Best The Functional Dog Collaborative Podcasts (2025)

1
Dr. Hille Fieten, Copper Toxicity 1:03:43

1M ago1:03:43

1:03:43

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 us…

1
Hekman and Stremming: New paper on prevalence of behavior problems in dogs in the US 48:53

2M ago48:53

48:53

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 fo…

1
Dr. Paula Boyden: Puppy Smuggling in the UK 1:09:03

3M ago1:09:03

1:09:03

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 so…

1
Sara Reusche: Breeding Sports Lite Dogs 57:27

3M ago57:27

57:27

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 th…

1
Carm Aufderheide, CSAT, MS-CRES: How we change minds 1:30:37

4M ago1:30:37

1:30:37

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 …

1
Rowena Packer, PhD: How people think about brachycephalic dogs 1:24:47

4M ago1:24:47

1:24:47

Dr. Rowena Packer is a Senior Lecturer in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science at the Royal Veterinary College in London, where she studies dog breeding with an eye to maximizing physical and emotional health of dogs. She also studies how health affects canine behavior and welfare, and - the reason I asked her on for this episode - how co…

1
Genetic Testing Cavaliers for Heart Disease 30:15

5M ago30:15

30:15

This episode is just me (Jessica Perry Hekman, DVM, PhD) - talking about a new genetic test for the risk of mitral valve disease in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. Cavs are at incredibly high risk of this disease and get it at much younger ages than other breeds. What does this new test mean in terms of predicting if your Cav is at risk, and whethe…

1
Kim Kavin: The Dog Merchants 1:18:30

6M ago1:18:30

1:18:30

Kim Kavin is an award-winning freelance writer who is also passionate about better understanding where dogs come from in the United States. Her book, The Dog Merchants, is a fascinating read for anyone who wants a look at places few of us are able to go, such as a dog auction or a high volume kennel-based breeding operation. Kim and I talked about …

1
Daniel Mills, BVSc, ECAWBM(BM), PhD: Pain and behavior problems 1:01:27

6M ago1:01:27

1:01:27

This week I'm talking to Daniel Mills, Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine at the University of Lincoln and director of the University Animal Behaviour Clinic. Daniel is internationally recognized as an authority on companion animal behavior, cognition, and welfare. His lab studies, among other things, the association between untreated pai…

1
Dr. Cat Henstridge: Unlicensed fertility clinics in the UK 1:01:10

7M ago1:01:10

1:01:10

This week I'm talking with Dr. Cat Henstridge. Cat, who is a primary care veterinarian in the UK, has been on several TV series, including the Pets Factor. She writes for veterinary and non-veterinary publications, and is known as Cat the Vet to her many, many social media followers. Cat and I talked about the rise of unlicensed fertility clinics i…

1
Jane Ladlow, VetMB, DipECVS, MRCVS: Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome 1:09:34

7M ago1:09:34

1:09:34

This week I'm talking to Dr Jane Ladlow. Jane is a veterinary surgeon who is widely known as an expert on BOAS, or brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome. BOAS is the umbrella disorder that covers a variety of different airflow obstructions in different flat-faced breeds such as the pug, French bulldog, and English bulldog. Jane developed the R…

1
Gina Bryson and Drs O'Neill and Packer: The Doodle Dilemma 1:34:23

8M ago1:34:23

1:34:23

Today I'm talking with the researchers who recently published a paper that's been getting a lot of social media buzz. The paper's title is "The doodle dilemma: How the physical health of ‘Designer-crossbreed’ Cockapoo, Labradoodle and Cavapoo dogs’ compares to their purebred progenitor breeds." This interview was a big party featuring Gina Bryson, …

1
What is the coefficient of inbreeding (COI) and why does it matter? 39:32

8M ago39:32

39:32

This week you get just me (Jessica Perry Hekman) talking at you! I'm talking about the coefficient of inbreeding (COI), a measurement of genetic diversity that's commonly mentioned in discussions of individual and breed health. I talk about what it is, how to interpret it, how to get the measurement done for your own dog(s), why we care about it, a…

