The Dog Who Asked for More: Understanding Life With Your Dog Beyond Dog Training and Behavior

By Emily “Em” BreslinSociety & Culture Education Relationships Kids & Family How To Pets & Animals

The Dog Who Asked for More: Understanding Life With Your Dog Beyond Dog Training and Behavior episodes

March 23Why Your Dog Can Be Tired and Still Unable to Settle | Dog Health
A dog who's suddenly more restless. Can't quite settle. It's easy to assume it's a training or enrichment problem. Often, it isn't.
This episode breaks down how seasonal allergies and gut irritation can quietly show up as behavior changes in the spring, and why adding more training, more exercise, or more enrichment can actually make things worse when the real problem is physical discomfort, not behavior.
You'll hear:
Why restlessness, pacing, and clinginess in spring can be a comfort issue, not a behavior one
What happened when more training and activity made things worse instead of better
How to start noticing discomfort instead of assuming you're missing something in training

Press play if your dog has seemed off lately and nothing you're doing seems to
🐾 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
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
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
📧 [email protected]
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 min
March 20Why Your Dog’s Worst Days Often Start Before You Notice | Dog Training
You finally get a calm day. And then the next one feels even harder.
The barking is louder. The pacing comes back. And suddenly it feels like all your progress disappeared overnight.
A lot of dog parents live in this cycle. One good day, one hard day, back and forth. And it's easy to start blaming yourself. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. Maybe nothing is working. Maybe we're just stuck.
But what looks like inconsistency isn't random. It's stress building quietly under the surface until something small tips it over.
In this episode, Em explores the patterns she started noticing with Fitz and Toby, and what changes when you zoom out and look at the bigger picture instead of one hard moment.
You'll hear:
Why stress builds quietly over days before it ever shows up as behavior
How a hard day for your dog can carry over into the next one, even when nothing looks different
What changes when you start tracking patterns across a week instead of reacting to a single moment

Press play if things have felt inconsistent lately and you're ready to understand why.
🐾 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
📧 [email protected]
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 min
March 18How to Tell When Your Senior Dog Isn’t Just “Getting Older” | Dog Health
The choices made while a dog is young, diet, joint care, how they're exercised, don't just affect them now. They shape how that dog ages years down the line.
Em talks with Anna Webb about what actually helps a dog age gracefully: red light therapy for joint pain and recovery, the role fresh food and targeted supplements play in reducing inflammation, and small preventative habits that matter far more than most people realize until much later.
You'll hear:
How proactive care in a dog's younger years shapes comfort and mobility as they age
What red light therapy actually is and how it's used for joint pain, wounds, and recovery
Simple, specific supplements that support inflammation and joint health as a dog gets older

Press play if you have a young
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
📧 [email protected]
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.
31 min
March 16Why Your Dog’s “Good Behavior” at the Dog Park Deserves a Second Look | Dog Training
Dog parks are supposed to look a certain way: a happy dog running free, easy socialization, and a tired pup afterward. When a dog doesn't fit that picture, staying close, avoiding other dogs, trying to leave, it's easy to start questioning yourself instead of the situation.
This episode breaks down why fear doesn't always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like sticking close, avoidance, or trying to get away, and why those signals deserve to be trusted even when they go against popular advice about socialization and confidence-building.
You'll hear:
Why staying glued to your side at the dog park can be fear, not a lack of socialization
Why "they just need more exposure" isn't always the right answer
How to trust your dog's discomfort even when other people question the decision

Press play if your dog has ever seemed miserable somewhere everyone said they should be having fun.
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
🐾 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
📧 [email protected]
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 min
March 13Why Dogs Can React the Same Way for Completely Different Reasons | Dog Training
Barking. Lunging. Freezing. Growling. It can look like the same behavior from the outside, but underneath, a dog can be in completely different emotional places, and treating fear the same way as frustration usually makes things worse, not better.
This episode breaks down the real difference between fear, frustration, and reactivity, why misreading which one is actually happening leads to trying the wrong kind of support, and what starts to shift once the focus moves from the behavior itself to the feeling underneath it.
You'll hear:
The real difference between fear-driven and frustration-driven behavior, even when they look identical
Why doing more exposure or more calming can backfire when it's aimed at the wrong emotion
How to start asking "is this fear or frustration" instead of labeling a dog as difficult

