Episode #140 - Try it - Strategies for Frantic Feeders

How to Use Food to Chill Out About Food

November 10, 2025

TLDL (Too Long, Didn’t Listen):

1️⃣ Use Food Casually – Stash food around the house and hand out small bits throughout the day, no big deal, no fanfare.

2️⃣ Mind Your Energy – Keep your own body language calm and neutral.

3️⃣ Measure Success by Calm, Not Silence – Look for less frantic energy, more focus, and safe, joyful engagement.

Episode Overview:

Does your dog lose their mind the second food appears? In this episode, Emily walks through a simple, science-based strategy to help “frantic feeders” relax around food. Learn how to use food to make food less exciting (yes, really), what common mistakes sabotage your progress, and how to tell when your dog’s excitement has shifted from over-the-top to just-right joy.

Links & Resources from the Episode

🧾 For full episode transcripts: Arial l OpenDyslexic.

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Meet the Hosts

Allie Bender, CDBC, CPDT-KA, SBA

Allie Bender is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, Certified Professional Dog Trainer- Knowledge Assessed, and a Shelter Behavior Affiliate. She has been in the animal welfare industry since 2006 and professionally training since 2012. She is the founder and co-owner of Pet Harmony, co-author of Canine Enrichment for the Real World, and a national speaker.

While in the animal sheltering industry, Allie realized that her passion lied in helping pets with maladaptive behaviors. Specifically, she wanted to help prevent animals with rehabilitatable problems from being euthanized. She loves working with dogs and cats displaying stranger danger, resource guarding, and leash reactivity. Her favorite thing about working with pets and their people is seeing relationships grow and seeing harmonious households develop.

EMIly strong

Emily Strong is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and Shelter Behavior Affiliate. She has been in the animal welfare industry since 1990 and has been a behavior consultant since 2008. She is the co-owner of Pet Harmony, co-author of Canine Enrichment for the Real World, and a national speaker.

Emily started working with animals at a young age and struggled with the notion that you have to hurt, scare, or intimidate animals to help them. When she discovered the behavior sciences and learned that it wasn’t necessary to do so– that we can care for emotional, mental, and physical health simultaneously– she plunged headfirst into animal behavior. Emily loves helping current and prospective behavior professionals and working with pet parents through our in-depth services. She enjoys working with all species.

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Episode #140 - Try it - Strategies for Frantic Feeders

How to Use Food to Chill Out About Food

November 10, 2025

TLDL (Too Long, Didn’t Listen):

Episode Overview: