The Dog Who Asked for More: Dog Training and Dog Behavior for Relief from Guilt, Burnout, and Self-Doubt

Emily "Em" Breslin | Dog Training and Relationship Specialist
  • 4.9 (44)
  • Pets & Animals
  • Updated Semiweekly

This isn't your typical dog training podcast. You've done what everyone told you to do. You hired the dog trainers. You watched the videos. You bought the treats, the harness, the long line, maybe even several online courses. Yet somehow, you're still wondering why this feels so much harder than everyone else makes it seem. This isn't a podcast about obedience. It's for anyone whose "good dog" turned out to be more complicated than that. Listen and you'll learn how to: - Understand your dog's behavior without shame or guesswork - Build a calmer, more connected relationship through training, nutrition, and enrichment - Feel less alone in the burnout, grief, and quiet exhaustion of loving a dog who needs more I'm Em. Former vet tech, dog trainer, and canine nutritionist. Fitz washed out of service dog training and never added up the way training said he should, so I became the person I was looking for. Toby, 15, is teaching me what it means to stay present through the slow goodbye that comes with a senior dog. Solo episodes, guest conversations, and real stories, three times a week, covering the dog side (behavior, reactivity, nutrition, enrichment, body language) and the human side (grief, burnout, and what it costs and gives you to love a dog like this). Named Sniffspot's #1 Dog Training Podcast and ranked in the top 3% of podcasts globally. New here? Start with "What Your Reactive Dog Actually Needs Isn't What You've Been Told." 🎥 Full video episodes available on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@thedogwhoaskedformore

  1. 2d ago

    Loving an Aging Dog Means Doing Math You Never Wanted To Do | Dog Health

    Your dog used to make it up the stairs without thinking. Now you watch them do the math first. Somewhere along the way, you started lifting your dog onto the couch and stopped noticing it as new. Their back legs don't always cooperate anymore. They hear you call and something doesn't quite connect the way it used to. And your first instinct, because you've spent years training this dog, is to wonder if you need to go back to basics. But this isn't a training problem. This is a 15-year-old dog's body doing something it didn't used to do, and you rebuilding everything you know around what he actually needs now instead of what he used to be able to do. You'll hear: The moment that changed everything, an accident in the night that had nothing to do with behavior and everything to do with ageWhy shorter walks, ramps, and same-time medication aren't giving up; they're what keeping a senior dog stable actually looks likeThe mental shift that matters more than any routine change, measuring your dog against who they are now instead of who they used to be Press play if you've caught yourself doing the math on your own senior dog and needed to hear you're not the only one still figuring this out. Is your dog's food actually working for them? A two-minute check-in for dog parents who are doing their best and still not sure if it's enough. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/dogfoodstress 🐾 Help Us Hit the Road We're raising money to take this podcast on the road — an RV, a microphone, and 20 years of experience coming to you. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/fuelthepodcast Shop What Em Uses with Fitz & Toby Enrichment tools, nutrition support, and daily essentials — all in one place. 👉 thedogwhoaskedformore.myshopdot.com Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs? Book a short call, and we'll talk through what's going on. 👉 https://thedogwhoaskedformore.hbportal.co/schedule/668856198dc476001953809b Questions 📧 em@thedogwhoaskedformore.com This podcast explores life with dogs, dog behavior, dog behavior problems, dog obedience, dog anxiety, reactive dogs, dog reactivity, and dog training. It's for the dog community navigating overwhelm, guilt, burnout, and self-doubt while struggling to keep up with a dog who asks for more. Episodes cover canine nutrition, dog food, dog enrichment, dog body language, dog communication, emotional healing, self-trust, personal growth, and finding real relief in the connection you have with your dog. Whether you're raising a reactive dog, feeling discouraged, or simply trying to better understand your dog and yourself, this podcast helps you create a calmer life together and strengthen the bond that changes both of you. We're now building to take this conversation on the road, bringing honest support directly to dog parents around the world. Some links may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase, it helps support the podcast and the RV tour

  2. 6d ago

    Your Dog's Reactivity Didn't Just Cost You Walks. It Cost You Income | Dog Training

