Welcome to The Dog Who Asked for More formerly known as Straight Up Dog Talk
Welcome to The Dog Who Asked for More formerly known as Straight Up Dog Talk
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Because real change doesn’t start with more training — it starts with meeting your dog’s needs.
If your dog’s behavior, energy, or emotions feel all over the place, you’re not alone — and you’re not doing anything wrong.
The Dog Who Asked for More was built on a simple truth:
our dogs are always communicating with us. Sometimes what they’re asking for isn’t more obedience or harder training — it’s better food, calmer routines, and enrichment that actually helps them regulate.
Our Nutrition & Enrichment support is designed to help you understand what your dog is really asking for, so they can feel better in their body, settle more easily, and move through everyday life with more ease.
Whether you’re looking for a simple place to start or more personalized guidance, you’ll find support here that meets you where you are — without pressure, guilt, or one-size-fits-all advice.
This isn’t about trendy diets or doing everything “right.”
It’s about understanding how food, gut health, and enrichment work together to support your dog’s body, brain, and nervous system — in a way that’s realistic for real life.
Because the bowl is often the first place where behavior, energy, and overall wellbeing begin to shift.
And you don’t have to figure out where to begin on your own.
There’s a clear next step — whether you want something simple and gentle, or you’re ready for more personalized support.

If everything feels like too much right now, start here.
This free guide helps you make a few simple, realistic shifts around your dog’s bowl that support digestion, focus, and emotional regulation — without changing diets or adding more work to your day.
No pressure. No perfection. Just a calmer place to begin.

Not ready for raw feeding — and don’t want to spend a fortune?
This guide shows you how to improve your dog’s kibble with five simple, budget-friendly upgrades using real food.
Each upgrade is paired with an easy enrichment idea, so mealtime supports digestion, regulation, and enjoyment — without complicating your routine.

If you’re unsure what your dog actually needs — or which option fits your life — we’ll talk it through together.
This is a calm, judgment-free consult to help you understand your dog and choose the next step with confidence.
You don’t need to do everything at once. The options above are designed to help you start with what feels manageable right now. Below, you’ll find additional guides and programs you can explore later — whether that’s today, next week, or whenever it feels right.

A simple way to upgrade your dog’s treats using real food.

A calm, confidence-building guide to food safety, gut health, and common raw-feeding fears
If the idea of raw feeding makes you nervous, you’re not alone — and you’re not wrong for asking questions.
This free guide walks you through the most common concerns around bacteria and food safety, explains how dogs’ digestive systems are designed to handle real food, and offers practical, no-drama hygiene tips you can actually use at home.
There’s no pressure to switch diets.
No scare tactics.
Just clear information so you can make the choice that feels right for you and your dog.
If you’ve been curious about raw feeding — or just want to better understand your dog’s gut health — this guide helps you move forward with clarity instead of fear.
Because real food doesn’t have to be scary.

Three Simple Swaps for Calmer, More Supportive Mealtimes — Starting Today
The Mini Better Bowl Blueprint is a free guide designed to help you make small, realistic changes that support your dog’s digestion, focus, and emotional regulation — without overhauling their diet or adding more work to your plate.
These simple upgrades are easy to implement and can make a noticeable difference in how your dog feels around food and throughout the day.
This guide is perfect if:
You don’t need a perfect plan or a “better” diet — just a few thoughtful shifts that meet your dog where they are.
👉 Start upgrading your dog’s bowl with simple, affordable changes that support calm, comfort, and connection.

Small, Affordable Changes That Support Calmer Behavior and Better Digestion
Kibble doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
You don’t need to switch diets, spend a fortune, or do everything “right” to make a meaningful difference for your dog. Small, intentional upgrades to your dog’s meals can have a real impact on digestion, regulation, and overall wellbeing.
If your dog seems restless, picky, overstimulated, or just a little “off,” the answer isn’t always more training alone. Nutrition plays a bigger role in energy, focus, and emotional regulation than most people realize.
This $25 guide walks you through realistic, budget-conscious ways to support your dog’s food without pressure or extreme changes. It’s designed to work with kibble, not against it.
No pressure to go raw.
No guilt for feeding kibble.
Just practical upgrades you can apply right away.
Inside this guide, you’ll learn:
You’ll walk away with actionable tools you can use immediately — plus a better understanding of how food, enrichment, and regulation work together.
If you’ve already started with the Mini Better Bowl Blueprint and want to go deeper, this guide is the natural next step.
👉 Get instant access to the guide and start supporting your dog’s meals with confidence.

