The Future Of Dogs

Hannah Molloy
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The Future Of Dogs is Hosted by dog behaviour geek and qualified animal behaviourist Hannah Molloy. Jump into the ever growing conversation as Hannah interviews some of the worlds most groundbreaking professionals intent on shaping the future of dogs internationally in their unique field of expertise. How we breed, train, groom, study, campaign, buy and understand dogs is up for debate, what do you think the future of dogs should hold? 

  1. APR 24

    Episode 37: The Future of Dog Ownership P3 - Dog Licences with Dr Jennifer Mayher and the RSPCA

    It’s our season 2 finale episode and what a topic to land on! Tonight we’re heading straight to the heart of one of the biggest questions facing dog welfare and public safety in the UK.. How do we prevent dog bites and create a culture of responsible dog ownership... and is dog licensing the answer? Hannah is joined by Jennifer Mayher, the scientist behind a major UK report funded by the RSPCA who dishes the detail on the global picture of dog management and responsible dog ownership strategies including places like Calgary, where a culture of compliance, strong licensing, and a genuinely joined up approach has led to lower bite rates, fewer strays, and better welfare outcomes without relying on breed bans. Now what’s fascinating about this research is how clearly it moves us away from the simple answers. As we have said many times before, dog bites aren’t caused by one thing. They’re not a breed issue. They’re not even just a dog issue. They’re a complex mix of human behaviour, dog development, environment, and context, often happening in the home, often involving people the dog already knows… and that really does need to change everything about how we respond. Instead of doubling down on breed specific legislation, which the evidence consistently fails to support, this work points us toward a completely different toolkit. Education. Better understanding of dog behaviour. Environmental management. Consistent and intelligent enforcement. And crucially, systems that actually support people to be responsible, not just punish them when things go wrong. In this episode we unpack: The management of dogs in 111 locations in 45 countries The risk factors for dog bites globallyThe role of human behaviour and knowledge gaps in driving risk and measuring effectiveness What effective and sustainable dog control looks like Whether a tailored approach for a geographical area or blanket approach works bestAnd what the UK needs to shift from reactive policy to something far more robust and sustainableThis is one of those conversations that reframes the debate. If we’re serious about reducing dog bites and improving welfare, we have to be willing to look at the evidence… even when it challenges what we think we know.   To stay in touch with Jennifer and celebrate her work you can contact her through the University of South Wales:    https://pure.southwales.ac.uk/en/persons/jenny-maher   Make sure to follow and donate to the all of the fantastic work the RSPCA do to protect animals through prevention and rescue: https://www.rspca.org.uk/ And sign up to the All Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group news letter for more updates on the ongoing work on responsible dog ownership in Westminster here: https://apdawg.co.uk/ More about your host: Hannah is a qualified dog behaviour specialist in the UK with a degree in Animal Behaviour and a specialism in dog body language and pet dog behaviour. She's trained over 10,000 pet dogs in the last 10 years and written an illustrated guide to dog behaviour called ‘Whats my dog thinking: Understand your dog to give them a happy life’.  She featured as one of 3 experts on the prime time Channel 4 television series 'Puppy School' and currently teaches body language and handling courses to vets, groomers and pet shops to reduce bite incidents and increase the handling and observation skills of these awesome, but often overlooked, fields of pet care. She currently works as a behavioural expert for Agria Pet Insurance and leads the campaign for responsible dog ownership with the All Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group in Westminster.

    1h 40m

  2. APR 10

    Episode 36: The future of Dog Ownership Part 2 - Understanding Enforcement with Helena Howe & Natalie Harney