Press play if your dog's behavior has ever left you feeling confused about what's actually going on.
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
🐾 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
📧 [email protected]
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 min
March 11 Why Your Dog Doesn’t Have to Look Sick for Something to Be Wrong | Dog Health
Have you ever looked at your dog and thought…
They’re eating.
They’re playing.
They seem normal.
So why does something still feel off?
A lot of dog parents end up in this quiet, confusing space—where behavior and health start to blur together.
Training doesn’t help.
Nothing looks “serious.”
But your gut keeps saying something isn’t right.
And then the self-doubt kicks in.
Am I overthinking?
Am I being dramatic?
Or am I missing something important?
In this conversation, Em sits down with Krista to talk about the subtle changes that are easy to overlook—small shifts in energy, appetite, mood, and behavior that sometimes have nothing to do with training at all.
Because sometimes what looks like behavior…
is actually discomfort.
If you’ve ever second-guessed your instincts about your dog, press play.
Do you actually know what's in your dog's food?
I found out the hard way, after months of thinking my dog was just a picky eater, that he was actually allergic to storage mites. The label didn't tell me that in plain language, and I had years of vet med behind me and still had to dig for it.
That's why I built The Dog Food Bag Decoder: the scientific names on the bag, translated into plain language, paired with Holistic Pet Hub, the tool that lets you build a profile for your dog or cat and scan real food labels to see if they're actually a match, free to try. So you're not googling ingredients at midnight; you're checking them against your own pet.
Get the free decoder 👉: https://thedogwhoaskedformore.hbportal.co/public/6a676b9948a7d648321b02d4
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
📧 [email protected]
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.
35 min
March 09How Spring Can Bring Back Behaviors You Thought Were Gone | Dog Training
The progress felt real. Then spring came, and suddenly the same old behaviors are back, and it feels like something went wrong.
This episode breaks down why seasonal spikes in reactivity are almost never about backsliding. They're about load: more stimulation, more unpredictability, more environmental pressure than a nervous system that was just starting to feel safe can handle. It covers why pushing further after progress often undoes it, and what actually protects the ground already gained.
You'll hear:
Why spring specifically tends to bring old behaviors back, and why it's not a sign of failure
Why treating progress as a green light to do more can quietly undo it
What it looks like to make home a place of recovery instead of another place asking for more

Press play if you've felt discouraged watching progress you worked hard for suddenly seem to disappear.
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
🐾 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
📧 [email protected]
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 min
March 06 Why You’re Always on Edge in Your Own Home With Your Dog | Dog Training
Does your dog struggle to settle at home… even when nothing is happening?
The house feels tense.
Like everything is a little too loud, a little too on edge.
Your dog is pacing, barking, watching everything.
And somehow you’re the one holding it all together.
A lot of overwhelmed dog parents live in this quiet, constant state of hypervigilance.
Trying harder.
Adding more training.
Doing everything “right.”
And still feeling like the house never fully settles.
In this episode, Em talks honestly about what’s really happening inside homes like this — why more effort doesn’t always create calm, and how safety, predictability, and nervous system recovery often matter more than any new training plan.
Because sometimes what everyone needs isn’t more structure.
It’s less pressure.
If life with your dog has started to feel emotionally exhausting, this might feel like the first moment your house breathes again.
Press play.
Free Resources & Support
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://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow
PetMatRx Supplements We Trust
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, 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 min
March 04 What Your Dog’s Behavior Can Tell You About What They’re Missing | Dog Enrichment
Have you ever felt like your dog is trying to tell you something… but you’re not sure what you’re missing?
Like the barking, the restlessness, the shutdowns, the “too much” days aren’t random — but you can’t quite connect the dots?
A lot of overwhelmed dog parents end up chasing solutions.
More toys.
More enrichment.
More doing.
And somehow it still doesn’t feel better.
In this conversation, Em sits down with enrichment educator Tori Mistick to talk about what changes when we stop trying to fix behavior and start listening to it instead.
Because behavior is often communication.
And sometimes the smallest shifts — how we feed, how we move through the day, how much space we allow for rest — can support our dogs more than any new activity ever could.
If you’ve been feeling stuck, confused, or like you’re missing something important, this episode will feel like slowing down beside someone who understands.
Free Resources & Support
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://tinyurl.com/tdwafmbooknow
PetMatRx Supplements We Trust
Support gut health and daily wellness.
Use code FITZ20 to save.
👉 https://tinyurl.com/PETMATRXtdwafm
Email e[email protected] to get in touch with Em
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.
38 min
March 02Why Your Dog Keeps Doing the Same Thing No Matter What You Try | Dog Training
The same pacing before guests arrive. The same tension at the front window. The same shutdown after a busy day. It can look random if you don't know what's actually driving it, but it's actually the most consistent thing happening.
This episode breaks down why dogs communicate through repetition, not big dramatic moments, and why trying something new every time a pattern repeats often means the message is being missed, not the solution. It's not about doing more. It's about noticing what's already there.
You'll hear:
Why repeating moments can look random until you understand what's actually driving them
Why trying new tools and routines over and over can mean you're solving the wrong problem
How to start tracking patterns instead of chasing a new fix every time

Press play if you've ever felt like you've tried everything with your dog and nothing sticks.
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
🐾 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
📧 [email protected]
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 min