1
REPLAY: Jane Lindquist: Puppy Culture 1:11:19

8M ago1:11:19

1:11:19

I will have new content for you all soon - but for now, enjoy one from the archives! -- Jane Lindquist is the founder and owner of Puppy Culture, a widely used educational resource for raising and socializing puppies. She herself breeds and competes with bull terriers. As it turns out, she is very thoughtful when it comes to how to apply science to…

1
Mary Peaslee, MD, MPH: Breeding for Population Health 1:29:41

10M ago1:29:41

1:29:41

This episode I welcome back Mary Peaslee, MD, MPH, to talk about a breeder's perspective on all the advice Dr Dan O'Neill gave us in his recent episode on how to approach disorder testing. Mary works in population health and brings that perspective to her breeding practice. So what does all this stuff look like in the real world? How can breeders f…

1
Jessica Hekman, DVM, PhD, on "Lifetime Prevalence of Owner-Reported Medical Conditions" 1:02:17

10M ago1:02:17

1:02:17

We have a flipped episode this week with Sarah Stremming of Cog Dog Radio interviewing me. We're talking about the new paper out of the Dog Aging Project, "Lifetime Prevalence of Owner-Reported Medical Conditions in the 25 Most Common Dog Breeds in the Dog Aging Project Pack." There's been a lot of buzz on social media about this paper and we wante…

1
What's up with FDC and the podcast 15:06

11M ago15:06

15:06

There's a lot going on behind the scenes of the Functional Dog Collaborative and I have a lot of plans for upcoming podcast episodes. I also have had a bunch of people say they can't record this summer and so it may be a few weeks until I get the next episode out. So here's some stuff to tide you over - explanation of what's going on and what episo…

1
Dan O'Neill, MVB, PhD, FRCVS: Disorder Testing 1:32:12

11M ago1:32:12

1:32:12

Last episode I talked with Dr. Dan O'Neill, a veterinary epidemiologist who studies canine disorders that have an inherited component - what the rest of us might call "genetic diseases." During that interview he mentioned that he didn't think disorder testing - what most of us call health testing - has been workinig to improve canine health. I cut …

1
Dan O'Neill, MVB, PhD, FRCVS: VetCompass and Inherited Disease 1:23:46

12M ago1:23:46

1:23:46

Dan O'Neill, MVB, PhD, FRCVS is a veterinary epidemiologist who studies canine disorders that have an inherited component - what the rest of us might call "genetic diseases." He is the author of more than 95 papers, mostly on the prevalence and risk factors of disorders in dogs based on data drawn from VetCompass, the large scale veterinary databas…

1
Danika Bannasch, DVM, PhD: The Dalmatian Outcross Project 1:09:33

1y ago1:09:33

1:09:33

Danika Bannasch, DVM, PhD returns to the podcast to talk about the Dalmatian Outcross Project. Danika's laboratory found the genetic mutation that was targeted in this outcross, and she had a front row seat to the project's path to acceptance by the AKC and the Dalmatian Club of America. She is also herself a past breeder of Dalmatians. Danika walk…

1
Danika Bannasch, DVM, PhD: Chondrodystrophy 1:22:50

1y ago1:22:50

1:22:50

Danika Bannasch, DVM, PhD is the owner of Pint, the famous UC Davis football tee retrieving dog. She also happens to run a genetics lab, also at UC Davis, where she studies the genetics of inherited diseases in dogs and other animals. She is known for her work associating genetic variants with a variety of traits including coat color and skull shap…

1
Lisa Gunter, PhD, CBCC-KA: Shelter Dog Welfare 1:04:43

1y ago1:04:43

1:04:43

Lisa Gunter, PhD, CBCC-KA is an Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech in the School of Animal Sciences and directs the Laboratory for Animal Behavior and Welfare. Lisa’s research explores the behavior and welfare of companion animals, specifically our interactions with them, as it relates to animal sheltering, behavioral issues, and training. Lisa c…

