The Free School for Dogs

09/29/2026

09/22/2026

Her sitter brought coffee

09/18/2026

Big read

🚨 A HUGE NEW STUDY IS CHALLENGING WHAT PET PARENTS HAVE BEEN TOLD ABOUT GRAIN-FREE DOG FOOD.

A 2026 Veterinary Medicine and Science study analyzed Dog Aging Project data from 47,000+ dogs and found grain-free diets were NOT associated with increased odds of developing new heart problems.

🤯 More than HALF of owners who reported feeding grain-free were WRONG when researchers checked the ingredients. Foods that sounded grain-free actually contained rice, corn, wheat, barley or oats.

Researchers also followed 7,113 dogs for two years. Dogs that switched to grain-free had FEWER newly reported heart diagnoses than dogs that never ate grain-free, while dogs consistently eating grain-free showed no significant difference.

Both grain-free AND grain-containing foods can contribute to nutritional DCM. So can poorly formulated raw and homemade diets.

Peas, lentils and potatoes aren’t inherently “bad,” and adding grains does NOT magically make food cardioprotective—there’s ZERO taurine in grains!

The bigger question is whether the finished food provides enough bioavailable protein and essential amino acids for the dog eating it.

And here’s the overlooked problem: AAFCO “all life stages” foods meet nutrient requirements for growth and reproduction, but adult dogs often need far fewer calories than growing puppies.

So owners feed less to prevent obesity. But when you cut food, you don’t just cut calories—you cut protein, amino acids, vitamins and minerals too.

A food can meet AAFCO requirements on paper, yet a lower-calorie dog eating less receives less of EVERY nutrient, not to mention some dogs genetically don’t make enough taurine for heart health.

🐕 The question isn’t “grain-free or grain-inclusive?”

It’s: Is THIS dog getting enough protein, essential amino acids and other critical nutrients for the calories they actually consume? That’s the nutritional DCM conversation we should be having.

Calories change. Nutrient needs don’t.

09/15/2026

🚨 The USDA will spend October dropping more than two million fishmeal-coated rabies vaccine packets from planes and helicopters over parts of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and southern West Virginia.

The baits are flavored to be eaten.

They will land in woods, yards, roadsides, and playgrounds.

Officials say leave them alone and keep children away.

If a dog swallows several, it may get sick.

The plan is to scatter millions of oral vaccine packets across mixed populated ground and trust no one treats them like something found on the lawn.

That is being sold as careful public-health management.

It should not be. 👀

09/08/2026

** We're deeply disappointed by Alaska Airlines/Hawaiian Airlines' upcoming ban on snub-nosed pet breeds **

Effective October 1, 2026, Alaska Airlines/Hawaiian Airlines will no longer allow the following breeds to travel as cargo or checked as excess baggage.

We understand there is inherent risk in flying brachycephalic (snub-nosed) breeds — that risk is real, and it's something we take seriously every single day. But that risk can be, and regularly is, safely managed. With the right precautions — proper acclimation, temperature controls, kennel sizing, health screening, and experienced handling — these breeds can and do fly safely.

A blanket ban doesn't make pets safer. It just takes away options for families who rely on air travel to relocate, reunite, or bring their pets home — and it does so without input from the people who understand this risk best: professional pet shippers and veterinarians who work in pet transport every day.

We're asking Alaska Airlines to pause, reconsider, and open a real dialogue with the professionals and veterinarians in this industry before this policy takes effect. These breeds deserve thoughtful, evidence-based solutions — not a blanket exclusion.

If you agree, please:
📣 Share this post
✉️ Reach out to Alaska Airlines leadership and ask them to reconsider and engage with pet shipping professionals and veterinarians who actually ship pets vs general veterinarians who do not know how this industry even works.

We're not asking for a fight — we're asking for a conversation. These families and their pets deserve better options

08/25/2026

On August 21, 2026, Fromm Family Foods issued a voluntary recall of its Turkey Pâté and Diner Classic Milo’s Meatloaf Wet Dog Foods over potential metal contamination.

Pet parents who may have purchased this product are encouraged to check their packaging carefully and avoid feeding the affected lot to their dogs.

For more details on the recall, please see the full article on The Dog Food Advisor.

Fromm Family Foods Issues a Voluntary Recall of Two Products Over Potential Metal Contamination

08/21/2026

Guess I’m going to be cooking a lot of eggs

What if one of the most overlooked parts of an egg could help protect your pet’s mobility?
New 2026 research is putting eggshell membrane in the spotlight, and the findings are especially interesting.
Scientists studied eggshell membrane peptides in canine cartilage cells exposed to an inflammatory signal associated with osteoarthritis. These peptides helped calm inflammatory signaling, while also decreasing inflammatory mediators and MMP-13, an enzyme involved in cartilage breakdown.
Eggshell membrane peptides helped preserve type II collagen and aggrecan, two essential components of healthy cartilage and the extracellular matrix.
And the research story doesn’t stop with dogs.
A new feline study found that eggshell membrane, particularly when combined with sodium hyaluronate, supported skin barrier function and coat health in young Ragdoll cats. Researchers also observed changes in antioxidant defenses and beneficial gut bacteria, offering another fascinating look at the connection between nutrition, the microbiome, and whole-body health.
Joint and tendon health isn’t simply about managing pain once the ability to move declines. Supporting healthy cartilage, muscle, body weight, nutrition, movement, and connective tissue throughout your pet’s life preserves their mobility and quality of life as they age.
Sometimes, an ingredient that seems almost too ordinary to notice, such as the membrane inside an eggshell, turns out to contain a fascinating collection of biological compounds worth paying attention to (especially the dose; to reach therapeutic levels you must supplement, read the full article in comments 🐾).

08/21/2026

The younger me would very much like to be involved with a gorgeous dog like this ( but would NOT want the ears cropped)