I’ve spent years, like many of you, trying to encourage people to look beyond the surface when it comes to canine health. I have written, researched, shared, questioned, and spent my life building a breeding program around one simple belief: we cannot create healthy dogs by only treating disease after it appears. We have to understand how health is built from the beginning.

For a long time, this felt like a lonely road.

Those of us who believed in species-appropriate nutrition, reducing unnecessary toxins, supporting the body’s natural resilience, preserving genetics, and looking at the whole animal were often dismissed. We were told we were too different, too extreme, or that our questions were not valid.

But we continued, because the dogs mattered more than the criticism.

My perspective has never come from theory alone. It has come from years of watching dogs, studying generations of pedigrees, raising puppies, learning from those who came before me, and observing what creates true resilience. The dogs have always been my greatest teachers. They have a way of revealing what works, what does not, and what we still have to learn.

What gives me hope today is seeing more conversations begin to open. Ideas that were once pushed aside are now being discussed by more breeders, owners, and veterinarians who are willing to look deeper.

I’ve spent years, like many of you, trying to encourage people to look beyond the surface when it comes to canine health. I have written, researched, shared, questioned, and spent my life building a breeding program around one simple belief: we cannot create healthy dogs by only treating disease after it appears. We have to understand how health is built from the beginning.

For a long time, this felt like a lonely road.

Those of us who believed in species-appropriate nutrition, reducing unnecessary toxins, supporting the body’s natural resilience, preserving genetics, and looking at the whole animal were often dismissed. We were told we were too different, too extreme, or that our questions were not valid.

But we continued, because the dogs mattered more than the criticism.

My perspective has never come from theory alone. It has come from years of watching dogs, studying generations of pedigrees, raising puppies, learning from those who came before me, and observing what creates true resilience. The dogs have always been my greatest teachers. They have a way of revealing what works, what does not, and what we still have to learn.

What gives me hope today is seeing more conversations begin to open. Ideas that were once pushed aside are now being discussed by more breeders, owners, and veterinarians who are willing to look deeper.

Across the world, integrative veterinarians have spent decades exploring the relationship between nutrition, immunity, environmental influences, and the body’s innate capacity to maintain health. Their work challenges us to ask not only how to treat disease, but also how to create the conditions in which health can flourish. They reminded us that veterinary medicine is not only about treating symptoms, but also about understanding the foundation of health.

Natural Rearing has always been about this deeper understanding. It is not about rejecting everything modern or believing there is only one path. It is about remembering that prevention begins long before disease appears. It is about seeing the animal as a whole being and recognizing that genetics, nutrition, environment, lifestyle, and daily choices all contribute to the health we hope to preserve.

I am especially looking forward to attending the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association conference this year in California. Are they perfect? No. Are they moving as quickly as my own heart would like? Probably not. But what I recognize is movement, and that movement matters.

There are veterinarians beginning to ask the difficult questions and recognizing that some parts of our current system are not serving dogs as well as they should, and in many ways are not serving veterinarians either. Many entered this profession because they wanted to heal and protect animals, yet they often find themselves working within a system that leaves limited room for deeper conversations about prevention, nutrition, environment, and true longevity.

Perhaps the greatest opportunity ahead is realizing that breeders and veterinarians do not have to stand on opposite sides of the conversation. Breeders carry generations of observation and knowledge about health, temperament, structure, and longevity. Veterinarians bring medical training, research, and clinical experience. When those perspectives come together with humility and curiosity, the dogs are the ones who benefit.

The change may feel slow, but it is happening.

Real progress has never come from everyone agreeing at the same time. It has come from individuals willing to ask better questions, challenge assumptions, and continue searching for a deeper understanding.

For someone like me, who has dedicated decades to naturally rearing and preserving the Miniature Poodle, this moment gives me hope. The goal was never to prove that one side was right and another was wrong.

The goal has always been the same: healthier dogs, longer lives, and a future where we work together with curiosity, humility, and a willingness to keep learning.

Because at the end of the day, every difficult conversation, every question asked, and every step taken toward a better understanding has only one purpose: to serve the animals who trust us completely. They reminded us that veterinary medicine is not only about treating symptoms, but also about understanding the foundation of health.

Natural Rearing has always been about this deeper understanding. It is not about rejecting everything modern or believing there is only one path. It is about remembering that prevention begins long before disease appears. It is about seeing the animal as a whole being and recognizing that genetics, nutrition, environment, lifestyle, and daily choices all contribute to the health we hope to preserve.

I am especially looking forward to attending the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association conference this year in California. Are they perfect? No. Are they moving as quickly as my own heart would like? Probably not. But what I recognize is movement, and that movement matters.

There are veterinarians beginning to ask the difficult questions and recognizing that some parts of our current system are not serving dogs as well as they should, and in many ways are not serving veterinarians either. Many entered this profession because they wanted to heal and protect animals, yet they often find themselves working within a system that leaves limited room for deeper conversations about prevention, nutrition, environment, and true longevity.

Perhaps the greatest opportunity ahead is realizing that breeders and veterinarians do not have to stand on opposite sides of the conversation. Breeders carry generations of observation and knowledge about health, temperament, structure, and longevity. Veterinarians bring medical training, research, and clinical experience. When those perspectives come together with humility and curiosity, the dogs are the ones who benefit.

The change may feel slow, but it is happening.

Real progress has never come from everyone agreeing at the same time. It has come from individuals willing to ask better questions, challenge assumptions, and continue searching for a deeper understanding.

For someone like me, who has dedicated decades to naturally rearing and preserving the Miniature Poodle, this moment gives me hope. The goal was never to prove that one side was right and another was wrong.

The goal has always been the same: healthier dogs, longer lives, and a future where we work together with curiosity, humility, and a willingness to keep learning.

Because at the end of the day, every difficult conversation, every question asked, and every step taken toward a better understanding has only one purpose: to serve the animals who trust us completely. ❤️🐾❤️