Editorial standards and how this site is written
This page explains who is behind Kind Dog Guide, where the advice comes from, how it is checked, and the lines we will not cross. It exists so you can decide how much to trust what you read here.
The short version: this is a calm, ad-free, reward-based dog-training site that leans on recognised welfare and veterinary guidance rather than personal opinion, and that tells you plainly when an article is not enough and a professional is needed.
Who writes Kind Dog Guide
Kind Dog Guide is founded, written, and maintained by Adam Deri. I want to be upfront about what that means.
I am not a veterinarian, and I am not a professional dog trainer. I am a lifelong dog lover — I grew up with family golden retrievers (Zsömi, then Lulu, and later Lulu’s puppy Axel) — and I started this site because clear, plain-English, welfare-first dog advice is scattered and hard to trust online.
Because I am not the expert in the room, the guidance here does not rest on my say-so. Every article is built from the published advice of established animal-welfare and veterinary organisations, and every article is clear about where an owner’s job ends and a professional’s begins. Where the evidence is uncertain, I say so. I would always rather point you to a vet or a qualified behaviourist than overpromise a fix.
Where the guidance comes from
Rather than invent methods, we follow the positions and owner advice published by recognised bodies, including the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB), the RSPCA, the ASPCA, Dogs Trust, the BC SPCA, and veterinary references such as the MSD Veterinary Manual and university veterinary centres.
Every guide ends with a “Sources and further reading” section listing the specific pages it draws on, so you can check the original guidance yourself. For the training philosophy underneath it all, see humane dog-training principles.
How guides are written and checked
- Guides are written in plain English, around what an ordinary owner can safely do at home.
- Claims are checked against the welfare and veterinary sources above before publishing; where sources disagree or evidence is thin, we say so rather than pick a side confidently.
- Each guide carries a dated “Last updated” line and is revised when guidance or wording needs improving.
- If you spot something that looks wrong or out of date, please tell us through the contact page — we would rather fix it than defend it.
What we will never do
These limits are fixed. They are the reason the site can be trusted to stay calm and non-commercial.
- Humane, reward-based training only — no shock, prong, or choke collars; no leash corrections, alpha rolls, dominance framing, intimidation, or punishment-based methods.
- No veterinary or medical diagnosis, and no aggression- or bite-treatment instructions.
- No health, supplement, probiotic, or veterinary-product claims.
- No miracle, guaranteed, or “instant fix” behaviour claims.
- No pretending we have personally tested or reviewed products.
Independence and funding
Kind Dog Guide currently carries no advertising, no affiliate links, no sponsored content, and no product reviews or rankings. It uses no analytics and no tracking, sets no non-essential cookies, and has no newsletter or email capture. Nothing on the site is for sale. If that ever changes, this page and the privacy notice will say so plainly, before anything else does.
Where a guide stops
This site covers everyday, non-dangerous training and care. It is educational only — not veterinary advice, a diagnosis, emergency guidance, or an individualised behaviour plan. If your dog shows pain, illness, a sudden behaviour change, fear, panic, separation-related distress, aggression, or any bite risk, please stop and read dog behaviour red flags, then contact a vet or qualified behaviour professional. For the full boundaries, see what this site covers and our safety note.
Contact
For general, non-urgent questions, corrections, or feedback about the site, see the contact page. Please do not use the site for emergencies or veterinary questions — contact an appropriate professional directly.