Our Dogs: Best of Health articles

I write a regular column for Our Dogs Newspaper called “Best of Health”. It covers topical canine health matters. You can also subscribe (free) to my “Best of Health” Flipboard Magazine.

This page contains links to my articles:

August 2021: Outrage helps nobody

July 2021: Judging for health should not be controversial

June 2021: Make it not be true

May 2021: An inspirational lecture?

March 2021: Breed health improvement – finding the balance

February 2021: Life, the universe and everything!

January 2021: Time to see the bigger picture

Our Dogs Annual January 2021: A dream or nightmare year for pedigree dog health?

December 2020: Polarising conversations – how can we bridge the gaps?

November 2020: Do we need to get MEAN to improve dog health?

October 2020: Time to get a GRIHP on dog health

September 2020: More data won’t improve dog health

August 2020: So you want to be a “Preservation Breeder”?

July 2020: Dog health needs a decision-making revolution

June 2020: Culture eats strategy for breakfast

May 2020: Puppy buyers – mismatched expectations and the “panic button”

May 2020: Breed Health Improvement – leading in the new normal

April 2020: Fighting the dog health “infodemic”

March 2020: A world of unanticipated consequences

March 2020: Health-tested does not mean “healthy”

February 2020: Thinking fast and slow

January 2020: Breed Health – time to look ahead

December 2019: Breeders: the good, the bad and the future

November 2019: Canine anxiety and puppy-rearing

October 2019: Throwing the baby out with the bathwater

September 2019: Are responsible breeders making things worse?

August 2019: Every breed needs a choreographer! 

July 2019: Breed health strategies: addressing the challenges

June 2019: The why and how of Breed-specific Health Strategies

May 2019: We need to stop trying to change people’s minds

April 2019: Where do Breed Health Strategies come from?

March 2019: I don’t like your data

February 2019: 20 years of DNA testing – what can we learn?

January 2019: An international approach to breed health improvement (IDHW4)

December 2018: Behavioural traits of dogs – surprising clusters

November 2018: Blue is the colour, CNR is the name

October 2018: How long will my dog live? Longevity study

September 2018: How to create a culture of openness, trust and collaboration

August 2018: Breed Health & Conservation Plans

July 2018: Breeds as genetic pools

June 2018: The elephant in the room – DBRG presentation

May 2018: Breeding policies in 15 Kennel Clubs

April 2018: What is it they say about “statistics”?

March 2018: Managing breeds for a secure future

February 2018: Healthy dogs; breeders and owners want the same thing

January 2018: I’m a Breed Health Coordinator, get me out of here!

December 2017: Focus and alignment – a challenge for breed plan communication

November 2017: Planning for breed improvement

October 2017: Trust or trash? Just what can you believe?

Sept. 2017: Making sure the “obvious” is obvious

August 2017: Complex diseases: can we really find the genes?

July 2017: Here’s to you, Mrs Robinson

June 2017: International collaboration – part 2

May 2017: International collaboration on health

April 2017: IPFD IDHW Workshop preview

March 2017: The problem with facts

February 2017: Alternative facts and the post-truth world

January 2017: Genetic Diseases: Not so simple after all? 

December 2016: Let’s celebrate our Breed Clubs and Breed Health Coordinators

November 2016: Show me the data and I will show you some solutions

October 2016: KC BHC Symposium Report

September 2016: 20 reasons why improving breed health is so difficult

August 2016: Brachycephalics: making the move from data to improvement

July 2016: The Great British Puppy Survey

June 2016: Communicating science in plain English

May 2016: Who is responsible for breed conservation?

April 2016: What’s the point of a Breed Health Survey?

March 2016: The sins of the father are laid upon his children

February 16: The gene genie is truly out of the bottle

December 15: Enough data; time for some action?

October 15: Using the KC’s Diversity Report data

August 15: Don’t underestimate “Pet Power”!

July 15: Weighing the pig won’t make it fatter

June 15: A 5 point plan for improving canine health and welfare

Apr. 15: Breeding strategies – a range of options

Mar. 15: Events dear boy, events! – Crufts

Feb 15: Mastiff & Neapolitan Mastiff Health Seminar

Jan 15: The KarltonIndex – “Smoke & Mirrors” or “Mapping a Journey”?

Dec. 14: A list of recommendations is not a Strategy

Nov. 14: A focus on Health Surveys

Oct. 14: Breed Health Coordinator Conference

Sept. 14: Fat dogs are being let down by their owners

Aug. 14: Tackling complex diseases

Jul. 14: Tackling “simple” genetic disorders

Jun. 14: Breed Clubs and the KC collaborating

May 14: Breed Club Health Reports and Spay-Neuter data

Apr. 14: Breed health focus at Crufts and the DHG Annual Report

Mar. 14: Canine Health Improvement – it’s a “wicked problem”