Dr. Jessica Hekman DVM, PhD and Kim Brophey CDBC, FDM

If you’re on social media, or just have an interest in dog training and behavior in general, you might have seen the controversy surrounding a research article that was published around the end of April, so just a couple months before the release of this podcast episode. The paper is titled "Ancestry Inclusive Dog Genomics Challenges Popular Breed Stereotypes". It’s a bit of a mouthful, but the short summary of controversy is that many in the mainstream media or on social media were saying that "breed totally matters, while others were staying, see, breed doesn’t matter at all."

So the first thing that came to my mind was, let’s get one of the authors of the paper onto the podcast. And the next thing that came to my mind was, let’s get Kim Brophey to be my guest host on this episode, as she is someone that has talked so much about breed and behavior tendencies in her past appearances as a guest on this show.

And so I brought Jessica Hekman, who is one of the authors and Kim Brophey together, and and let’s just say, these two brilliant minds do not disappoint in this episode, as we take a deep dive into not only dispelling some of the misunderstandings from the research, but also into genetics and aggression in general. 

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About Jessica:

Jessica Hekman, DVM, PhD, is a behavioral geneticist. She is one of the founders of the Functional Dog Collaborative (functionalbreeding.org), a non-profit which seeks to change the conversation around dog breeding in the dog loving community. She also teaches behavioral biology at the Virginia Tech online Masters program for Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare, and offers webinars online and consults with breeders about genetic testing and breeding choices. Jessica lives in Raymond, NH with her husband and three dogs.

About Kim:

Kim Brophey, CDBC, CPDT-KA, FDM, is an applied ethologist and owner of The Dog Door Behavior Center in Asheville, NC. Kim’s commitment to Family Dog Mediation® has been recognized internationally, awarded the APDT Outstanding Trainer of the Year and the Best Dog Trainer of WNC seven years in a row. She is a member of the International Society for Applied Ethology and the APDT, and a certified member and past board member of the IAABC. Kim Brophey’s L.E.G.S. ® model of integrated canine science has been endorsed by prominent canine scientists such as Raymond Coppinger and embraced by reputable academics and dog trainers worldwide. From her applied ethology content in Michael Shikashio’s Aggression in Dogs Master Course to her market-disrupting L.E.G.S.® Applied Ethology Family Dog Mediation® Course, Kim’s work is a celebrated contribution to the field. Her groundbreaking sold-out first edition book, MEET YOUR DOG, TED talk, Beyond The Operant (BTO) collaborative, many public speaking venues, and countless radio and podcast features have made profound waves throughout the dog behavior world.  Support the show