The dog-owner's guides we wish we'd had.
Short, opinionated explainers on the genetics, health, and food questions that actually move the needle, written for owners, not regulators or journals.
Genetics, health & breed
What your dog’s DNA and breed actually tell you, and where the science stops.
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Golden Retrievers and Cancer: What Is True, and What You Can Do
Golden Retrievers face cancer more than almost any breed. Here is the honest number, what no DNA test can tell you, the handful of things that genuinely help, and the 196 of the most-studied Goldens on Earth who simply grew old.
15 min read -
Does Your Dog's Breed Predict Its Personality?
The largest study of dog behavior and DNA found breed explains at most a fifth of any trait, and barely any aggression. What breed actually shapes, and what it does not.
6 min read -
Copper Hepatopathy in Dogs: How a Deleted Regulation Created a Liver Disease
In 2007, AAFCO deleted the maximum copper limit for commercial dog food. Veterinary literature has documented a rise in copper-associated chronic hepatitis ever since. The full story.
14 min read
Dog food & labels
What the bag is allowed to hide, what regulation does and does not cover, and what actually moves the needle.
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How to Read a Dog Food Label
What the front of the bag is allowed to hide, what the back is required to disclose, and what no bag is required to tell you.
12 min read -
AAFCO Statements Explained
AAFCO is not a government agency. It does not test or approve any dog food. Here is what the statement on the back of the bag actually means.
10 min read -
Grain-Free Dog Food and DCM
The FDA investigated grain-free food and a fatal heart condition for four and a half years, then walked away. The full story, every conflict of interest, and where Sniff stands.
18 min read -
Dog Food Ingredients: 21 to Avoid and 8 That Are Actually Fine
The "ingredients to avoid" list everyone shares is half right and half mythology. Here is what actually matters and what is just pet food forum copy-paste.
15 min read
More on the way, weighted toward the genetics side: how to read a dog DNA test, what a variant of uncertain significance actually means, and carrier versus affected.