    There's a version of reactive dog life people talk about: the walks that don't go well, the places you stop going. And then there's the version nobody talks about, the one where it starts costing you at work, your income, your ability to say yes to things you need to say yes to. In this episode, Em shares what it actually looked like when Fitz washed out of service dog training and her life was falling apart in other directions at the same time: a relationship she couldn't trust, doors left open overnight, a dog she couldn't safely leave with anyone. She turned down work she couldn't afford to lose because there was no other option, and she talks about what it took to stop trying to get back to the plan and start building something else entirely. You'll hear: Why training alone can't fix a fundamentally unsafe situation at homeThe real, rarely-discussed financial cost of living with a reactive dogWhat it looked like to rebuild a life and a career around the dog actually in front of her Press play if your dog's needs have quietly reshaped parts of your life you don't usually talk about. 🐾 Help Us Hit the Road We're raising money to take this podcast on the road — an RV, a microphone, and 20 years of experience coming to you. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/fuelthepodcast Shop What Em Uses with Fitz & Toby Enrichment tools, nutrition support, and daily essentials — all in one place. 👉 thedogwhoaskedformore.myshopdot.com Dog Body Language Quiz Not sure what your dog's behavior is communicating? Take the free quiz and get a resource matched to your results. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/dogbodylanguagequiz Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs? Book a short call, and we'll talk through what's going on. 👉 https://thedogwhoaskedformore.hbportal.co/schedule/668856198dc476001953809b Questions 📧 em@thedogwhoaskedformore.com This podcast explores life with dogs, dog behavior, dog behavior problems, dog obedience, dog anxiety, reactive dogs, dog reactivity, and dog training. It's for the dog community navigating overwhelm, guilt, burnout, and self-doubt while struggling to keep up with a dog who asks for more. Episodes cover canine nutrition, dog food, dog enrichment, dog body language, dog communication, emotional healing, self-trust, personal growth, and finding real relief in the connection you have with your dog. Whether you're raising a reactive dog, feeling discouraged, or simply trying to better understand your dog and yourself, this podcast helps you create a calmer life together and strengthen the bond that changes both of you. We're now building to take this conversation on the road, bringing honest support directly to dog parents around the world. Some links may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase, it helps support the podcast and the RV tour.

  3. Aug 14

    You Know Exactly What to Do. Your Dog Just Didn't Get the Memo | Dog Training

    You've watched the videos, read the posts, followed the steps exactly, and then it falls apart. Your dog can't focus, or gets it three times and forgets everything on the fourth, or shuts down completely. You start running through the checklist in your head. Is the treat not good enough? Did I move too fast? And underneath all of it, the question you don't say out loud: what if I'm the problem? In this episode, Em shares what she eventually figured out with Fitz: the method wasn't the issue, the conditions were. He needed to play first, then something mental, before training could actually land. She gets into why most training advice skips this part entirely, and what it actually looks like to meet your dog where they actually are instead of where the steps say they should be. You'll hear: Why the same training method can work one day and completely fall apart the nextWhat it actually means for a dog to not be ready to learn yetHow changing the order of activities, not the method itself, can change everything Press play if you've ever wondered whether you're the problem, and you're ready to find out it's not that simple. 🐾 Help Us Hit the Road We're raising money to take this podcast on the road — an RV, a microphone, and 20 years of experience coming to you. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/fuelthepodcast Shop What Em Uses with Fitz & Toby Enrichment tools, nutrition support, and daily essentials — all in one place. 👉 thedogwhoaskedformore.myshopdot.com Dog Body Language Quiz Not sure what your dog's behavior is communicating? Take the free quiz and get a resource matched to your results. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/dogbodylanguagequiz Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs? Book a short call, and we'll talk through what's going on. 👉 https://thedogwhoaskedformore.hbportal.co/schedule/668856198dc476001953809b Questions 📧 em@thedogwhoaskedformore.com This podcast explores life with dogs, dog behavior, dog behavior problems, dog obedience, dog anxiety, reactive dogs, dog reactivity, and dog training. It's for the dog community navigating overwhelm, guilt, burnout, and self-doubt while struggling to keep up with a dog who asks for more. Episodes cover canine nutrition, dog food, dog enrichment, dog body language, dog communication, emotional healing, self-trust, personal growth, and finding real relief in the connection you have with your dog. Whether you're raising a reactive dog, feeling discouraged, or simply trying to better understand your dog and yourself, this podcast helps you create a calmer life together and strengthen the bond that changes both of you. We're now building to take this conversation on the road, bringing honest support directly to dog parents around the world. Some links may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase, it helps support the podcast and the RV tour.

  4. Aug 12

    A Pharmacy Killed This Dog, and the Law Won't Let Her Family Fight for Her.

