Dr. Hille Fieten is veterinary researcher and clinician specializing in internal medicine. She is is the coordinator of the Center for Expertise in Genetics and Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University. I have received multiple requests to talk to her about her research into the genetics of copper toxicity in dogs. Some of her research has been used for new genetic tests, and the dog loving community is asking how to interpret these tests. Buckle up for a lot of information coming at you!
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1:03:43
Hekman and Stremming: New paper on prevalence of behavior problems in dogs in the US
A new paper, "The prevalence of behavior problems in dogs in the United States," is getting people upset - is it true that 99.78% of owners think their dog has a behavior problem? That's not actually what the paper says, and I'm here with Sarah Stremming of Cog Dog Radio for a joint episode. We talk through the paper's findings and what it means for those of us trying to make the world a better place for dogs.
Beaver, Bonnie V. "The prevalence of behavior problems in dogs in the United States." Journal of Veterinary Behavior 76 (2024): 34-39.
Hsu, Yuying, and James A. Serpell. "Development and validation of a questionnaire for measuring behavior and temperament traits in pet dogs." Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 223.9 (2003): 1293-1300.
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48:53
Dr. Paula Boyden: Puppy Smuggling in the UK
Dr. Paula Boyden is the veterinary director of Dogs Trust UK, an animal welfare organization that, among many other things, investigates illegal importation of animals to the UK. Paula and I talked about puppy smuggling - why it happens, how it happens, the animal welfare implications, how hard it is for puppy seekers to detect it, and potential solutions to stop it.
You can learn more about Dogs Trust UK at https://www.dogstrust.org.uk. You can find the puppy smuggling reports that Paula and I talked about at https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/our-views/puppy-smuggling .
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1:09:03
Sara Reusche: Breeding Sports Lite Dogs
This week I welcomed back Sara Reusche (she/her)! Sara is a CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, CVT, and owns Paws Abilities Dog Training, LLC in Southeast Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro. Sara and I talked about what we mean by the term sports lite versus sport bred, what the sports lite dogs she's bred look like - and how everyone deserves an easy dog, even those who want to do sports. To learn more about Sara's training program go to https://pawsabilitiesmn.com/ (they have online offerings so you don't have to be local!) and to learn more about her breeding program check out https://www.facebook.com/puzdog.
In this episode we talk a bit about where people might go to find a sports lite dog and what kinds of questions to ask a breeder. If you're looking for a puppy or adult dog, I highly recommend checking out the Puppy Seekers Project. They have a group on Facebook which is incredibly helpful in the puppy search, and when you get there, ask them about how to get recommendations for specific breeders. If you're interested in learning more about breeders who prioritize the goals of the Functional Dog Collaborative, that is the place to go!
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57:27
Carm Aufderheide, CSAT, MS-CRES: How we change minds
Carm Aufderheide, CSAT, KPA-CTP, CTDP-KA, MS-CRES, is a dog behavior consultant with a master's degree in conflict and dispute resolution. In this episode, Carm and I talk about conflict in the dog breeding world - and in dog training, human politics, and other parts of life. Why are we as humans so likely to fall into conflict with others? Why is it so hard to convince others of your viewpoint when you're in conflict with them? How can we do things differently so we can start having meaningful conversations with others in which we and they are able to think deeply about why we believe what we believe?
To learn more about Carm, check out https://www.northstartraining.info/ - note that in addition to dog training services, she does consults to help with conflict resolution.
In this episode, Carm and I talk about a lot of books that she recommends. They are:
Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection, by Charles Duhigg
How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion, by David McRaney
High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out, by Amanda Ripley
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It, by Chris Voss
Street Epistemology (check out YouTube for examples)
The Functional Breeding Podcast is about how to breed dogs for function and for health, behavioral and physical. It is brought to you by the Functional Dog Collaborative, a non-profit organization founded to support the ethical breeding of healthy, behaviorally sound dogs. The FDC’s goals include providing educational, social, and technical resources to breeders of both purebred and mixed breed dogs, helping us all learn more about how to breed good companions who are fit for sports or work. You can find out more at functionalbreeding.org or at the Functional Breeding facebook group, which is a friendly and inclusive community.
Ireland