The Functional Breeding Podcast
Jun 30, 2026 · 1 hr 12 min · 15 segments
In this episode, interim host Jess Sedivy Gunderson welcomes back Dr. Rowena Packer to discuss new research examining how puppies' earliest experiences—including age at sale, seeing the mother, and…
Rowena PackerGuestJess Sedivy GundersonHostRowena is a companion animal behavior and welfare scientist with a PhD from the Royal Veterinary College in London, where she still works.
She is routinely invited to lecture at conferences around the world, and earlier this year, she received the Ray Butcher Award for her outstanding contribution to canine welfare science and her leadership in addressing major welfare changes.
In her previous visit, Rowena and Perry explored the bigger picture of canine welfare, especially how human behavior, perception, and demand shape the dogs we breed and live with.
It was a conversation that challenged listeners to look beyond individual choices and think more critically about the system as a whole.
Rowena and her colleagues at the Royal Veterinary College published new research in April of 2026 that examined how acquisition practices impact puppy health outcomes later in life.
And what that study makes clear is that those early decisions have meaningful effects for dog welfare.
I loved everything about this interview and feel that it needs no further introduction.
Rowena is a companion animal behavior and welfare scientist with a PhD from the Royal Veterinary College in London, where she still works.
She is routinely invited to lecture at conferences around the world, and earlier this year, she received the Ray Butcher Award for her outstanding contribution to canine welfare science and her leadership in addressing major welfare changes.
In her previous visit, Rowena and Perry explored the bigger picture of canine welfare, especially how human behavior, perception, and demand shape the dogs we breed and live with.
It was a conversation that challenged listeners to look beyond individual choices and think more critically about the system as a whole.
Rowena and her colleagues at the Royal Veterinary College published new research in April of 2026 that examined how acquisition practices impact puppy health outcomes later in life.
And what that study makes clear is that those early decisions have meaningful effects for dog welfare.
I loved everything about this interview and feel that it needs no further introduction.
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