{"id":828,"date":"2026-05-03T10:51:04","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T10:51:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unionofgooddogpeople.com\/?p=828"},"modified":"2026-05-03T10:51:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T10:51:07","slug":"the-power-of-yes-and-why-the-dog-world-keeps-getting-this-wrong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unionofgooddogpeople.com\/en\/the-power-of-yes-and-why-the-dog-world-keeps-getting-this-wrong\/","title":{"rendered":"The power of yes. And why the dog world keeps getting this wrong"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A recent editorial in Vet Record<\/em> by Suzanne Jarvis quietly lands a point the dog world urgently needs to hear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It should not be controversial. But it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because it exposes why so many well-intentioned policies, campaigns and \u201csolutions\u201d are failing dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At its heart is a simple truth:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cCarrots tend to give better results than sticks.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

And yet, across the dog world, we are still reaching for the stick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The uncomfortable reality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Veterinary researcher Rowena Packer, quoted in the piece, has been exploring why people continue to choose dogs linked to well-documented health issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer is not ignorance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is emotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the editorial explains, people are drawn to certain types of dogs because they are perceived as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201caffectionate, gentle and companionable\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In other words, people are not making spreadsheet decisions. They are making heart decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that emotional pull is powerful enough to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • override evidence<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • normalise health problems<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • and keep demand flowing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    \n\n\n\n

    This is where the system breaks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    For years, the response has been predictable:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Tell people what not to buy<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Warn them about health risks<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Introduce stricter rules and visual assessments<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Assume behaviour will change<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      But as the editorial makes clear, it doesn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Because:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      \u201cPeople do not always respond well to being told what to do, especially if it feels inconvenient, costly or emotionally uncomfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      Sound familiar?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      The missing piece: a better \u201cyes\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Here is the part that should stop policymakers in their tracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The solution is not more \u201cno\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      It is a better \u201cyes\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The editorial points to a different approach:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n

      \u201cProactively offering owners and prospective owners alternatives: suggesting dogs with similar temperaments but fewer health compromises.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      Not shutting people down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Redirecting them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Helping them succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n\n\n\n

      The Union has been saying this all along<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      This is exactly why the Union of Good Dog People exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      You cannot fix dog welfare by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • punishing good breeders<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • confusing the public<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • or introducing blunt, one-size-fits-all tools<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        You fix it by changing the marketplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        By making it easier for people to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • find ethical breeders<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • understand provenance<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • choose dogs that truly fit their lives<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          And crucially:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • feel good about those choices<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
            \n\n\n\n

            Why this matters now<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            If we ignore this, the consequences are already visible:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            • rising demand for poorly bred dogs<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • overwhelmed rescues<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • increasing euthanasia<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • and a marketplace that rewards the worst actors<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              The system is not just failing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              It is driving the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n\n\n\n

              A different direction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

              The editorial concludes that repeating the same messages is not enough:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n

              \u201cIf change is wanted, it has to be made easier, more appealing, and more aligned with what people already value.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

              That is the shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Not abandoning standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Not lowering welfare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              But delivering them in a way people can actually act on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n\n\n\n

              The line policymakers need to hear<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

              You don\u2019t improve dog welfare by telling people no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              You improve it by making the right choice the easiest one to say yes to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n\n\n\n

              If we get that right, everything changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              If we don\u2019t, nothing will.
              <\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \"\"