A free guide for pet parents ready to rethink mealtime
Mealtime shouldn’t feel like a performance — for you or your dog.
If your dog is picky, overstimulated, or just not thriving with their current feeding routine, it may be time for a different approach. One that supports regulation, connection, and calmer behavior from the inside out.
This free guide helps you step away from outdated food rules and take the pressure off the bowl. You’ll learn how a few thoughtful, realistic shifts can lead to more peaceful meals — and a dog who feels more settled and supported in everyday life.
There’s no pressure to change everything.
No “right” way to feed.
Just clarity, reassurance, and practical guidance.
See what feeding without fear really looks like.

A supportive first step toward calmer meals, better digestion, and everyday regulation
This entry-level plan is designed for dog parents who know something isn’t quite working — but don’t want to overhaul everything or feel pressured to “do it perfectly.”
You’ll receive a personalized feeding and enrichment plan built around your dog’s needs, including raw food recipes designed to support digestion, emotional regulation, and overall well-being — with guidance every step of the way.
This is about learning, not leaping.

Structure, variety, and support — without the overwhelm
This mid-level plan is designed for dog parents who want a clear, repeatable rhythm for feeding and enrichment, without rigid rules or constant second-guessing.
You’ll receive a personalized nutrition and enrichment system built around your dog’s real needs, including raw food recipes, daily topper guidance, and enrichment support — all explained in a way that’s practical, flexible, and doable.
This is about consistency, not perfection.
These personalized plans go beyond ingredients. They help you understand how nutrition, enrichment, and routine work together to support calmer behavior, better digestion, and everyday well-being.
A steady, supportive system — built for real life.

Long-term structure, variety, and support — with coaching to help you start strong and stay steady
This comprehensive program is designed for dogs who need ongoing nutrition and regulation support — and for families who want a clear, personalized system they can trust for the long haul.
You’ll receive a fully customized nutrition and enrichment plan built around your dog’s unique needs, including raw food recipes, enrichment strategies, and thoughtful guidance to help everything work together — not just in theory, but in real life.
This is about building consistency that lasts.
This in-depth plan begins with a comprehensive intake review and includes six rotation-ready raw food meal plans, enrichment support, supplement guidance, and flexible substitution options so your plan stays sustainable over time.
You’ll also receive two weeks of direct coaching support to help you implement everything with confidence and clarity.
These plans go beyond ingredients. They help you understand how nutrition, enrichment, and routine work together to support calmer behavior, better digestion, and a dog who can truly settle.
Build a foundation that supports your dog — today and for the long haul.

A full-year, done-for-you nutrition and enrichment system for lasting health, regulation, and confidence
This premium plan is designed for dog parents who want long-term clarity, consistency, and peace of mind — not constant decision-making or trial and error.
You’ll receive a fully personalized, year-long feeding and enrichment system built around your dog’s unique needs, including raw food recipes, regulation-supportive enrichment, and thoughtful guidance to help everything work together across seasons, stages, and changes.
This is about feeling grounded in your dog’s care — not wondering if you’re doing enough.
This comprehensive blueprint provides 12 full months of rotation-ready raw food meal plans, along with enrichment, regulation, and supplement guidance that supports your dog’s body and nervous system over time.
You’ll also receive two weeks of direct coaching support at the start, so you can implement your plan with clarity and confidence from day one.
These plans go beyond ingredients. They help you understand how food, enrichment, and regulation work together to support calmer behavior, better digestion, and a dog who can truly settle.
Start strong — and stay supported all year long.

Paws, Brains & Fun
A practical, judgment-free enrichment guide for real-life dogs — and the humans who love them.
Tired of searching for enrichment ideas that sound good online but don’t actually work in your home?
Paws, Brains & Fun was created for dog parents who want to meet their dog’s emotional and physical needs without turning enrichment into another overwhelming task.
Whether your dog is reactive, overstimulated, aging, recovering, or simply needs more than a daily walk, this guide gives you realistic options that support regulation, fulfillment, and connection.
This guide is perfect if you:
Because a regulated, fulfilled dog is often calmer, more connected, and easier to live with — and enrichment doesn’t have to be complicated to make a real difference.
Start making enrichment simple, supportive, and doable.

