About the school
The School of Dog Wellbeing (SDW) is an ecosystem of knowledge about dogs’ behaviour, health and wellbeing.
At SDW, you can explore lectures by veterinarians and dog trainers, book summaries, research reviews, exercises, guidelines and books. SDW brings knowledge from veterinary medicine and behavioural science into everyday life with dogs.
Our materials are for professionals and engaged dog owners who want to understand dogs more deeply and keep learning.
Helping you make decisions, not telling you what to do
When it comes to dogs’ behaviour, health and wellbeing, there is rarely one universally correct answer. Different specialists may see the same issue differently.
Our role is not to make decisions for you, but to help you make them in an informed and thoughtful way. That is why we publish materials we consider important and worth studying, even when their authors’ views differ from those of the school’s editorial team. What you choose to take from them is up to our thoughtful, attentive readers.
Bringing different specialists together
SDW is not a fixed team of specialists who share the same approach. We bring together different dog trainers, behaviour specialists and veterinarians, introducing readers to their knowledge, experience and perspectives.
The school covers a range of veterinary specialties: internal medicine, neurology, rehabilitation, anaesthesiology, dermatology and gastroenterology. This allows us to explore behaviour alongside a dog’s health and physical condition.
This diversity helps us examine a subject from different perspectives, compare approaches and broaden our own understanding.
Working with sources
Our team translates and adapts sources that can be difficult to use without knowing English: guidelines from international veterinary organisations, textbooks, research papers, manuals and books.
Our library brings together lectures on fear, pain and learning, reviews of research on nutrition and behaviour, materials on veterinary care, and exercises for everyday care of dogs. You can study one subject in depth or gradually broaden your knowledge across different areas.
Why we share this knowledge
People determine the conditions of a pet dog’s life: where they live, what they eat, when they go outside, whom they interact with and what help they receive. Caring for a dog therefore requires knowledge of their needs and of how our decisions affect their life.
At the heart of SDW is the principle that a dog has intrinsic value. Their value does not depend on their temperament, health, behaviour or usefulness to people or society. A dog does not have to earn respect and care by being affectionate, obedient or easy to live with.
SDW shares knowledge about dogs’ needs and how to meet them. We help people understand dogs, recognise pain, fear and other signs of poor wellbeing, and find solutions that enable dogs to live fulfilling lives.
This position is set out in the SDW manifesto. You can support it by signing the Declaration of the Unconditional Value of Dogs.
How to explore our materials
We publish many free materials on Telegram and Instagram. Our blog offers free articles about life with dogs.
In the shop, you can choose individual materials to suit your needs. The SDW subscription is a platform for ongoing education: a website with a library of materials, a Telegram channel and a group chat. New materials are released every month, and subscribers have access to both new releases and the existing library.