Power, pain, and perception | What dogs teach us about control, care, and the systems that shape us | Rose Bao | RoseK9Behaviourist

In this episode, I speak with Rose Bao, a canine behaviourist and counsellor whose work explores the emotional lives of dogs and the systems that have taught us to value obedience over understanding. Rose brings a rare mix of science, empathy and cultural reflection to the conversation, drawing on her background in biomedical engineering and her current research in Clinical Animal Behaviour at the University of Edinburgh. We talk about how identity, power and emotion intersect in dog training cultures, the lingering influence of colonial and patriarchal structures on our relationships with animals, and what it really means to unlearn control. Rose shares how her first dog, Bruno, became both her greatest teacher and her deepest heartbreak, leading her to examine pain, agency and the human need for certainty through a new lens. Together we explore what happens when we stop trying to fix dogs and start listening to them, and how that shift can ripple through our understanding of empathy, attachment and care itself. This conversation is not about finding answers. It is about sitting with discomfort, questioning what we have been taught to believe, and allowing curiosity to reshape how we live alongside other beings. Rose on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosek9behaviourist/