The Functional Breeding Podcast

Breeder Spotlight: Ezri Silverberg Apsara Windsprites and Lurchers

In this Breeder Spotlight, Ezri Silverberg of Apsara Windsprites & Lurchers, joins interim host Jess to talk their Windsprites, lurchers, and the realities of breeding wi

Breeder Spotlight: Tara Doherty and Figment Vulpine Spitz

In this Breeder Spotlight, interim host Jess Sedivy Gunderson talks with breeder Tara Doherty of Figment Vulpine Spitz and the Vulpine Spitz Project, and her goal of prod

Breeder Spotlight: Dr. Laura Sharkey and the Bosun Dog Project

In this Breeder Spotlight, Jess Sedivy Gunderson welcomes back Dr. Laura Sharkey of the Bosun Dog Project. Building on Laura's previous conversation with Perry about what

REPLAY: Mary Peaslee, MD, MPH: Breeding for Population Health

We're revisiting one of our favorite conversations with Dr. Mary Peaslee, exploring what functional, sustainable breeding looks like in practice. Drawing on the English S

How Puppy Purchasing Shapes Lifelong Health -- with Rowena Packer, PhD

In this episode, interim host Jess Sedivy Gunderson welcomes back Dr. Rowena Packer to discuss new research examining how puppies' earliest experiences—including age at s

Jane Lindquist Part 2: Weaning and the Microbiome

In part two of this conversation, Jess Sedivy Gunderson continues her discussion with Jane Lindquist, diving into Jane’s newer work around weaning, early nutrition, and t

Jane Lindquist Part 1: Puppy Culture Revisit

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 episo

REPLAY: Dr. Jane Ladlow and BOAS

In this episode from our archive, we revisit an important conversation between Perry and Dr. Jane Ladlow, VetMB, DipECVS, MRCVS, on brachycephalic obstructive airway synd

The Flatcoat Conservation Project - with Jess Sedivy Gunderson and Xan Latta

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 Pr

Behavioral genetics of herding breeds: article discussion with Sarah Stremming

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 coll

Laura Sharkey, PhD, KPA CTP, SDC: What puppies are capable of

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 f

Micah Halpern, PhD: Canine Genetic Testing

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

Dr. Hille Fieten, Copper Toxicity

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 Veterinar

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

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

Dr. Paula Boyden: Puppy Smuggling in the UK

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

Sara Reusche: Breeding Sports Lite Dogs

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 me

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

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 tal

Rowena Packer, PhD: How people think about brachycephalic dogs

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

Genetic Testing Cavaliers for Heart Disease

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 a

Kim Kavin: The Dog Merchants

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, i