    She survived a $20,000 heart surgery most vets had never even heard of. Four days later, a pharmacy mistake took her anyway. Krasi and her husband did everything right. They researched, they saved, they flew across the world for a surgery only available in three places. It worked. Daisy came home. Then a routine arrhythmia medication came back from the pharmacy with the wrong dose, ten times what it should have been, and there was no way to know just by looking at the bottle. By the time anyone realized, it was already too late. You'll hear: What actually happened in the four days between picking up the prescription and losing Daisy, and how a mix-up like this slips past people who are doing everything rightWhy the guilt of not double-checking a pharmacist's work doesn't hold up once you understand how much trust that system asks of every pet parent, and every parentWhat Daisy's Law is actually trying to change, and why the same mistake that took Daisy could legally happen again with almost no consequence Press play if you've ever trusted a professional completely, and are ready to hear what happens when that trust gets broken. Learn More: Daisy's Story: https://daisyslegacy.org/about/daisys-story/ Learn about Daisy's Law: https://daisyslegacy.org/daisys-law/ Sign the Daisy's Law Petition: https://www.change.org/p/enact-daisy-s-law-companion-animal-family-member-act Contact Daisy's Legacy: info@daisyslegacy.org 🐾 Help Us Hit the Road We're raising money to take this podcast on the road — an RV, a microphone, and 20 years of experience coming to you. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/fuelthepodcast Shop What Em Uses with Fitz & Toby Enrichment tools, nutrition support, and daily essentials — all in one place. 👉 thedogwhoaskedformore.myshopdot.com Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs? Book a short call, and we'll talk through what's going on. 👉 https://thedogwhoaskedformore.hbportal.co/schedule/668856198dc476001953809b Questions 📧 em@thedogwhoaskedformore.com This podcast explores life with dogs, dog behavior, dog behavior problems, dog obedience, dog anxiety, reactive dogs, dog reactivity, and dog training. It's for the dog community navigating overwhelm, guilt, burnout, and self-doubt while struggling to keep up with a dog who asks for more. Episodes cover canine nutrition, dog food, dog enrichment, dog body language, dog communication, emotional healing, self-trust, personal growth, and finding real relief in the connection you have with your dog. Whether you're raising a reactive dog, feeling discouraged, or simply trying to better understand your dog and yourself, this podcast helps you create a calmer life together and strengthen the bond that changes both of you. We're now building to take this conversation on the road, bringing honest support directly to dog parents around the world. Some links may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase, it helps support the podcast and the RV tour.

  5. Aug 10

    Tiring Your Dog Out Might Be the One Thing Keeping Them Wired | Dog Training

    You've thrown the ball until your arm gave out, run more miles, extended the walks, done everything that's supposed to work. And your dog still can't settle, still paces, still follows you from room to room like something's about to happen. The exhausting part is that you're doing everything right on paper. In this episode, Em shares what she didn't understand for a long time with Fitz: that fetch and running spike adrenaline in a way that takes hours to come back down from, so instead of tiring him out, she was actually revving him up. She gets into what it actually looks like when a dog's needs are met instead of just occupied, and why tired and settled are two completely different things. You'll hear: Why high-intensity exercise like fetch can make restlessness worse, not betterThe real difference between a dog who's occupied and a dog whose needs are metWhat it actually looks like when a dog starts to settle for real Press play if you've been doing everything you know to do and your dog still can't land. Free Enrichment Guide Simple, low-pressure enrichment ideas to help your dog feel calmer and more fulfilled. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/livingwiththedoginfrontofyou Help Us Hit the Road We're raising money to take this podcast on the road — an RV, a microphone, and 20 years of experience coming to you. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/fuelthepodcast Shop What Em Uses with Fitz & Toby Enrichment tools, nutrition support, and daily essentials — all in one place. 👉 thedogwhoaskedformore.myshopdot.com Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs? Book a short call, and we'll talk through what's going on. 👉 https://thedogwhoaskedformore.hbportal.co/schedule/668856198dc476001953809b Questions 📧 em@thedogwhoaskedformore.com This podcast explores life with dogs, dog behavior, dog behavior problems, dog obedience, dog anxiety, reactive dogs, dog reactivity, and dog training. It's for the dog community navigating overwhelm, guilt, burnout, and self-doubt while struggling to keep up with a dog who asks for more. Episodes cover canine nutrition, dog food, dog enrichment, dog body language, dog communication, emotional healing, self-trust, personal growth, and finding real relief in the connection you have with your dog. Whether you're raising a reactive dog, feeling discouraged, or simply trying to better understand your dog and yourself, this podcast helps you create a calmer life together and strengthen the bond that changes both of you. We're now building to take this conversation on the road, bringing honest support directly to dog parents around the world. Some links may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase, it helps support the podcast and the RV tour.