    Great to see you back with us for another beard-strokingly brilliant instalment of The Future of Dogs and in today’s episode, The Future of Dog Ownership: Part 2, we’re getting stuck into one of the biggest pressure points in the entire conversation around responsible ownership… enforcement. Because let’s be honest, the UK isn’t short on legislation. From the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to the Licensing of Activities Involving Animals Regulations 2018, we’ve got frameworks that should, in theory, protect dogs and guide human behaviour. But laws on paper and outcomes in practice are not the same thing. Enforcement is the table this whole legal meal is served on, and right now that table is looking a little wobbly. With overstretched local authorities, limited resources, inconsistent application and a system that can feel more reactive than preventative, too many dogs are still slipping through the cracks. So what is actually working? Where are the gaps? And what would a future-fit enforcement model really look like? To help us navigate the slightly chaotic, occasionally confusing, and often frustrating world of enforcement, we’re joined by two absolute heavyweights in law and public policy: Natalie Hanvey and Dr Helena Howe. In this episode, we explore: • Why strong legislation does not automatically translate into strong welfare outcomes  • The reality of enforcement on the ground and why local variation matters more than we think  • Where the current system is failing dogs, owners and professionals  • The tension between education, compliance and punishment  • Whether enforcement should sit centrally, locally, or somewhere entirely new  • What we can learn from other regulated sectors and systems  • How future policy could balance accessibility, fairness and public safety without excluding people This is a big one. Less about what the law says, more about what actually happens when we try to apply it and what needs to change if we are serious about improving dog welfare at scale. You can catch up with and support Natalies work via  https://naturewatch.org/ Stay in touch with Helena via  https://experts.exeter.ac.uk/45709-helena-howe And support a cornerstone charity they both volunteer with here https://www.alaw.org.uk/ More about your host: Hannah is a qualified dog behaviour specialist in the UK with a degree in Animal Behaviour and a specialism in dog body language and pet dog behaviour. She's trained over 10,000 pet dogs in the last 10 years and written an illustrated guide to dog behaviour called ‘Whats my dog thinking: Understand your dog to give them a happy life’.  She featured as one of 3 experts on the prime time Channel 4 television series 'Puppy School' and currently teaches body language and handling courses to vets, groomers and pet shops to reduce bite incidents and increase the handling and observation skills of these awesome, but often overlooked, fields of pet care. She currently works as a behavioural expert for Agria Pet Insurance and leads the campaign for responsible dog ownership with the All Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group in Westminster.  Big thanks to our season 2 sponsor Amplified Behaviour www.amplifiedbehaviour.com And you can train along with Hannah as a pet owner or a pet professional at www.amplifiedbehaviour.com        @amplifiedbehaviour    @thehannahmolloy

    1h 33m

  3. MAR 20

    Episode 35: The Future of Dog Rescue Part 4 - Resilient Rescues with Tom Candy

    Building a bond with a rescue dog can be one of the most fulfilling relationships you will ever have. Whether you get a chonky head-butt dog that launches at you with anxious love or a shy guy that takes time and trust to slowly come out of his shell, going on the journey of getting to know a dog with a past is absolutely precious. But behind every adoption photo there is also a system under pressure, and especially now. Full kennels, complicated behaviour cases, difficult welfare decisions and the extraordinary people trying to hold it all together. In this episode of The Future of Dogs, we turn our spotlight toward the dogs who need a platform and a red carpet all year round, rescue dogs.  I’m joined by Tom Candy to talk honestly about the realities of working on the front line of dog rescue and to dream big about his ‘what if?’ that could shape the future of dogs. Tom helps us to: Debunk some of the myths and misunderstandings about rescue dogs  Explain how the landscape of dog rescue has changed over the last few decades  Understand how the length of a dogs stay in kennels can dramatically impact welfare  Celebrate the amazing success stories that keep him and so many others in rescue filled up and able to pour out to dogs and the community Because resilient rescues of the future aren’t just about second chances. They will ask how we can build a world where fewer dogs need rescuing in the first place. To stay in touch with Tom and check out his podcast out on Spotify head to https://simplifyingshelterbehaviour.com/ More about your host: Hannah is a qualified dog behaviour specialist in the UK with a degree in Animal Behaviour and a specialism in dog body language and pet dog behaviour. She's trained over 10,000 pet dogs in the last 10 years and written an illustrated guide to dog behaviour called ‘Whats my dog thinking: Understand your dog to give them a happy life’.  She featured as one of 3 experts on the prime time Channel 4 television series 'Puppy School' and currently teaches body language and handling courses to vets, groomers and pet shops to reduce bite incidents and increase the handling and observation skills of these awesome, but often overlooked, fields of pet care. She currently works as a behavioural expert for Agria Pet Insurance and leads the campaign for responsible dog ownership with the All Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group in Westminster.  Big thanks to our season 2 sponsor Amplified Behaviour www.amplifiedbehaviour.com And you can train along with Hannah as a pet owner or a pet professional at www.amplifiedbehaviour.com  @amplifiedbehaviour    @thehannahmolloy

    1h 18m

  4. MAR 6

    Episode 34: The Future of Dog Rescue Part 3 - War Torn Dogs with Pen Farthing & Nowzad

