Is your dog just aging — or is it CCD?
Pacing at night. Staring at walls. Forgetting familiar routines. These can be early signs of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction. Take the free 2-minute DISHAA check-in to see exactly where your dog stands — and get a calm, printable plan for tonight.
Free. No login. Built for senior dog owners who need clarity before another long night.
Good morning, Sara.How is Bowie today?
Week 3 · Snuffle work & enrichment
Log tonight's check-in.
One minute. Sleep, pacing, mood.
Log check-in →Up to
35%
of dogs develop signs of canine cognitive dysfunction at some point in their life.
according to studies from
Cornell University Riney Canine Health Center
A structured framework for owners of dogs with CCD — or the early signs of it.
It's built around DISHAA — a six-domain framework that turns vague worry into something you can actually work with. Here's what each letter stands for:
Does any of this sound like your dog?
- Pacing or restlessness in the late afternoon and evening
- Standing in corners or behind furniture, looking lost
- Staring at walls or empty space for long periods
- Forgetting where the water bowl is
- Waking and vocalising at 3 AM
- Accidents indoors, despite years of being house-trained
- Withdrawing from family — or, conversely, becoming unusually clingy
- Approaching the wrong side of a familiar door
And what do you do when this is happening?
You Google. You worry. You guess. You sleep less.
If a few of these sound familiar, you're not imagining it. These are early signs of cognitive change — and the sooner you start working with them, the more you can do. The good news: it's not complicated. You just need a plan.
We're not diagnosing anything from a checklist. But if this looks like your dog, you're in the right place.
Free · No account · No credit card · 12 questions
Different dogs. Same worry.
Some pace. Some stare. Some cling. Some withdraw. Some simply stop feeling like themselves.
The pattern is different for every dog — but the owner's question is often the same:
"What is happening, and what should I do tonight?"
Different dog, same worry — but where is yours, exactly?
Take the free 2-minute check-inThree places to start. One care system.
The free check-in, the $9 Starter Kit for restless evenings, or the full 8-week Method. Pick what fits where you are.
Free Check-In
- 12-question DISHAA check-in
- Personal snapshot
- 3-night calm starter plan
- What to observe this week
Starter Kit
- 7-night calm-evening reset plan
- Calming Evening Routine + Bedtime Wind-down
- Night Pacing Log + Vet-Notes template
- Crisis Protocol card for hard nights
- Materials list — calm evenings on a budget
- No access to the digital Companion tracker
Best when you need help tonight, not a full program yet.
The Hearthside Method
- 8-week guided method
- Access to the digital Companion tracker
- DISHAA tracking system
- Weekly routine builder
- Evening calm protocols
- Vet-ready observation notes
- Printable fridge sheets
- Owner stress & guilt support
- Lifetime access to all templates
For owners who are done guessing.
What the 8 weeks actually do.
Setting the daily brain rhythm
Build the morning and evening anchors your senior dog's nervous system can rely on every day.
Sundowning protocol & sleep environment
Calm the most loaded hour of the senior dog day. Specific routines for the 5 PM–10 PM window.
Snuffle work & nose-driven enrichment
Nose-led activities that exercise the parts of the brain senior dogs still use most.
Food puzzles & light cognitive stimuli
Cognitive engagement built around food motivation — adapted for senior pace and ability.
Movement adapted for senior mobility
Joint-aware physical activity that maintains mobility without overstressing aging bodies.
Social interaction & re-bonding rituals
Rituals that strengthen the relationship as recognition and behaviour begin to shift.
Nutrition & supplementation
What to feed, what to add, what the research supports — practical and current.
Long-term structure & owner self-care
How to keep the rhythm going past week 8 — and how to take care of yourself while you do.
Printable tools, designed to live on your fridge.
Every page is built for real evenings. Structured, easy to use when you're tired and your dog needs you anyway.
DISHAA Weekly Tracker
Calming Evening Routine
Vet Notes Template
15 printables. One care system.
Each printable lives in one of four moments — evening rhythm, weekly tracking, vet preparation, or reflection. Together they replace guessing with structure.
Evening & night
4 sheetsCalming Evening Routine
On the fridge by 7 PM
Bedtime Wind-down Card
Read aloud the same way every night
Night Pacing Log
One row per restless night
Minimum Viable Day Card
Your fallback for low-energy days
Weekly tracking
4 sheetsDISHAA Self-Assessment
Baseline today, re-take at Week 8
DISHAA Weekly Tracker
8 weeks of structured observation
DISHAA Score Tracker
Trend across multiple baselines
Quality-of-Life Snapshot
One page, one moment in time
Vet & care
4 sheetsVet Notes Template
Print 5 minutes before your visit
Vet Conversation Script
Questions you'll forget to ask
Medication & Supplement Log
Cross-reference what's working
Materials & Setup Guide
Home adjustments for senior comfort
Reflection & emergency
3 sheetsOwner Reflection Sheet
Process the harder days
Emergency Signs Checklist
Know when to call right now
Crisis Protocol Card
Step-by-step when it escalates
The Hearthside Companion — your tracker, between the sheets.
A simple in-browser progress tracker that comes with the Method. Daily one-minute check-ins, weekly DISHAA snapshots, and a one-click vet summary you can print and bring to your next visit. No account. No app store. Works on phone, tablet, or laptop.
What owners say after the first night.
"My vet kept saying it was just age. This gave me something to bring back."
"I'd been awake for weeks. This wasn't a fix — it was a frame I could lean against."
"I stopped feeling like I was failing him just by reading something written for us, not at us."
"It didn't pretend nothing was happening. That's why I trusted the rest of it."
The Calm Night Guarantee.
Try the Hearthside Method for 7 days.
If it doesn't give you more clarity, more structure, and a calmer way to support your senior dog, email us and we'll refund you.
No guilt. No complicated process.
See where your dog is, gently.
Take the free DISHAA quiz, get a personalized snapshot across all six domains, plus a 3-night calm plan you can start tonight.