  6. Aug 7

    A Low Energy Day With Your Dog Still Counts as a Good One | Dog Enrichment

    You have nothing left today, and your dog doesn't know that. They don't know about the exhaustion that sleep doesn't fix, or the kind of day where just being a person already cost everything. They just know you're there, and they still want the same thing they always want, the ball, the walk, the attention. And that's when the guilt shows up, the quiet math of did they get enough today, was that enough, is this enough, on a day you could barely get through yourself. But the answer isn't in doing more. It's in noticing that something is different from nothing, even when that something takes five minutes. You'll hear: Why the exact same request from your dog feels completely different on a hard day versus a good one, even though nothing about the dog has changedWhat actually shifted once low-effort enrichment replaced trying to give the good day version of things on hard daysThe specific five-minute, low-energy activities that count just as much as an hour, and why your dog can't tell the difference between something and nothing, but they're not judging you either way Press play if you've ever wondered whether the bare minimum was enough for your dog today. Free Enrichment Guide Simple, low-pressure enrichment ideas to help your dog feel calmer and more fulfilled. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/livingwiththedoginfrontofyou Enrichment Playlist https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgZxYcVGMljn8blc0b8GmrYdUbbx7nhnF&si=IMrK6aP6W7tspmhO 🐾 Help Us Hit the Road We're raising money to take this podcast on the road — an RV, a microphone, and 20 years of experience coming to you. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/fuelthepodcast Shop What Em Uses with Fitz & Toby Enrichment tools, nutrition support, and daily essentials — all in one place. 👉 thedogwhoaskedformore.myshopdot.com Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs? Book a short call, and we'll talk through what's going on. 👉 https://thedogwhoaskedformore.hbportal.co/schedule/668856198dc476001953809b Questions 📧 em@thedogwhoaskedformore.com This podcast explores life with dogs, dog behavior, dog behavior problems, dog obedience, dog anxiety, reactive dogs, dog reactivity, and dog training. It's for the dog community navigating overwhelm, guilt, burnout, and self-doubt while struggling to keep up with a dog who asks for more. Episodes cover canine nutrition, dog food, dog enrichment, dog body language, dog communication, emotional healing, self-trust, personal growth, and finding real relief in the connection you have with your dog. Whether you're raising a reactive dog, feeling discouraged, or simply trying to better understand your dog and yourself, this podcast helps you create a calmer life together and strengthen the bond that changes both of you. We're now building to take this conversation on the road, bringing honest support directly to dog parents around the world. Some links may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase, it helps support the podcast and the RV tour.

  7. Aug 5

    Your Dog Is Fine, Your Guilt Didn't Get the Memo | Dog Gear

    There's a version of leaving your dog you've gotten used to, the sounds, the routine, the timing you can predict without thinking. Then you travel somewhere new, and none of that applies anymore. New space, new sounds, a kennel in a corner you've never seen before, and suddenly you're spending the whole trip only half wherever you actually are. Checking the time. Rushing back early. Doing the math on how long you've been gone instead of looking at the view in front of you. You'll hear: Why knowing your dog is fine and actually seeing that they're fine are two completely different feelings, and why only one of them lets you relaxWhat changed on a specific trip once there was a way to actually watch what was happening instead of just hoping the setup was rightWhy checking in one more time, even after you already know everything is okay, isn't a flaw, it's just what it feels like to care about something you can't be with right now Press play if you've ever spent a trip half present because part of you never actually left your dog at home. Check In On Your Dog From Anywhere Whether you're running errands, traveling, or at work, Waggle lets you check in with your dog in real time with live video, motion alerts, and remote camera controls, giving you peace of mind when you can't be there. Use code EB65 to save up to 65%. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/wagglepets 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waggletv/ Help Us Hit the Road We're raising money to take this podcast on the road. An RV, a microphone, and 20 years of experience coming to you. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/fuelthepodcast Shop What Em Uses with Fitz & Toby Enrichment tools, nutrition support, and the everyday products we actually use, all in one place. 👉 https://thedogwhoaskedformore.myshopdot.com Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs? Book a short call, and we'll talk through what's going on. 👉 https://thedogwhoaskedformore.hbportal.co/schedule/668856198dc476001953809b Questions 📧 em@thedogwhoaskedformore.com This podcast explores life with dogs, dog behavior, dog behavior problems, dog obedience, dog anxiety, reactive dogs, dog reactivity, and dog training. It's for the dog community navigating overwhelm, guilt, burnout, and self-doubt while struggling to keep up with a dog who asks for more. Episodes cover canine nutrition, dog food, dog enrichment, dog body language, dog communication, emotional healing, self-trust, personal growth, and finding real relief in the connection you have with your dog. Whether you're raising a reactive dog, feeling discouraged, or simply trying to better understand your dog and yourself, this podcast helps you create a calmer life together and strengthen the bond that changes both of you. We're now building to take this conversation on the road, bringing honest support directly to dog parents around the world. Some links may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase, it helps support the podcast and the RV tour.

