
Free Daily Podcast Summary
by The Functional Dog Collaborative
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.
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In this two-part conversation, Jess Sedivy Gunderson sits down with Jane Lindquist to revisit and expand on one of the Functional Breeding Podcast’s most downloaded episodes. Together, they explore what has evolved in puppy raising over the past several years, including socialization, resilience, developmental periods, breeder observation skills, and how the pandemic shaped conversations around raising puppies. Jess and Jane also discuss what has stayed the same, what has shifted, and why thoughtful puppy raising continues to require flexibility, curiosity, and adaptation as new science emerges. Part 2 of the conversation drops a few weeks later and will focus on Jane’s newer work around weaning and the puppy microbiome. Support the podcast and the work of the Functional Dog Collaborative on Patreon: Functional Breeding Patreon
In this episode from our archive, we revisit an important conversation between Perry and Dr. Jane Ladlow, VetMB, DipECVS, MRCVS, on brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), functional health, and the future of brachycephalic breeds. Their discussion explores the real-world welfare impacts of extreme conformation, the challenges of balancing breed type with health, and what meaningful change could look like moving forward. Though this episode originally aired in 2024, the conversation remains deeply relevant for breeders, owners, veterinarians, and anyone interested in functional health and ethical dog breeding. If you're like to support the podcast and the work of the Functional Dog Collaborative please visit our Patreon: Functional Breeding Patreon
Before stepping in as interim host, Jess Sedivy Gunderson joins Sarah Stremming (Cog-Dog Radio) alongside Xan Latta to share the story behind the Flatcoat Conservation Project. From the cancer crisis in Flat-Coated Retrievers to the promise of genetic rescue, this episode explores what happens when breeders choose dogs over tradition—and what that could mean for the breed’s future. If you'd like to support the FDC podcast, please visit our Patreon page.
This episode, I am being interviewed by Sarah Stremming about a recent scientific article about the genetics of behavior in herding breeds and specifically in border collies. I talk about the study's methods and what it all means, and Sarah grounds it in her deep practical experience with herding dogs. Sarah has been on the podcast so many times that she hardly needs an introduction but for new listeners, she is an internationally known dog behavior consultant and speaker. You can learn more about her at sarahstremming.com and I encourage you to check out her podcast, cog dog radio, where this episode is being jointly released. On a personal note I want to let you all know that while I haven't been releasing episodes, this podcast has been very much on my mind. I continue to suffer from chronic fatigue which makes this kind of effort really difficult for me - after recording this episode I was unable to work for the rest of the day. I'm improving but it's very slow going. I am deeply grateful to those on Patreon who continue to support the podcast during this hiatus - that support goes straight to the Functional Dog Collaborative and is much needed and appreciated. Jeong, Hankyeol, Elaine A. Ostrander, and Jaemin Kim. "Genomic evidence for behavioral adaptation of herding dogs." Science Advances 11.18 (2025): eadp4591. https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/sciadv.adp4591
This week I'm talking to Dr Laura Sharkey, dog trainer turned dog breeder, who runs the Bosun Dog Project. This project produces lovely mixed breed dogs who are bred to fit well into homes as companions. This episode was actually recorded in person with me and Laura in the same room. We started talking about what we would talk about and then I realized she had already said some really interesting stuff, so I hit record and prompted her to start over, and away we went, talking about some of the fascinating discoveries she's made with her analytical brain while raising many litters of foster puppies and five litters of Bosun puppies! If you want to know more about the Bosun Dog Project, you can go to bosundogproject.com.
This week I'm talking with Dr Micah Halpern, a geneticist who has worked with many species including zoo animal population health, and is currently the pricipal scientist and owner of GenSol Diagnostics. Micah and I got nerdy about genetic testing for canine health and other traits - what are some of the different technologies involved, and how do we think about what "accurate" means in terms of results? I've had a long break from recording podcast episodes and I'm coming back gradually. My series of unfortunate injuries seem to be coalescing into chronic pain that makes working difficult. The Functional Dog Collaborative is a high priority for me but sometimes I do have to take a break from this podcast while I recover a bit, and this was one of those times. I hope to have episodes coming out more regularly, but also a bit more slowly than previously, for a while, while I improve and ramp them back up. I appreciate your patience.
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!
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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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.
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