WHY?
I’ve always been fascinated by the living world. From trees and flowers to animals and fungi. I grew up surrounded by my grandmother’s farm animals: chickens, ducks, rabbits, goats, cats, and dogs. Her shepherd mix and my mom’s Pekingese were especially tolerant of my curiosity, and I developed a particular interest in dogs. Today I know that wasn’t by chance. It’s a daily example of biology in action. “Man’s best friend” has unique biological predispositions for this role. After all, it wasn’t the goats or chickens who wanted to play with me every day. It was always the dog.
Because of my love for nature, I enrolled in Environmental Science at the Faculty of Science (University of Zagreb), where I learned to think interdisciplinarily. Interdisciplinary thinking is essential when looking at the environment. I learned how to approach problems from different angles, how to ask questions, challenge ideas, read scientific literature – and above all, I learned what the scientific method is.
During my studies, Khan came into my life. A village mutt I took in out of pure compassion because I didn’t want him to spend the rest of his life on a chain. Khan was an adult dog, unsocialized, with a strong prey drive and full of fear, but he never felt sorry for himself.
I quickly realized I had my hands full. And as my research brain pushed me, I started digging deep into everything about dogs. About diet, training, socialization, health, genetics. I found myself in a mess of information. Especially on social media – because that’s all a student budget can really access. Everyone had their own opinion, often completely contradictory, and most of it didn’t line up with what I was learning at university. And my brain couldn’t accept that there are “opposite truths” when we have scientific data.
Why do we keep going in circles?
Then I found the root of the problem: very little of the dog world is actually based on science. Most people just “do it the way it’s always been done” or rely solely on personal experience.
That’s one of my greatest weaknesses and strengths. No one “introduced” me to the dog world. Not a trainer, breeder, shelter, or club. Because of that, I may be lacking experience, but I’m not loyal to anyone’s agenda.
The dog always comes first.
With the wish to share Khan’s story, the story of an adult dog who completely changed his way of life, I started an Instagram account. Over time, I began sharing science-based content and met others who think the same way. But I also quickly realized why there’s so much misinformation in the public space.
Sensationalism is the only thing that gets traction. “Quick fixes” and false promises.
Science is never 100% certain – it only measures what’s most probable.
Algorithms push trends and sensational headlines. That’s why I decided to create this blog. A place where I can write longer texts without having to dilute the quality of the information just to match the latest trend. I know it’s a harder and possibly pointless path.
Here, we’re doing things differently. You can think of this blog as a small literature review on various topics. I’ll do my best to focus on what dog owners encounter daily, but I also want to open up the world of biology – a completely neglected field in dog circles. Many trainers are deeply educated in learning theory, a branch of psychology, but dog behavior also depends heavily on evolution, ecology, ethology, and population genetics, all of which are branches of biology.
This blog is for those who ask questions and want well-argued discussions. I’m not here to change the minds of already indoctrinated owners. My job is to provoke thought and show how to question ideas.
You can always contact me about any text, ask a question, offer criticism. We grow from questions and critique. Praise just feeds the ego.
Feel free to reach out to me via e-mail or on social media.
