Where Will the Good Dogs Come From? (Anytime)

Course overview

In this talk, we will explore the current and future landscape of the acquisition of dogs. An increase in demand for dogs has made finding a good dog challenging, and this looming crisis has come to a head as demand has spiked during the pandemic. A lack of puppies or behaviorally sound adult dogs in shelters, irresponsible breeding, multi-year waiting lists, and dog breeds riddled with genetically mediated health issues are among the many concerns that make finding an acceptable dog, let alone a good dog, very challenging. In a culture where an owner's expectations of what a "good" dog means may differ from what breeders and shelters think is reasonable, how can a dog owner feel confident that they will find a healthy, long-lived dog who will make a behaviorally sound pet or sport dog? Many social rules define appropriate and ethical breeding, but how might these rules change in the future to make it easier for ethical breeders to produce healthy, behaviorally sound dogs destined for pet homes?