Personalized, Play-Based Virtual Dog Training
Support that meets you where you are — literally and emotionally.
This fully virtual dog training program is built around your real life, not a rigid schedule or one-size-fits-all rules. You’ll receive personalized guidance, ongoing feedback through video, and practical support you can use at home — no travel required.
Whether you’re navigating reactivity, big feelings, overstimulation, or everyday manners and communication, we’ll focus on building trust, clarity, and emotional safety first — because that’s where lasting change actually starts.
This isn’t about perfection or checking boxes.
It’s about helping your dog feel better in their body and their environment — and helping you feel more confident along the way.
Train in a way that feels doable, supportive, and built for real life.
For over 30 years, I’ve worked hands-on with animals — as a veterinary technician, pet sitter, dog walker, and trainer. And here’s what that experience has taught me:
Dogs don’t thrive on training alone.
They thrive when their physical, emotional, and behavioral needs are met — consistently and compassionately.
My own journey with a reactive, high-energy dog drove that lesson home. I learned the hard way that many behavior challenges aren’t about “bad dogs” or “bad training.” They’re often signs of unmet needs — especially around nutrition, daily rhythm, and mental and emotional stimulation.
Most pet parents are doing their best — and still feel stuck.
If your dog seems restless, reactive, anxious, or just not quite themselves, there’s usually something deeper happening beneath the surface.
What your dog eats — and how they engage with the world — affects everything:
energy, mood, digestion, focus, gut health, and their ability to feel safe and settled.
That’s where nutrition and enrichment come together.
When food, supplements, and daily activities support your dog’s emotional and nervous system needs, regulation becomes easier — for both of you.
This isn’t just another training plan.
It’s a whole-dog approach designed to help you understand what your dog is really asking for — and give you practical tools to support lasting, sustainable change.
You’ll learn how to:
Because real change doesn’t happen in a single session.
It happens in everyday moments — around the food bowl, on the living room floor, and through small, supportive shifts that make life easier on both ends of the leash.
I’ve always believed in the power of enrichment, but diving deeper into species-appropriate food and canine nutrition changed how I understood behavior entirely.
I began to see just how much what a dog eats affects their energy, emotions, focus, and ability to regulate — and how easily well-intentioned pet parents can feel overwhelmed by conflicting advice, marketing claims, and pressure to “get it right.”
That’s why I became a Certified Professional Canine Nutritionist (CPCN).
Not to sell a single way of feeding — but to offer clear, research-backed guidance for dogs like mine, and for pet parents like you.
My goal is to help you feel confident, informed, and supported in the everyday choices that impact your dog’s gut health, behavior, and quality of life — without fear, overwhelm, or perfectionism.

These personalized nutrition and enrichment programs are designed for dog guardians who want to support their dog’s health and behavior in realistic, sustainable ways — without pressure or judgment.
These programs may be a good fit if:

Every dog is unique — and so is your life. That’s why I offer four personalized nutrition and enrichment programs designed to meet your dog’s needs, your goals, and your daily routine.
This isn’t a template or a generic handout.
Each plan is fully customized to support your dog’s food, enrichment, behavior, and overall well-being in a way that works in real life — not just on paper.
From improving gut health and navigating food sensitivities to building daily rhythms that reduce stress and support confidence, these programs focus on what actually makes a difference day to day.
Because thriving together isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing what truly supports you and the dog in front of you.
A gentle, supportive place to start
A starter plan that includes one personalized raw dog food rotation, simple enrichment ideas, and a 30-minute Zoom consult to walk you through everything with clarity and support.
✔ Ideal for picky eaters, dogs with food sensitivities, or pet parents curious about fresh feeding who want guidance without overwhelm.
More structure — without rigidity
A mid-level plan designed to bring consistency and rhythm to your dog’s routine. Includes three months of rotating raw meals, daily topper guidance, enrichment routines, supplement support, and two private coaching calls.
✔ Great for dogs struggling with reactivity, digestion, or regulation — and for pet parents who want clarity and a repeatable system.
Long-term support with built-in flexibility
A deeper, more supported option that includes six months of personalized raw food planning, enrichment strategies, supplement guidance, and two weeks of direct coaching support to help you implement with confidence.
✔ Perfect for dogs with ongoing regulation challenges, dietary transitions, or evolving nutritional and behavioral needs.
A full year of clarity, consistency, and peace of mind
Your most complete option. Includes 12 months of custom raw dog food meal plans, enrichment routines, regulation support, and two weeks of coaching — plus an initial consult and a final Zoom review to close the loop.
✔ Best for pet parents who want year-round structure, fewer decisions, and long-term confidence while supporting gut health and behavior holistically.
Schedule a consult and get matched with the level of support that fits your dog, your goals, and your real life.
Because real change starts with understanding the dog in front of you — and what’s really happening in their bowl, brain, and body.
My passion for canine nutrition and enrichment didn’t come from a textbook.
It came from my own dogs — and the lessons they taught me when what I thought was “good enough” wasn’t actually helping them.
Their stories became the foundation for everything I offer today.
Toby, my senior dog, was diagnosed with pancreatitis — a wake-up call that forced me to take a hard look at his food and feeding routine.
I believed I was making responsible choices. But most commercial kibble diets were heavily processed and didn’t provide the targeted support his body needed. For a dog with underlying health challenges, that imbalance wasn’t just unhelpful — it was making things worse.
So I changed course.
I rebuilt his meals around real food, intentional supplementation, and balanced portions designed to support gut health and digestion.
And slowly, it worked.
Fitz was the opposite. Young, energetic — and completely uninterested in kibble. At first, I chalked it up to picky eating.
But eventually, I realized something important:
Dogs aren’t picky. They’re instinctive.
When food doesn’t support them, they communicate that.
So I went deeper. I studied:
I replaced processed food with fresh, whole ingredients, added nutrient-dense toppers, and eventually transitioned Fitz to raw feeding — at his pace, with his needs leading the way.
Today, Toby is thriving again. His digestion is stable, his energy is consistent, and his pancreatitis is finally under control.
And Fitz? He’s no longer the “picky eater.”
He eats with enthusiasm, settles more easily, and moves through the world with calmer, more confident energy.
Watching nutrition and enrichment transform both of my dogs made one thing clear: so many pet parents aren’t failing — they’re missing clear, compassionate guidance that actually works.
I knew I had to help others find that same sense of clarity and peace of mind — without shame, overwhelm, or constant second-guessing.
Because this isn’t just about dog food or supplements.
It’s about helping your dog feel safe, balanced, and supported — from the inside out.
Please reach us at thedogwhoaskedformore@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
No problem! My programs meet you where you are and provide affordable ways to supplement or improve your dog’s diet without requiring a full switch to raw.
Not at all! All dogs benefit from enrichment—even senior or low-energy dogs. It’s about engaging their mind and body in ways that work for them.
If your dog is experiencing digestive issues, itching, low energy, or behavioral changes, their diet may be missing key nutrients. I’ll help you assess and optimize their food choices.
Many dogs labeled as “picky” are actually avoiding food that doesn’t make them feel their best—just like Fitz did! I’ll help you troubleshoot picky eating behaviors, introduce better options gradually, and ensure your dog enjoys mealtime again.
No! While raw feeding is a fantastic option, this program is designed to help ALL pet parents improve their dog’s diet—whether you feed kibble, home-cooked, or raw. The goal is to meet your dog’s individual needs in a way that works for you.
Every dog is different, so enrichment recommendations are customized based on their energy levels, personality, and needs. Some enrichment strategies include:
🐾 Puzzle feeding & slow feeders for mental stimulation
🐾 Scent work & sniff walks to engage their natural instincts
🐾 Dehydrated treat activities (like licking mats & frozen treats)
🐾 Play-based training for fun, stress-free learning
Yes! While this is not a behavioral modification program, many behavioral issues stem from boredom, frustration, or nutritional imbalances. By optimizing your dog’s diet and daily enrichment, we can reduce stress behaviors and create a calmer, more balanced dog.
Absolutely! If your dog has health concerns like pancreatitis, food allergies, or sensitivities, I will work with you to create a safe, appropriate diet plan that meets their needs while keeping them healthy and happy.
About The Dog Who Asked for More
A podcast and educational resource supporting dog parents navigating reactivity, anxiety, barking, big feelings, dog food confusion, enrichment needs, and canine nutrition—created to help dogs and the humans who love them build a calmer, more connected life together.
This podcast explores real-life dog behavior, reactive dog support, and relationship-based training through the lens of a canine nutritionist, dog coach, and retired vet tech—diving into reactivity, dog emotional health, dog food and behavior, canine nutrition, dog gut health, enrichment for dogs, and what it truly takes to support anxious and big-feeling dogs safely and calmly. Whether you’re navigating behavior struggles, managing dog burnout, choosing dog food, exploring enrichment, or building a deeper human–dog bond, you’ll find grounded strategies to improve behavior, calm reactivity, enrich your dog’s life, and help your dog feel safe, understood, and supported.
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Formerly know as Straight Up Dog Talk.
New Name. New Look. New Content!