    March is Crufts month. A time where we celebrate the polished perfection of the domesticated dog. Dogs with gleaming coats strut the green carpet with royal names. But while the cameras turn towards the show ring, there are other dogs living very different lives. Dogs walking across rubble. Dogs surviving deserts, conflict zones and military bases. Dogs who meet soldiers and become lifelines for one another in the middle of chaos. In this episode of The Future of Dogs, Hannah is joined by Pen Farthing, founder of the NOWZAD charity, to explore the complicated world of war-torn dogs. We talk about: • What life is really like for dogs living in conflict zones • The powerful bond that formed between Pen and stray dog Nowzad in Helmand, Afghanistan.   • The ethics and complexity behind rescuing and relocating animals from war zones  • The valiant continuing efforts of the Nowzad charity supporting dogs  abandoned due to Russias invasion of Ukraine. To keep up with all of the amazing work of the Nowzad charity and support their ongoing projects visit: https://www.nowzad.com @nowzadrescue More about your host: Hannah is a qualified dog behaviour specialist in the UK with a degree in Animal Behaviour and a specialism in dog body language and pet dog behaviour. She's trained over 10,000 pet dogs in the last 10 years and written an illustrated guide to dog behaviour called ‘Whats my dog thinking: Understand your dog to give them a happy life’.  She featured as one of 3 experts on the prime time Channel 4 television series 'Puppy School' and currently teaches body language and handling courses to vets, groomers and pet shops to reduce bite incidents and increase the handling and observation skills of these awesome, but often overlooked, fields of pet care. She currently works as a behavioural expert for Agria Pet Insurance and leads the campaign for responsible dog ownership with the All Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group in Westminster.  Big thanks to our season 2 sponsor Amplified Behaviour www.amplifiedbehaviour.com And you can train along with Hannah as a pet owner or a pet professional at www.amplifiedbehaviour.com        @amplifiedbehaviour    @thehannahmolloy

    1h 10m

  5. FEB 27

    The Future of Dog Training Part 3 - Regulating Dog Training with Sue Evans

    We’re stepping into the highly contentious land of Regulating Training this week with the Yoda of dog regulation Sue Evans.” If you’ve ever Googled “dog trainer near me” and felt like you’d opened a lucky dip of credentials, philosophies, price points, and acronyms… you’re not alone.  Dog training in the UK has grown up fast since it started being recognised as a profession in the 90s, but like many young professions, it’s in it’s teenage years. It might be tall, loud, and impressively attention grabbing…but it’s dangerously unsupervised and that lack of oversight is having some disastrous consequences. We’ve got an industry where almost anyone can call themselves a trainer, where letters after your name often mean absolutely nothing to the wider world where we’ve got a dozen codes of conduct that don’t overlap and where owners are stuck trying to decipher who is safe, skilled, and ethical while their dog is often collateral damage, crying out for credible support. And then there’s the elephant in the training hall: the tool debate. Not as a valid conversation about welfare and evidence, but as a culture war that fractures the community, and keeps us so busy arguing with each other that we forget the goal is better outcomes for dogs and people. In this episode, Hannah and Sue help us step back and ask the big questions: - How did we get here? - Why has “self-regulation” been unsuccessful as a measure of industry quality for practitioners and the public? - How we might unite a divided industry without pretending differences don’t exist and what do we do about the tool debate? - How can we design industry regulation that protects dogs and supports owners, doesn’t turn behaviour advice into a luxury product only available to those who can afford it and allows a broad spectrum of practitioners to have their skills recognised without having to scrabble for higher and higher academic qualifications? If you’ve ever wondered why two professionals can look at the same dog and give completely different advice, why owners are overwhelmed, or why our industry sometimes feels like it’s building moving trains and laying track at the same time while arguing about who’s driving… this one’s for you. The future of dog training can’t just be louder opinions and shinier branding. It has to be knowledgeable, trustworthy, respectful, accessible, accountable, and kind enough to keep the door open for owners and learners who are doing their best with the resources they have. And we’ll need all hands on deck to get there. To stay in touch with Sue or sign up to the Registration Council for Dog Training and Behaviour Practitioners head to:   https://reg-council-dtbp.uk/ For the latest on what The All Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group (APDAWG) is doing in the regulation space sign up for their newsletter here: https://apdawg.co.uk/ More about your host: Hannah is a qualified dog behaviour specialist in the UK with a degree in Animal Behaviour and a specialism in dog body language and pet dog behaviour. She currently works as a behavioural expert for Agria Pet Insurance and leads the campaign for responsible dog ownership with the All Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group in Westminster.  Big thanks to our season 2 sponsor Amplified Behaviour www.amplifiedbehaviour.com And you can train along with Hannah as a pet owner or a pet professional at www.amplifiedbehaviour.com        @amplifiedbehaviour    @thehannahmolloy

