Blog

  • The language and mechanisms of dog breeding, unpacked (Part 1)

    The language and mechanisms of dog breeding, unpacked (Part 1)

    A lot of misunderstandings about dog breeding start with language. Basic genetic terms are often used loosely, and different ideas are treated as if they were the same thing, which makes it harder to judge risk and harder to ask good questions about the dogs people live with and breed from. This post unpacks a… Read more

  • Dog breeding, unpacked

    Dog breeding, unpacked

    I’m writing a short series of three posts to separate some of the questions that tend to get mixed together in discussions about dog breeding. Each post focuses on a different layer, because treating all of these as one question is one of the reasons these conversations stall. Read more

  • Fireworks, puppies, and why early life matters more than we realise

    Fireworks, puppies, and why early life matters more than we realise

    We ask modern dogs to tolerate noise, crowds, novelty, and confinement—often without asking how prepared they were to cope. Fireworks expose the cost. This piece explains why early life matters, why timing is the intervention, and why later training cannot fully replace foundations laid before a puppy ever comes home. Read more

  • 10 myths about hip dysplasia

    10 myths about hip dysplasia

    Hip dysplasia remains one of the most frequently discussed yet misunderstood topics in canine health. Despite decades of research and screening programmes, misconceptions persist about what hip scores actually mean, how genetics and environment interact, and what constitutes healthy hips. These misunderstandings matter because they influence breeding decisions, how puppies are raised, and which dogs… Read more

  • Doing right by the dog

    Doing right by the dog

    Breeding is one of the few areas where people make far-reaching decisions on behalf of a future life that cannot consent. “Ethical breeding” and “responsible breeding” are familiar phrases, but they can hide very different standards in practice. I find it more useful to treat breeding as a set of decisions with long tails, where… Read more

  • The Fetch Continuum: understanding risks and making it safer

    The Fetch Continuum: understanding risks and making it safer

    Fetch is one of the most heated topics in dog training: some guardians see it as an easy way to exercise a dog, while others (rightly) argue that it causes injuries and fuels unhealthy obsession. The discussion is often polarized but in reality the question of fetch is far more nuanced Read more