What if the way your dog eats is quietly fueling anxiety, frustration, or over-stimulation — and the behavior is just where it shows up? Rushing meals. Gulping. Guarding. Walking away. Knocking the bowl over. These moments are often brushed off as quirks or training problems — but for many dogs, they’re signs that mealtime itself doesn’t feel good. In this episode of The Dog Who Asked for More, Em sits down with Carol Smeja to talk about what dogs actually experience during meals — beyond calories and nutrients. Together, they explore how feeding setup, body position, scent access, and environment can influence stress levels, satisfaction, and post-meal regulation. This isn’t about blaming bowls or telling you you’ve been doing it wrong. It’s about noticing what your dog might be communicating — and what starts to change when mealtime feels more supportive. In this episode, we explore: What behaviors like gulping, guarding, pacing, or disengaging can signal at mealtime How some feeding setups unintentionally increase frustration or sensory overload Why satisfaction matters just as much as nutrition for digestion and calm What supporting instinct and nervous system regulation can look like during meals This episode touches on dog behavior, feeding routines, enrichment, digestion, stress, and the connection between nutrition and regulation — especially for anxious, reactive, sensitive, picky, or fast-eating dogs. Press play if you’ve been wondering whether mealtime might be asking for something different — and want space to notice without pressure to fix. Because for many dogs, mealtime isn’t just nutrition. It’s communication. 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 thedogwhoaskedformore@gmail.com 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.