    1h 38m

  6. FEB 13

    Episode 32: The Future of Dog Ownership Part 1 - Dog Walks with David Bavin

    Ep 32: The future of dog ownership Part 1: Dog Walks with David Bavin  Walking your dog is one of life's most beautiful and simple pleasures and there’s nothing quite like the frustration of being faced with a luscious swathe of land you’ve taken the time to travel to, beset with a big sign that says ‘No Dogs’. Some will turn and find another place to walk and others might take a quick look to check for witnesses and wander on anyway ready to claim stupidity if challenged.  In this episode we meet David Bavin, a researcher from Exeter University and the National Trust that has conducted some fascinating research about how we all use Englands green and pleasant lands, the effect of dogs on the natural habitat and most importantly the best strategies land managers can use to help dogs and wildlife coexist so that everyone has a fair share of our beautiful natural world.     We talk about:   The difficulty dog owners have in meeting their natural behavioural needs while also respecting protected spaces for other speciesHow ecologists study different species and measure the weight of evidence on each side to work out the impact dogs really have on natureThings dog owners can do to make sure we’re walking our dogs responsibly and sustainably and things we can do that could encourage land owners to have a zero tolerance policy on dogs if we’re not careful! The design of a national dog walking highway code that could simplify land access for everyone   To learn more about ‘Paws For Thought’ and the work of David and the EXCases team, check out their interactive land use maps and infographics head over to: https://renewbiodiversity.org.uk/paws-for-thought-excases-mission/ And check out the National Trust’s Open Data portal to see the research displayed in delicious detail: https://open-data-national-trust.hub.arcgis.com/apps/National-Trust::paws-for-thought/explore More about your host: Hannah is a qualified dog behaviour specialist in the UK with a degree in Animal Behaviour and a specialism in dog body language and pet dog behaviour. She's trained over 10,000 pet dogs in the last 10 years and written an illustrated guide to dog behaviour called ‘Whats my dog thinking: Understand your dog to give them a happy life’.  She featured as one of 3 experts on the prime time Channel 4 television series 'Puppy School' and currently teaches body language and handling courses to vets, groomers and pet shops to reduce bite incidents and increase the handling and observation skills of these awesome, but often overlooked, fields of pet care. She currently works as a behavioural expert for Agria Pet Insurance and leads the campaign for responsible dog ownership with the All Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group in Westminster.  Big thanks to our season 2 sponsor Amplified Behaviour www.amplifiedbehaviour.com And you can train along with Hannah as a pet owner or a pet professional at www.amplifiedbehaviour.com        @amplifiedbehaviour    @thehannahmolloy

    1h 26m

  7. JAN 9

    Ep 31: The Future of Dog Education P2 - Total Welfare Justine Schuurmans & Kim Brophey

    Ep 31: The Future of Dog Education Part 2 - Total Welfare Justine Schuurmans & Kim Brophey If Part 1 asked how we understand dogs better, Part 2 asks the far more uncomfortable question: what are we actually responsible for once we do? “Responsible dog ownership” is a phrase we hear constantly, in legislation, in media soundbites, in professional spaces.. and yet it remains strangely undefined. We are quick to blame, slow to educate, and often operating from inherited assumptions rather than evidence-based frameworks. As our understanding of canine behaviour, welfare, and emotional lives grows, the gap between what dogs need and what we expect of them is becoming harder to ignore. In this episode, we continue our conversation with two world-renowned educators of dog owners and pet professionals, Justine Schuurmans and Kim Brophey, to explore what a modern, measurable, and ethical definition of dog welfare could, and should, look like. Moving beyond training techniques and behaviour modification alone, we widen the lens to consider the whole dog: their choices, their agency, their behavioural diversity, and the systems we build around them. We talk about;  - How bonkers it is that ‘Responsible Dog Ownership’ has never been clearly defined - The work that is being done to design the foundations of a national responsible dog ownership course  - The 5 welfare freedoms of all captive animals and how we can meet those needs those for our dogs at home - How the new Total Welfare App coming soon for dog professionals and the public can be used to measure behavioural diversity for each dog we work with  To learn more about the Dial Method and Justine’s work check out: For pet owners: https://www.thefamilydog.com/Blue-dial And pet professionals: https://www.thefamilydog.com/become-a-dial-guide @justineanddogs To keep up to date with the development of the Total Welfare App and Kims rebound LEGS applied ethology course go to:  https://www.familydogmediation.com/  https://www.totalwelfareapp.com/ @familydogmediation More about your host: Hannah is a qualified dog behaviour specialist in the UK with a degree in Animal Behaviour and a specialism in dog body language and pet dog behaviour. She's trained over 10,000 pet dogs in the last 10 years and written an illustrated guide to dog behaviour called ‘Whats my dog thinking: Understand your dog to give them a happy life’.  She featured as one of 3 experts on the prime time Channel 4 television series 'Puppy School' and currently teaches body language and handling courses to vets, groomers and pet shops to reduce bite incidents and increase the handling and observation skills of these awesome, but often overlooked, fields of pet care. She currently works as a behavioural expert for Agria Pet Insurance and leads the campaign for responsible dog ownership with the All Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group in Westminster.  Big thanks to our season 2 sponsor Amplified Behaviour www.amplifiedbehaviour.com And you can train along with Hannah as a pet owner or a pet professional at www.amplifiedbehaviour.com        @amplifiedbehaviour    @thehannahmolloy

