Do dogs grieve? What does dog grief actually look like? And how can you support a dog after the loss of another dog, a person, or an animal companion?

In this episode of Rewriting the Rules, we explore canine grief in depth. When a dog loses a companion, whether that is another dog in the home or a beloved human, their world changes in ways that are often misunderstood. Grief in dogs can show up as anxiety, clinginess, withdrawal, separation distress, appetite changes, reactivity, confidence loss, or even trauma-like behaviours.

We discuss:

• Do dogs really experience grief?

• How attachment and co-regulation shape canine behaviour

• Why behaviour changes after loss are often nervous system responses

• What happens when two dogs become one

• Why alone time can suddenly feel frightening

• How grief can sometimes resemble PTSD or trauma

• Practical, compassionate ways to support a grieving dog

• How long dog grief may last

• How to rebuild safety, confidence, and emotional stability

This episode also gently acknowledges your own grief as a guardian, and how your emotional state interacts with your dog’s adjustment without placing pressure on you to suppress your feelings.

If your dog is showing behavioural changes after losing a companion, this episode will help you understand what may be happening beneath the surface and how to support them in a calm, steady, and emotionally intelligent way.

Grief is not a behaviour problem. It is an attachment response.

Listen now to learn how to walk alongside your dog through loss with compassion and clarity.

Further resources

Free Learning:

Patreon Page

What is the CDD method?

Our Free Facebook Group

Our YouTube Channel

Facebook Page

Bethany’s Facebook Page

Our Blog

Website

Free Rescue Course

Patreon Page

Our Programmes – Work With Bethany One To One

Our Online Courses

Bethany’s Books

Rewriting the Rules: The CDD Mentorship

Online Programmes

Surrey & Surrounding Areas- Programmes

Student Group

If you’re ready to step into something different - something kinder, wiser, and more meaningful - you’re in the right place.

Let’s raise dogs with dignity. Let’s teach through connection. Let’s begin the conversation.

In this episode of Rewriting the Rules, we explore what it really means to build a meaningful relationship with a dog, and why obedience is not the same as understanding.

Rather than focusing on commands like sit, stay, or down, this conversation looks at life skills that help dogs live safely and confidently in the real world. We explore the difference between training behaviours and teaching concepts, and why blind obedience can limit a dog’s ability to think, adapt, and make safe decisions on their own.

Using real-life examples such as waiting at doors, loose lead walking, and everyday boundaries, this episode shows how dogs can learn safety and self-regulation without rigid positions, constant management, or repetitive training routines. We discuss why teaching concepts like waiting, pacing, and awareness creates more reliable behaviour than obedience alone, and how this approach supports emotional wellbeing and trust.

This episode is for anyone who wants to move beyond control-based thinking and build a deeper, more ethical, and more effective way of living with dogs. If you care about safety, behaviour, and genuine connection, this episode will help you rethink what dogs really need to learn.

Further resources

Free Learning:

Patreon Page

What is the CDD method?

Our Free Facebook Group

Our YouTube Channel

Facebook Page

Bethany’s Facebook Page

Our Blog

Website

Free Rescue Course

Patreon Page

Our Programmes – Work With Bethany One To One

Our Online Courses

Bethany’s Books

Rewriting the Rules: The CDD Mentorship

Online Programmes

Surrey & Surrounding Areas- Programmes

Student Group

If you’re ready to step into something different - something kinder, wiser, and more meaningful - you’re in the right place.

Let’s raise dogs with dignity. Let’s teach through connection. Let’s begin the conversation.

Dog Play: What’s Healthy, What Isn’t, and Why It Matters More Than You Think

Dog play is one of the most misunderstood topics in the dog world. In this episode, we explore what healthy dog play actually looks like, what is commonly mistaken for play, and why getting this wrong can quietly contribute to stress, over-arousal, and behaviour struggles.

We talk about the emotional state behind play, the importance of consent, pauses, self-limiting behaviour, and choice, and why intensity does not automatically mean enjoyment. You’ll learn how to recognise when play is genuinely regulating, and when it is driven by over-arousal, frustration, social pressure, or stress release.

This episode also explores the difference between dog-to-dog play and human-led games such as fetch or tug, why not all dogs enjoy play, and why forcing play or using it as an “outlet” can backfire for sensitive or reactive dogs.

Rather than focusing on rules or management, this conversation invites you to slow down, observe more closely, and rethink play through a relationship-led, emotionally informed lens.

If you want to support calmer behaviour, emotional regulation, and genuine wellbeing, this episode will change how you see play forever.

Further resources

Free Learning:

Patreon Page

What is the CDD method?

Our Free Facebook Group

Our YouTube Channel

Facebook Page

Bethany’s Facebook Page

Our Blog

Website

Free Rescue Course

Patreon Page

Our Programmes – Work With Bethany One To One

Our Online Courses

Bethany’s Books

Rewriting the Rules: The CDD Mentorship

Online Programmes

Surrey & Surrounding Areas- Programmes

Student Group

If you’re ready to step into something different - something kinder, wiser, and more meaningful - you’re in the right place.

Let’s raise dogs with dignity. Let’s teach through connection. Let’s begin the conversation.