Interview with Kristine Strøm

Kristine is one of the expert contributors and professional writers behind the knowledge library at Koda's Kitchen. With extensive experience working with behavioral challenges — especially aggression — she brings a perspective that goes far beyond traditional dog training. Her work focuses on understanding the why behind behavior, not just the behavior itself. By combining practical experience with a deep understanding of stress, environment, learning, and underlying health factors, she helps dog owners see what most people miss: that behavior is communication. Through her contributions to the platform, Kristine translates complex behavioral science into clear, actionable insights — helping dog owners move away from outdated concepts like dominance and instead build safer, more informed relationships with their dogs. This interview gives you a glimpse into how she thinks — and why it might completely change how you see your dog. Read Kristines bio here: [Kristine Strøm](https://homecooked.furry-fitness.com/education/author/potenord)

“You work a lot with aggression — what’s the biggest misconception people have about aggressive dogs?”

There are two things I see all the time: 1. People think the dog is trying to dominate, be the boss, or climb some kind of hierarchy. That’s simply not what’s going on. Aggression does not come from dominance. It’s usually a symptom of something else — fear, stress, pain, frustration, or insecurity. 2. People think aggression is a “personality type.” It’s not. Aggression is a behavior that happens in specific situations. You have to look at triggers, health, environment, and learning history. Aggression is a symptom — not a personality trait.

“If you could remove one thing all dog owners do in everyday life — what would it be?”

Interpreting dog behavior through human emotions. Dogs do not feel shame, revenge, stubbornness, spite, or a need for power. When we project human emotions onto dogs, we completely misunderstand what’s actually happening.

“What kind of dog or challenge makes you think: ‘This dog needs more than just training’?”

Dogs that get very little rest. If a dog consistently sleeps less than 10 hours a day, it will struggle to learn. Lack of rest is also a warning sign that something else may be wrong — either health-related or environmental — and can lead to chronically elevated cortisol (stress levels) in the body.

“What’s something you do differently with your own dog that most owners don’t?”

I take small signs of discomfort seriously — even when they seem minor to others. And I avoid putting my dog in situations they just have to “push through” if they’re not ready for it.

“At Evighetshundens Kjøkken we care about food joy — what’s your dog’s absolute favorite snack?”

Dried fish. All of my dogs have absolutely loved dried fish.

“If you could send one push notification to every dog owner in the world — what would it say?”

“Your dog is not trying to be difficult — it’s trying to tell you something.” *Thank you for the interview, Kristine, and welcome to Koda's Kitchen! We’re incredibly excited to have your knowledge and perspective as part of the platform.*

Contact

You can reach Kristine here: [potenord.no](https://potenord.no/)