1
Breeding for Companion Personalities: Carolyn Kelly, RN and Erica Pytlovany, KPA CTP 1:15:10

1+ y ago1:15:10

1:15:10

Carolyn Kelly is a registered nurse with over 30 years of experience in human health including in labor and delivery, and in mental health. She also holds a Masters Degree in Nursing Leadership. She runs a mixed breed companion dog program, Old Mission Retrievers. Erica Pytlovany, KPA CTP, is an experienced behavioral consultant at WOOFS! Dog Train…

1
Claire Wade, PhD and Sophie Liu, DVM: The Doberman Genetic Diversity Paper 1:25:18

1+ y ago1:25:18

1:25:18

This week I'm talking to Drs Claire Wade and Sophie Liu about their paper on genetic diversity in the Doberman breed. Dr Claire Wade is the Chair of Computational Biology and Animal Genetics at the University of Sydney, where she studies canine behavioral genetics. Dr Sophie Liu is a veterinarian specializing in behavior and the founder of the Dobe…

1
Lisa Wagner: Breeding Frenchies for Health 46:10

1+ y ago46:10

46:10

I've wanted to interview Lisa Wagner about her breeding program for a while now. I keep hearing about the great work she is doing to address health issues in her French bulldogs, and I was so enthusiastic to get a chance to ask her for more details. Lisa is a CKC registered breeder. Her breeding program is called Of Autumn, and you can most easily …

1
Sarah Stremming, CDBC: The Dog Sourcing Crisis 1:10:48

1+ y ago1:10:48

1:10:48

This episode is jointly released through the Functional Breeding Podcast and Cog Dog Radio, which is hosted by Sarah Stremming. Sarah is an internationally known dog behavior consultant with a special niche working with sports dogs. She consults at The Cognitive Canine, teaches online courses on dog behavior, and hosts the Cog Dog Radio Podcast. I …

1
Jessica Hekman, DVM, PhD: State of the Functional Dog Collaborative 59:30

2y ago59:30

59:30

This episode, Ji Khalsa is interviewing me, Jessica Hekman, DVM, PhD. I'm a veterinarian turned behavioral geneticist turned teacher and founder of the Functional Dog Collaborative, or FDC. I graduated from Tufts Veterinary School in 2012 with a dual veterinary and master's degree, which was on stress in hospitalized dogs. I completed a veterinary …

1
Laura Sharkey, PhD and Carolyn Kelly, RN: We All Have the Same Goals 59:20

2y ago59:20

59:20

This week we have Laura Sharkey and Carolyn Kelly back on the podcast. They are the co-founders of the Copilot Pet Dog Breeding Cooperative, and I always love to talk to them because of their fascinating insights into breeding dogs to be really good pets. We're talking about social media culture and how we love it and hate it - and how all of us lo…

1
Ji Khalsa, MS: Guardian Homes 44:18

2y ago44:18

44:18

This week we have Ji Khalsa back on the podcast. Ji is the founder of Midwoofery, a highly respected science-based educational resource for responsible dog breeders. She has a Masters degree in Microbiology and Biochemistry from Arizona State University, including independent studies in the link between canine genetics and behavior. She has decades…

1
Alison Skipper, PhD: the history of breed registries 1:35:05

2y ago1:35:05

1:35:05

This week we welcome back Dr. Alison Skipper to talk about the history of breed registries. Dr. Skipper is a veterinarian and historian at the Royal Veterinary College, London. She has an interest in the history of the health and welfare of purebred dogs. She works as a veterinarian at Crufts, has been on Kennel Club committees, and is very involve…

1
Sarah Stremming, CDBC: Fear Periods 1:03:34

2y ago1:03:34

1:03:34

This episode is jointly released through the Functional Breeding Podcast and Cog Dog Radio, which is hosted by Sarah Stremming. Sarah is an internationally known dog behavior consultant with a special niche working with sports dogs. She consults at The Cognitive Canine, teaches online courses on dog behavior, and hosts the Cog Dog Radio Podcast. I …

