As our dogs grow older, so do we — not just in years, but in depth, awareness, and presence. In this reflective episode, Bethany shares the emotional landscape of ageing dogs: the quiet grief that begins long before goodbye, the slowing rhythms of daily life, and the sacred shift that happens when we stop rushing and start noticing.

With deeply personal stories of her own dogs — Steve, Dave, and Hank — this episode holds space for the beauty and heartbreak of growing old together. You’ll also hear gentle insights into the physical changes that accompany ageing, and how to support your dog with love, patience, and practical care.

This is an episode for anyone walking beside a grey muzzle… or bracing for the day they will.

Further resources

Free Learning:

What is the CDD method?

Our Free Facebook Group

Our YouTube Channel

Facebook Page

Bethany’s Facebook Page

Our Blog

Website

Free Rescue Course

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.

What if the calmest dogs aren’t truly calm — just quietly overwhelmed? In this powerful and thought-provoking episode, canine behaviourist and CDD Method creator Bethany Bell explores the widely accepted, yet deeply misleading, idea of the “neutral” dog.

You’ll learn why neutrality is often confused with emotional maturity, how stillness can signal shutdown, and why aiming for a dog who ignores the world may do more harm than good. Bethany unpacks the hidden costs of flooding and avoidance, reframes reactivity through the lens of emotional safety, and offers gentle, relationship-based alternatives rooted in dialogue, choice, and trust.

Whether you’re a dog guardian or a professional, this episode will challenge everything you’ve been told about calmness, socialisation, and control — and help you build a more ethical, emotionally intelligent bond with your dog.

Have we mistaken obedience for understanding?

In this episode of Rewriting the Rules, I’m exploring what I call “The Obedience Hangover” - that quiet, uneasy space we find ourselves in after years of teaching our dogs to behave, only to realise that something still feels disconnected.

We’ll talk about what really happens when dogs are praised for being calm, quiet, and compliant - and why that calmness can sometimes be a mask for emotional suppression and confusion.

Together, we’ll look at how obedience culture shaped so many of us - even the most ethical of trainers - and how to begin recovering from it with compassion, curiosity, and dialogue.

This isn’t about throwing away everything you’ve learned.

It’s about rediscovering the “why” behind it - rebuilding trust, confidence, and communication so your dog feels seen, not just well-behaved.

✨ In this episode:

• What the “obedience hangover” really means

• How good intentions can still lead to emotional suppression

• The difference between calmness and safety

• How to begin recovery through observation, empathy, and dialogue

• Replacing control with connection in everyday life

If you’ve ever felt that quiet voice inside saying “something about this doesn’t feel right”, this episode will help you listen to it - and to your dog - with a new kind of understanding.

💭 Because love isn’t about control. It’s about relationship.

Further resources

Free Learning:

What is the CDD method?

Our Free Facebook Group

Our YouTube Channel

Facebook Page

Bethany’s Facebook Page

Our Blog

Website

Free Rescue Course

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.