What if daily dog walks aren’t helping your reactive dog—but actually making things worse?

In this real, raw episode of Straight Up Dog Talk, Em shares how she learned the hard way that pushing daily walks was overstimulating—not calming—her reactive dog, Fitz. What followed was a complete reframe of exercise, training, and enrichment… and the discovery of a slower, safer way to meet his needs.

In this episode:

• Understand how walk-induced overstimulation can sabotage your dog’s progress

• Learn to recognize when your dog’s not ready—and why rest can be productive

• Discover walk-free enrichment routines that actually support regulation and connection

Press play to release the pressure, reimagine what training and enrichment can look like—and give both you and your dog permission to go at a pace that truly works.

Straight Up Dog Talk Extras:

Get a free copy of Feeding without Fear for mealtime manners

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Book a FREE 15-minute call with Em

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Email ⁠[email protected]⁠ to get in touch with Em

This podcast explores real-life dog behavior and training through the lens of a canine nutritionist, dog coach, and retired vet tech—diving into reactivity, dog obedience, dog health, dog food, dog habits, dog lifestyle, canine enrichment, pet enrichment, dog myths, and what it actually takes to support reactive dogs safely and calmly. Whether you’re a dog mom navigating reactivity, building the human–dog bond, choosing dog products, or just trying to create a calmer dog life with your canine, you’ll find grounded strategies to build trust, improve dog behavior, and help your dog feel safe, understood, and supported.