you stop pushing through “walk guilt” and start paying attention to your dog’s thresholds instead — and how support doesn’t always have to look like another lap around the block. If walks have started to feel stressful for both of you, this conversation will feel like permission to slow down and choose understanding over pressure. Free Resources & Support Dog Nutrition Quiz Not sure if what you’re feeding is actually supporting your dog?Take the free quiz and get access to the Mini Bowl Blueprint. 👉⁠⁠ https://tinyurl.com/feedingquiz⁠⁠ Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs? We’ll talk through what’s going on and find the next step together. 👉⁠⁠ https://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow⁠⁠ PetMatRx Supplements We Trust Supplements that support gut health and daily wellness. Use code FITZ20 to save. 👉⁠⁠ https://tinyurl.com/PETMATRXtdwafm⁠⁠ Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ to get in touch with Em New episodes of The Dog Who Asked for More release every Monday and Wednesday. This podcast explores life with dogs and life with pets through dog behavior, reactive dogs, dog anxiety, and real-life dog training challenges. It supports overwhelmed pet parents who want to better understand dog body language, communication, daily routines, and canine enrichment so dog life feels clearer and more manageable. Episodes focus on dog behavior while offering practical help and support, exploring common behavior patterns, and addressing real-life challenges many pet parents face — including experiences like dog barking, habits, obedience, and socialization — while also speaking to the emotional side of living with sensitive dogs and navigating lifestyle with dogs. Hosted by a canine nutritionist, dog nutrition coach, dog trainer, and retired vet tech, the show covers canine nutrition, dog nutrition, dog food and behavior, dog gut health, training challenges, training burnout, rescue dogs, dog grief, dog enrichment ideas, dog health, and dog myths — while exploring what it looks like to build a calmer, healthier life with your dog and strengthen the dog–human bond.

Does your day quietly revolve around your dog — planning routes, scanning the environment, bracing for triggers, and second-guessing every decision? Living with a sensitive or reactive dog isn’t just about barking or pulling on the leash. It’s the mental load. The constant awareness. The way your world slowly shrinks while you try to keep everyone safe. And the quiet feeling that no one else really understands how heavy that can be. In this episode of The Dog Who Asked for More, Em sits down with another dog guardian to talk honestly about what daily life actually looks like when you’re supporting a dog who needs more. Not the highlight reel — the real life. The planning, the guilt, the exhaustion, and the small wins that most people never see. Together, they explore how steady routines can feel safer than strict rules, why trust grows when you stop fighting every moment, and what begins to shift when you stop trying to “fix” your dog and start working with the life you actually have. This conversation touches on dog behavior, reactivity, leash stress, emotional burnout, and the invisible work dog parents carry every day. If you’ve ever felt like your life got smaller while trying to help your dog feel safer, you’re not alone. Press play if you need company more than answers — and a reminder that you’re not doing this wrong. Free Resources & Support Dog Nutrition Quiz Not sure if what you’re feeding is actually supporting your dog?Take the free quiz and get access to the Mini Bowl Blueprint. 👉⁠⁠ https://tinyurl.com/feedingquiz⁠⁠ Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs? We’ll talk through what’s going on and find the next step together. 👉⁠⁠ https://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow⁠⁠ PetMatRx Supplements We Trust Supplements that support gut health and daily wellness. Use code FITZ20 to save. 👉⁠⁠ https://tinyurl.com/PETMATRXtdwafm⁠⁠ Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ to get in touch with Em New episodes of The Dog Who Asked for More release every Monday and Wednesday. This podcast explores life with dogs and life with pets through dog behavior, reactive dogs, dog anxiety, and real-life dog training challenges. It supports overwhelmed pet parents who want to better understand dog body language, communication, daily routines, and canine enrichment so dog life feels clearer and more manageable. Episodes focus on dog behavior while offering practical help and support, exploring common behavior patterns, and addressing real-life challenges many pet parents face — including experiences like dog barking, habits, obedience, and socialization — while also speaking to the emotional side of living with sensitive dogs and navigating lifestyle with dogs. Hosted by a canine nutritionist, dog nutrition coach, dog trainer, and retired vet tech, the show covers canine nutrition, dog nutrition, dog food and behavior, dog gut health, training challenges, training burnout, rescue dogs, dog grief, dog enrichment ideas, dog health, and dog myths — while exploring what it looks like to build a calmer, healthier life with your dog and strengthen the dog–human bond.

Your dog is eating. The label says “complete and balanced.” The vet didn’t raise concerns. So why does something still feel… off? Maybe their digestion isn’t quite right.Their skin keeps flaring.Their energy feels inconsistent.Or you just have that quiet gut feeling that something isn’t working the way it should. In this episode of The Dog Who Asked for More, Em shares an honest, grounded conversation about the confusion so many dog parents feel around food. Because most of us aren’t doing anything “wrong” — we’re just trying to make the best choices with information that’s often incomplete, overwhelming, or fear-based. Through Toby’s pancreatitis journey and her own shifts in feeding, Em talks about what began to change when she stopped chasing perfect labels and started paying attention to how her dogs actually felt. Together, we explore how small, realistic food additions can support digestion and gut health, why “complete and balanced” doesn’t always mean supportive for every dog, and how learning to trust your observations can feel more helpful than following rules. This episode touches on dog nutrition, gut health, sensitive stomachs, real-life feeding choices, and the quiet guilt many pet parents carry around food. If you’ve ever stood in your kitchen wondering whether you’re missing something, you’re not alone. Press play and listen with a little more trust in what you’re already noticing. Free Resources & Support Dog Nutrition Quiz Not sure if what you’re feeding is actually supporting your dog?Take the free quiz and get access to the Mini Bowl Blueprint. 👉⁠⁠ https://tinyurl.com/feedingquiz⁠⁠ Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs? We’ll talk through what’s going on and find the next step together. 👉⁠⁠ https://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow⁠⁠ PetMatRx Supplements We Trust Supplements that support gut health and daily wellness. Use code FITZ20 to save. 👉⁠⁠ https://tinyurl.com/PETMATRXtdwafm⁠⁠ Email ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ to get in touch with Em New episodes of The Dog Who Asked for More release every Monday and Wednesday. This podcast explores life with dogs and life with pets through dog behavior, reactive dogs, dog anxiety, and real-life dog training challenges. It supports overwhelmed pet parents who want to better understand dog body language, communication, daily routines, and canine enrichment so dog life feels clearer and more manageable. Episodes focus on dog behavior while offering practical help and support, exploring common behavior patterns, and addressing real-life challenges many pet parents face — including experiences like dog barking, habits, obedience, and socialization — while also speaking to the emotional side of living with sensitive dogs and navigating lifestyle with dogs. Hosted by a canine nutritionist, dog nutrition coach, dog trainer, and retired vet tech, the show covers canine nutrition, dog nutrition, dog food and behavior, dog gut health, training challenges, training burnout, rescue dogs, dog grief, dog enrichment ideas, dog health, and dog myths — while exploring what it looks like to build a calmer, healthier life with your dog and strengthen the dog–human bond.