THE FUNCTIONAL DOG COLLABORATIVE
Supporting the ethical breeding of healthy, behaviorally sound dogs.
Learn With Us
Dive into conversations with breeders, trainers, vets & more.
Accessible summaries of published canine research.
Resources for breeders that focus on physical & behavioral health.
Connect
A friendly & inclusive community for breeding-related conversations.
A community of pet dog breeders with shared ethics & goals.
Assistance identifying a breeder or shelter with a dog that’s right for you.
Position Statement on Shelters and Dog Breeding
The Functional Dog Collaborative (FDC) has been asked: Do you think shelters should breed dogs? In short, no - FDC is not calling for animal shelters to breed dogs. The FDC does seek collaboration between shelters and breeders at the community level. Shelters are...
Prevalence of Health Conditions Across Breeds
Prevalence of Health Conditions Across Breeds Wiles, B.M., Llewellyn-Zaidi, A.M., Evans, K. et al. Large-scale survey to estimate the prevalence of disorders for 192 Kennel Club registered breeds. Canine Genetics and Epidemiology 4, 8 (2017) Link (open-access):...
Response to the “For All Dogs” Program
A primary goal of the Functional Dog Collaborative (FDC) is supporting breeders in breeding healthier and more behaviorally resilient dogs. We believe collaboration with animal shelters is an important part of that work. However, we find SPCA Tampa Bay’s “For All...
Claire Apple: Farmcollies and the American Working Farmcollie Association
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 can find her on Facebook or check out her training page, ncdogtraining.com. To learn more about AWFA, check out farmcollie.com.