Manifesto of the School of Dog Wellbeing

1. A dog has intrinsic value

A dog is a sentient being with a life, needs and preferences of their own. 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. A dog’s wellbeing matters in its own right.

A person may want a dog for companionship, enjoyment and shared activities. But wanting these things does not oblige the dog to meet that person’s expectations. When we welcome a dog into our lives, we take responsibility for their care, whether or not we get what we hoped for from the relationship.

2. A dog’s dependence places a duty of care on people

The person caring for a dog determines the conditions of the dog’s life: where they live, what they eat, when they go outside, whom they interact with, when they can relieve themselves and what help they receive. Meeting the dog’s needs is therefore that person’s primary responsibility. This responsibility continues through illness, ageing and any change in life circumstances.

Care requires knowledge. People need to learn to understand a dog’s needs, recognise signs of poor wellbeing and seek help when their own understanding is not enough.

If a person’s routines or living arrangements do not allow them to meet a dog’s needs, they must seek solutions: change the conditions, enlist help or reconsider their plans.

If a person cannot provide for a dog’s wellbeing, carefully finding a suitable new family can be a responsible decision. Until the dog has been placed with that family, the person remains fully responsible for the dog’s wellbeing.

3. Wellbeing includes a fulfilling life of the dog’s own

Caring for a dog means creating conditions in which they can meet their needs:

Live free from fear and pain. A dog must not be forced to endure pain, live in chronic fear or repeatedly face situations that cause suffering. Care, treatment and interactions with people must be organised to protect the dog from pain and fear.
Eat and drink. A dog must receive suitable, nutritionally complete food in sufficient quantities and at appropriate intervals. They must be able to eat calmly, without competition or the threat of losing their food, and have constant access to clean water.
Relieve themselves when they need to. A dog must have access to a suitable place to relieve themselves and enough time to do so calmly. They must not be forced to wait for long periods because of a person’s schedule.
Sleep and recover. A dog must be able to get enough uninterrupted sleep, settle comfortably and rest without being disturbed. They must be able to withdraw from interaction and activity when they need peace and quiet.
Move, explore and play. A dog must be able to walk at a suitable pace, sniff, explore their surroundings, choose a direction and change speed. They need varied experiences suited to their individual interests and abilities, and access to things they find interesting, including activities they can enjoy without a person’s constant involvement.
Form relationships. A dog must be able to interact with suitable people and other dogs, and form and maintain lasting bonds. They must be able to choose their distance from others and end unwanted contact.
Feel safe. A dog must be able to relax, move away from things that frighten them, find shelter and receive help. They need an environment where people behave predictably and changes leave them time to adapt.
Influence what happens. A dog must be able to make choices, take initiative, and signal agreement or refusal. People must take the dog’s signals into account and change their actions in response.

Wellbeing includes both protection from suffering and positive experiences: pleasure, interest, comfort and closeness. A dog needs activities and relationships that they want to engage in.

How a dog’s needs are met depends on their age, health and preferences. What matters is assessing how the dog experiences life in the conditions provided.

A dog must never have to earn the fulfilment of any of these needs through good behaviour.

4. A dog’s preferences and signals must influence people’s decisions

A dog must have agency. Agency is the ability to make choices independently, take initiative and influence what happens.

A dog communicates their interests and how they feel through behaviour: approaching or moving away, starting or ending an interaction, exploring, avoiding or asking for help. People need to learn to notice these signals and take them into account when organising life with the dog.

Respecting a dog means allowing them to participate in their own life, rather than deciding everything they do.

5. Difficulties must be addressed with the dog’s needs in mind

Vocalisation, destructive behaviour, anxiety, reactivity and aggression can make life together very difficult. But behaviour that people find inconvenient does not make a dog less deserving of care or justify causing them pain or fear. If a dog’s behaviour poses a danger, people must ensure safety in a way that also takes the dog’s wellbeing into account.

People have a duty to protect a dog from chronic fear, pain and distress. This principle applies to both everyday care and medical treatment. Even necessary procedures must be organised to protect the dog from pain and fear through preparation, adjustments to the environment, pain relief and medication to reduce anxiety.

6. Dogs’ interests must be considered beyond the family

Our attitudes towards dogs are reflected in more than the care we provide as individuals. They are also reflected in the design of towns and cities, the work of veterinary clinics, shelters and other organisations, rules on keeping dogs and attitudes towards dogs without homes.

A dog’s needs do not disappear because they have no family, live in a shelter or are seen as a public nuisance. Keeping people and other animals safe requires solutions that recognise dogs’ wellbeing as valuable in its own right.

We want recognition of dogs’ value to influence decisions in everyday life and across society: the conditions provided for dogs, how help is organised, what is expected of them and how difficulties are addressed.

7. The role of the School of Dog Wellbeing

The School of Dog Wellbeing (ShBS) 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.

We discuss the ethics of human relationships with dogs and encourage people to assess familiar practices by how they affect the dog’s own life. Our role is to help people make informed decisions and work towards ensuring that dogs’ interests are considered in everyday care, professional practice and society.

Every dog matters, just as they are. Their needs matter in their own right, regardless of how easy they are for people to live with.