  8. Aug 3

    At Least You Had Your Dogs' Is Not a Consolation Prize | Dog Life

    Your dog knew how bad it really was before anyone else did. There are seasons when everything falls apart at once. In this deeply personal episode, Em shares what it was like surviving an abusive relationship during the pandemic, then getting hit with the Iowa derecho on top of it, and how Toby and Fitz became the one steady thing in a year when nothing else was. You'll hear: What it actually looks like when a dog's routine is the only reason you get out of bedWhy leaning on your dog during the hardest seasons isn't something to be embarrassed aboutHow caring for two dogs gave Em a reason to stay in it long enough for things to change Press play if you've ever needed your dog more than you were willing to admit out loud. You don't owe anyone an explanation for how deep that bond runs. 🐾 Help Us Hit the Road We're raising money to take this podcast on the road — an RV, a microphone, and 20 years of experience coming to you. 👉 https://tinyurl.com/fuelthepodcast Shop What Em Uses with Fitz & Toby Enrichment tools, nutrition support, and daily essentials — all in one place. 👉 thedogwhoaskedformore.myshopdot.com Read Em's Weekly Journal The podcast is where we talk about dogs. Substack is where I write about the person they change us into. Every week you'll get a personal essay about life with dogs, healing, rebuilding, and the quiet ways they shape who we become. 👉 https://substack.com/@thedogwhoaskedformore Free 15-Minute Clarity Call Feeling stuck or unsure what your dog needs? Book a short call, and we'll talk through what's going on. 👉 https://thedogwhoaskedformore.hbportal.co/schedule/668856198dc476001953809b Questions 📧 em@thedogwhoaskedformore.com This podcast explores life with dogs, dog behavior, dog behavior problems, dog obedience, dog anxiety, reactive dogs, dog reactivity, and dog training. It's for the dog community navigating overwhelm, guilt, burnout, and self-doubt while struggling to keep up with a dog who asks for more. Episodes cover canine nutrition, dog food, dog enrichment, dog body language, dog communication, emotional healing, self-trust, personal growth, and finding real relief in the connection you have with your dog. Whether you're raising a reactive dog, feeling discouraged, or simply trying to better understand your dog and yourself, this podcast helps you create a calmer life together and strengthen the bond that changes both of you. We're now building to take this conversation on the road, bringing honest support directly to dog parents around the world. Some links may be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase, it helps support the podcast and the RV tour.

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4.9
out of 5
44 Ratings

About

This isn't your typical dog training podcast. You've done what everyone told you to do. You hired the dog trainers. You watched the videos. You bought the treats, the harness, the long line, maybe even several online courses. Yet somehow, you're still wondering why this feels so much harder than everyone else makes it seem. This isn't a podcast about obedience. It's for anyone whose "good dog" turned out to be more complicated than that. Listen and you'll learn how to: - Understand your dog's behavior without shame or guesswork - Build a calmer, more connected relationship through training, nutrition, and enrichment - Feel less alone in the burnout, grief, and quiet exhaustion of loving a dog who needs more I'm Em. Former vet tech, dog trainer, and canine nutritionist. Fitz washed out of service dog training and never added up the way training said he should, so I became the person I was looking for. Toby, 15, is teaching me what it means to stay present through the slow goodbye that comes with a senior dog. Solo episodes, guest conversations, and real stories, three times a week, covering the dog side (behavior, reactivity, nutrition, enrichment, body language) and the human side (grief, burnout, and what it costs and gives you to love a dog like this). Named Sniffspot's #1 Dog Training Podcast and ranked in the top 3% of podcasts globally. New here? Start with "What Your Reactive Dog Actually Needs Isn't What You've Been Told." 🎥 Full video episodes available on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@thedogwhoaskedformore

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