1
Carolyn Kelly, RN: Litter Highlight 1:13:17

2y ago1:13:17

1:13:17

Carolyn Kelly is a registered nurse with over 30 years of experience in human health including in labor and delivery, and in mental health where she witnessed the power that animal assisted interventions can play in the healing process. She holds a Masters Degree in Nursing Leadership and runs a small mixed breed companion dog program, Old Mission …

1
Mary Peaslee, MD, MPH: Deep Dive on Hip Testing, Part 2 1:08:36

2y ago1:08:36

1:08:36

This is the second part of my epic interview with Mary Peaslee about hip testing. As I said in part one, I highly value Mary's insights about hip testing for a whole bunch of reasons. She's a medical doctor with an additional master's in public health, specializing in preventive medicine, so she has extensive training in understanding screening tes…

1
Mary Peaslee, MD, MPH: Deep Dive on Hip Testing, Part 1 57:00

2y ago57:00

57:00

This episode I'm talking to Mary Peaslee about hip testing. I highly value Mary's insights about hip testing for a whole bunch of reasons. She's a medical doctor with an additional master's in public health, specializing in preventive medicine, so she has extensive training in understanding screening tests just like the kinds of tests we do for hip…

1
Dr. Alison Skipper: the Health and History of Brachycephalic Dogs 1:06:30

2+ y ago1:06:30

1:06:30

Dr Alison Skipper is a veterinarian and historian at the Royal Veterinary College, London. She has a particular interest in the health and history of brachycephalic dogs, and has authored multiple peer-reviewed articles about the subject. She works as a veterinarian at Crufts, has been on Kennel Club committees, and is very involved in the purebred…

1
Midwoofery and the FDC Breeder Curriculum 36:15

2+ y ago36:15

36:15

This week we have Ji Khalsa back on the podcast to talk about her highly regarded breeder educational resource, Midwoofery. Ji has a solid science background herself and has built a science-based curriculum (and we'll talk about what that means). Ji and I talk about how Midwoofery came to be, how it works, what courses she has, and what to expect f…

1
Litter highlight: Sara Reusche 1:13:47

2+ y ago1:13:47

1:13:47

We are pleased to have Sara Reusche (she/her) back on the podcast! Sara is a CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, CVT, and owns Paws Abilities Dog Training, LLC in Southeast Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro. Sara is back to update us on her multigen mixed breed breeding program and her new litter. She talks about transparency in breeding and making hard decisions …

1
Ji Khalsa and Alicia Hobson: the Genetics of Coat Type and Color 45:04

2+ y ago45:04

45:04

This week we're getting nerdy about the genetics of dog coat color and type with two breeders, Ji Khalsa and Alicia Hobson. Ji has a Masters degree in Microbiology and Biochemistry and has done additional work in genetics. She has bred and trained working dogs most of her adult life. She is the founder of Midwoofery, a highly respected science-base…

1
The Co-Pilot Breeding Cooperative 1:05:58

2+ y ago1:05:58

1:05:58

This episode I'm tallking to two breeders who have joined forces to set up a new cooperative and registry for breeders as part of the FDC, with a focus is on breeding for health and specific companion temperament goals regardless of breed mix. Laura Sharkey is the owner and Training Director at WOOFS! Dog Training Center in Arlington VA. Laura hold…

1
What is ”Functional?” with Sarah Streaming 1:15:26

2+ y ago1:15:26

1:15:26

This episode, I am the interviewee! Sarah Stremming (internationally known behavior consultant and podcaster, and member of the FDC Advisory Board) and I dig in to what the "functional" in "Functional Dog Collaborative" means. What are the FDC's guidelines in terms of health and behavior for dogs in a truly "functional" breeding program? How can yo…

