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What do you do when your dog is still here—but your heart already aches like they’re not?
In this honest and emotional solo episode, Em opens up about anticipatory grief—the deeply human experience of watching a beloved dog age, shift, or decline. It’s the grief that comes before the goodbye, and it’s something so few dog parents are prepared to navigate. Em shares her journey with Toby’s recent heart murmur diagnosis, and how it reshaped everything she thought she knew about presence, care, and emotional enrichment in a dog’s final chapter.
You'll Learn
Learn how to recognize anticipatory grief and give yourself permission to feel it
Discover how slowness, softness, and presence become the most meaningful forms of enrichment
Explore how the neuroscience of love and grief helps explain what you're feeling—and why it matters so much
Press play for a tender, truthful conversation that honors where you are—whether you're walking beside a senior dog, navigating a new diagnosis, or simply holding the weight of loving deeply
Straight Up Dog Talk Extras:
Get a free copy of Feeding without Fear for mealtime manners
https://straightupdogtalk.com/programs-%26-freebies/ols/products/feeding-without-fear
Book FREE 15-minute call with Em
https://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow
Email [email protected] to get in touch with Em
This podcast explores real-life dog behavior and training, diving into reactivity, barking, dog anxiety, aggression, picky eating, gut health, and dog food—while unpacking enrichment, mental stimulation, supplements, calming aids, and holistic pet wellness. Whether you’re raising a rescue dog, supporting a senior dog, managing a velcro dog, or just navigating life with a dog who’s asking for more, you’ll find practical tools to build trust, strengthen communication, and create a safe, thriving life together.
4.5
88 ratings
What do you do when your dog is still here—but your heart already aches like they’re not?
In this honest and emotional solo episode, Em opens up about anticipatory grief—the deeply human experience of watching a beloved dog age, shift, or decline. It’s the grief that comes before the goodbye, and it’s something so few dog parents are prepared to navigate. Em shares her journey with Toby’s recent heart murmur diagnosis, and how it reshaped everything she thought she knew about presence, care, and emotional enrichment in a dog’s final chapter.
You'll Learn
Learn how to recognize anticipatory grief and give yourself permission to feel it
Discover how slowness, softness, and presence become the most meaningful forms of enrichment
Explore how the neuroscience of love and grief helps explain what you're feeling—and why it matters so much
Press play for a tender, truthful conversation that honors where you are—whether you're walking beside a senior dog, navigating a new diagnosis, or simply holding the weight of loving deeply
Straight Up Dog Talk Extras:
Get a free copy of Feeding without Fear for mealtime manners
https://straightupdogtalk.com/programs-%26-freebies/ols/products/feeding-without-fear
Book FREE 15-minute call with Em
https://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow
Email [email protected] to get in touch with Em
This podcast explores real-life dog behavior and training, diving into reactivity, barking, dog anxiety, aggression, picky eating, gut health, and dog food—while unpacking enrichment, mental stimulation, supplements, calming aids, and holistic pet wellness. Whether you’re raising a rescue dog, supporting a senior dog, managing a velcro dog, or just navigating life with a dog who’s asking for more, you’ll find practical tools to build trust, strengthen communication, and create a safe, thriving life together.
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