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Based on an original BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour discussion between Caroline Kisko and the vet and author Emma Milne. Few subjects in the dog world generate more heat, and less light, than the health of pedigree breeds. The argument tends to collapse into two camps. One side says the pedigree breeding industry is producing sick dogs and should be dismantled. The other side says the critics misunderstand what breed standards are for and dismisses the criticism as ignorance. Neith

Based on an original BBC One TV interview with Caroline Kisko in the aftermath of the death of Ellie Lawrenson. When I joined BBC One on the morning after five-year-old Ellie Lawrenson was killed by a banned pit-bull-type dog at a relative's home in St Helens, the country was, understandably, looking for somebody to blame and something to ban. I was on the sofa alongside Bill Lambert, a breeder of English Bull Terriers, and we were both asked the question that always followed

Caroline Kisko, formerly of the Kennel Club, on why iconic British breeds like the Old English Sheepdog were disappearing, and what owners could do about it.

In my experience, most people want to do the right thing by their dogs. Problems arise not from indifference, but from misunderstanding. This is why public education has always mattered so deeply to me. Education works best when it meets people where they are — before problems develop, and before enforcement becomes necessary. Clear, accessible information about behaviour, welfare, and responsibility empowers owners to make better decisions early on. It also reduces fear and

Dog training is an area where opinion often runs ahead of evidence. Strong feelings are understandable; people care deeply about their dogs, and training touches on questions of safety, control, and trust. But policy and public guidance must rest on what research and experience actually show, not on instinct or tradition alone. Over time, a substantial body of evidence has emerged around welfare-led, humane training approaches. Methods that rely on fear or pain may appear to

When people talk about responsible dog ownership, they often mean day-to-day care: food, exercise, training, and affection. All of that matters. But after many years working in dog welfare and public life, I’ve learned that responsibility doesn’t stop at the individual level. Responsible ownership exists within a wider system. The choices owners make are shaped by access to information, social norms, and the policies that govern breeding, training, and control. When those sys