About Dr. Jessica Hekman: Dr. Hekman is a veterinarian who studies the genetics of dog behavior. She founded the Functional Dog Collaborative to give support to those who are responsibly breeding dogs.

The Functional Dog Collaborative defines what they mean by responsible breeding (which is informed mostly by what sort of dogs you’re trying to produce). Dr. Hekman describes why they decided to include behavioral health as part of that definition, and why it’s so important to responsible breeding.

For her day job, Dr. Hekman looks at canine genetics and how it relates to behavioral health. She wants the Functional Dog Collaborative to be able to support that research, to help both breeders and puppy buyers.