Dog struggles can feel surprisingly personal — and oddly isolating. In this episode, Ruth sits down with Emma Berumen, the founder behind Snout App (built from her own experience supporting her dog Luna through separation anxiety). They talk about what it’s like when your dog’s stress becomes your stress, why “quick fixes” often leave us feeling worse, and how real progress usually comes from small, repeatable steps… plus a lot of self-forgiveness.

This episode is for you if you:

• love your dog deeply, but feel overwhelmed by behaviour struggles

• have tried plans that didn’t fit your real life (or your actual dog)

• notice how easily anxiety becomes a feedback loop — for both of you

• need a reminder that progress doesn’t require perfection

In this conversation, we talk about:

• why dog ownership can bring up so much self-doubt (and guilt)

• separation anxiety: the practical stress and the emotional weight

• the myth of the “quick fix” — and what helps instead

• breaking change into bite-sized steps (and why 10 minutes matters)

• repairing after hard moments: apologizing, resetting, trying again

• building tools that adapt to real life, not ideal circumstances

• walking, sunlight, and getting out of your own head

• the reminder: “Even though it may not look like it, it will pass.”

Guest: Emma Berumen

Emma Berumen is the founder of Snout App, a project inspired by her own dog Luna and their journey with separation anxiety. With a background that includes science and the startup world, Emma is focused on building support that’s practical, flexible, and guided by real expertise — so people don’t feel alone while figuring things out.

Links:

• Join the Snout App beta/waitlist: thesnoutapp.com (as shared in the interview)

Connect with Ruth

• www.groundingwithruth.com

• Ruth’s work: women’s wellness, burnout recovery, self-worth, and grounded growth

If this episode resonated, you can follow the show, share it with a friend who loves their dog (and might need this reminder), and leave a review — it helps more people find us.

Stay Grounded.