    54 min

  8. JAN 9

    Ep 30: The Future of Dog Education P1 - The Dial Method Justine Schuurmans & Kim Brophey

    Ep 30: The Future of Dog Education Part 1 - The Dial Method with Justine Schuurmans & Kim Brophey They say “it’s not the dog that has the problem, it’s the owner.” One of those familiar tag-line phrases that sounds wise on the surface, but actually flattens what is,  in reality, a deeply complex, individual relationship between a person and their dog. Yes, some of the biggest lightbulb moments in working with dogs come when we realise just how much power we have to influence outcomes — for our dogs and ourselves. But sometimes… it really is the dog. Their biology, their history, their needs, their thresholds. And pretending otherwise doesn’t help anyone. In this episode, we chow down on the chunky topic of the future of dog education with two world-renowned educators of dog owners and pet professionals, Justine Schuurmans and Kim Brophey. Both are working hard to move dog education away from blame and binaries, and towards accessible, digestible, evidence-based frameworks that help us genuinely understand dogs, not just control them. We talk about;  ‘The easy life’ vs ‘the good life’ for dogs and weather we should let dogs keep some of their filthier habits (!) ‘Applied Ethology’ and the 5 welfare freedoms we need to help to provide for all captive animals How to build a trusting relationship with your dog rather than a transactional one based on reward and punishment   The differences between UK and USA when it comes to dog freedoms How The Dial Method is a missing education piece all dog owners need before they start training To learn more about the Dial Method and Justine’s work check out: For pet owners: https://www.thefamilydog.com/Blue-dial And pet professionals: https://www.thefamilydog.com/become-a-dial-guide @justineanddogs To keep up to date with the development of the Total Welfare App and Kims rebound LEGS applied ethology course go to:  https://www.familydogmediation.com/  https://www.totalwelfareapp.com/ @familydogmediation More about your host: Hannah is a qualified dog behaviour specialist in the UK with a degree in Animal Behaviour and a specialism in dog body language and pet dog behaviour. She's trained over 10,000 pet dogs in the last 10 years and written an illustrated guide to dog behaviour called ‘Whats my dog thinking: Understand your dog to give them a happy life’.  She featured as one of 3 experts on the prime time Channel 4 television series 'Puppy School' and currently teaches body language and handling courses to vets, groomers and pet shops to reduce bite incidents and increase the handling and observation skills of these awesome, but often overlooked, fields of pet care. She currently works as a behavioural expert for Agria Pet Insurance and leads the campaign for responsible dog ownership with the All Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group in Westminster.  Big thanks to our season 2 sponsor Amplified Behaviour  https://www.amplifiedbehaviour.com And you can train along with Hannah as a pet owner or a pet professional at www.amplifiedbehaviour.com        @amplifiedbehaviour    @thehannahmolloy

    51 min
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About

The Future Of Dogs is Hosted by dog behaviour geek and qualified animal behaviourist Hannah Molloy. Jump into the ever growing conversation as Hannah interviews some of the worlds most groundbreaking professionals intent on shaping the future of dogs internationally in their unique field of expertise. How we breed, train, groom, study, campaign, buy and understand dogs is up for debate, what do you think the future of dogs should hold? 

Information

  • Creator
    Hannah Molloy
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Future Of Dogs
  • Show Website
    The Future Of Dogs

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