1
Panel: Owning Dogs in the Modern World 1:47:32

2+ y ago1:47:32

1:47:32

On this episode I have four people who have different perspectives on dogs and their owners. They talked about the expectations we have of dogs and whether they are reasonable; the limits of training to manage dogs in the wrong environments; and the ethical dilemma of "dog keeping" in an increasingly urban world. We also touched on how our relation…

1
Karen Hinchy: The Chinook Outcross Project 1:05:28

3y ago1:05:28

1:05:28

Karen Hinchy has been breeding Chinooks for more than 13 years and is a guiding force in the Chinook Outcross Project. She's an extremely knowledgeable and science-minded breeder. I know that there are a lot of questions about there about how outcross projects work and what we can expect from them, and I hope this episode helps answer some of your …

1
Claire Apple: Farmcollies and the American Working Farmcollie Association 28:18

4y ago28:18

28:18

Claire Apple is on the board of the American Working Farmcollie Association (AWFA). This week, Claire and I talk about what farmcollies are and what they do, how to think about populations of dogs who aren't just one breed, and registering dogs on merit. Come learn about dogs who do a really complex and multifactored job! For more about Claire, you…

1
Joyce Briggs: what the state of shelter adoptions today means for breeders 1:01:06

4y ago1:01:06

1:01:06

Joyce Briggs is the President of the Alliance for Contraception in Cats & Dogs (ACC&D). She's dedicated her career to working in the world of animal sheltering, and has fascinating insights about how that world has changed over the past decades - backed up by some hard numbers. In this episode, we talk about the changing face of the animal shelter …

1
Kim Brophey: Ethology and Breeding Dogs 55:30

4y ago55:30

55:30

Kim Brophey is a behavior consultant who approaches dog behavior through an ethological lens. In this episode we talk about how we have selected different breeds for a variety of traits that make them more or less able to fit into our lives. To learn more about Kim, check out her book, Meet Your Dog, or her behavior consulting service at dogdoorcan…

1
Emily Bray, PhD: Maternal Care in Dogs 1:10:41

4+ y ago1:10:41

1:10:41

Emily Bray is an Animal Behavior Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Arizona and Canine Companions for Independence. Her area of interest is canine cognition, and she specifically studies the effects of different styles of maternal care on the adult personalities of dogs - in other words, does how your mom treats you affect who you will gr…

1
Jane Lindquist: Puppy Culture 1:11:19

4+ y ago1:11:19

1:11:19

Jane Lindquist is the founder and owner of Puppy Culture, a widely used educational resource for raising and socializing puppies. She herself breeds and competes with bull terriers. As it turns out, she is very thoughtful when it comes to how to apply science to the raising of puppies. We had a wide ranging conversation, at times nerdy, at times ph…

1
Functional Dog Collaborative updates for October, 2020 16:03

4+ y ago16:03

16:03

The podcast is going on a short hiatus, and then will resume broadcasting biweekly. Meantime, catch up on what is happening with the Functional Dog Collaborative, including breeding cooperatives, news on the long awaited database, and more.By The Functional Dog Collaborative

1
Sarah Stremming: Border Collies in Agility - We're All Weird Here 1:10:45

4+ y ago1:10:45

1:10:45

Sarah Stremming is an internationally known dog behavior consultant with a special niche working with sports dogs. She consults at The Cognitive Canine, teaches online courses on dog behavior, and hosts the Cog Dog Radio Podcast. I sat down with Sarah to talk about agility dogs, particularly the ubiquitous border collie, and what is going on with t…

1
Elinor Karlsson, PhD: Genetic testing from a scientist's perspective 1:12:27

4+ y ago1:12:27

1:12:27

Elinor Karlsson, Ph.D., is the director of the Vetebrate Genomics Group at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and (incidentally) my boss. She has a deep knowledge about both population genetics and what we call "complex trait genomics," or the genetics of hard to pin down things like risk of developing cancer or a behavior problem. Elinor talke…

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The Functional Dog Collaborative Podcasts

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