Welcome to The Dog Who Asked for More formerly known as Straight Up Dog Talk
Overwhelmed by Your Dog? Start Here.
Real conversations about dobehavior, food, and the messy parts of real life — with practical clarity when you need it most.
Welcome to The Dog Who Asked for More
Created by Em — former vet tech, dog trainer, and Certified Professional Canine Nutritionist with over 20 years of hands-on experience.
The Dog Who Asked for More is a podcast and resource hub for dog parents navigating behavior, nutrition, and the emotional reality of life with dogs who don’t fit simple advice.
Why This Podcast Exists
You’ve tried the tips.
Bought the toys.
Asked the vet.
Googled at 2 a.m.
And you’re still tired. Still unsure. Still wondering what you’re missing.
This show was created by someone who’s lived every side of it —
the vet tech, the trainer, the educator…
and the dog parent quietly wondering if she was failing.
Not because she didn’t care.
But because no one had given her clear language for what her dog was actually communicating.
This podcast exists to offer that language —
and the steadiness that comes with it.
What This Show Is Really About
This isn’t a podcast about fixing dogs.
It’s about learning how to understand behavior in real life — especially when things feel messy, emotional, or overwhelming.
Every episode begins from the belief that behavior is communication, not failure.
Conversations explore reactivity, daily routines, enrichment, nutrition, and the emotional side of life with dogs — including burnout, grief, guilt, and the pressure to “do it right.”
Some episodes are practical.
Some are emotional.
Many are both.
All are grounded in lived experience — especially life with dogs who ask for more.
About Em
This isn’t a podcast about fixing dogs.
It’s about understanding them — especially when life feels messy, confusing, or emotionally heavy.
Hi, I’m Em.
I’m a former veterinary technician, certified canine nutritionist (CPCN), dog trainer, and the human behind The Dog Who Asked for More® — but more importantly, I’m someone who has lived the reality of loving dogs who weren’t easy.
For over 20 years, I’ve worked hands-on with dogs and their people across veterinary medicine, behavior support, enrichment, and nutrition. I’ve seen what truly helps — and I’ve seen how often dog parents are left trying to piece things together alone.
I’ve been the professional.
I’ve been the educator.
And I’ve been the dog parent on the floor, exhausted, wondering why nothing seemed to help the way I was told it would.
I didn’t start this podcast because I had all the answers. I started it because I was missing honest conversations — the kind that acknowledge how complex life with dogs can be when behavior, health, or regulation don’t fit the “normal” mold.
My work focuses on helping you understand what’s influencing your dog’s behavior — including stress, environment, nutrition, enrichment, and the human–dog relationship — so decisions feel grounded instead of frantic.
This space exists to offer clarity without judgment, education without pressure, and support without shame.
You don’t need a perfect dog.
You don’t need to do everything “right.”
You need support that actually fits real life.
Welcome to The Dog Who Asked for More
Formerly know as Straight Up Dog Talk.
New Name. New Look. New Content!