Whole Dog Journal reviews dog food, dog toys, and dog health and care products, and also teaches positive dog training methods.

Nancy Kerns has edited horse and dog magazines since graduating the San Francisco State University Journalism program in 1990. The founding editor of Whole Dog Journal in 1998, Nancy regularly attends cutting-edge dog-training conferences including those for the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Pet Professional Guild, Association of Professional Dog Trainers, and Clicker Expo. To stay on top of industry developments, she also attends pet industry trade shows such as Global Pet and SuperZoo, educational conferences of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association and Pet Food Industry’s Pet Food Forum. As a regular volunteer for her local animal shelter,... Read More

Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, grew up in a family that was blessed with lots of animal companions: dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, goats, and more, and has maintained that model ever since. She spent the first 20 years of her professional life working at the Marin Humane Society in Marin County, California, for most of that time as a humane officer and director of operations. She continually studied the art and science of dog training and behavior during that time, and in 1996, left MHS to start her own training and behavior business, Peaceable Paws. Pat has earned a number of titles... Read More

Montana resident CJ Puotinen is a long-time contributor to Whole Dog Journal. CJ Puotinen is the author of books about holistic pet care, such as The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care and Natural Remedies for Dogs and Cats.

Deb M. Eldredge, DVM, is a graduate of Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and the first recipient of the vet school’s coveted Gentle Doctor Award. Currently retired from clinics, Dr. Eldredge is an award-winning writer and the technical editor of Cornell’s DogWatch. She and her daughter own the Coyote Run Belgian Tervuren kennel. Dr. Eldredge actively competes her dogs in all dog sports and breed shows. 

Stephanie Colman has been a contributor to Whole Dog Journal since January 2010, with multiple articles recognized by the Dog Writers Association of America.  Colman has an extensive background in positive-reinforcement dog training, having spent more than 15 years teaching group and private training classes focused on basic manners, problem solving, sport-dog training, therapy dog prep, and more.  She’s also competed at high levels in a variety of dog sports including obedience, agility, Rally, hunt tests, lure coursing, and working trials.  She currently serves as the puppy program coordinator at Guide Dogs of America, where she leverages her dog training and journalism/PR backgrounds... Read More

Dr. Eileen Fatcheric is a 1988 graduate of Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She owned and managed her own small-animal veterinary hospital for 17 years and currently sees patients part time in Syracuse, New York.

Kate Basedow, LVT is a long-time dog enthusiast. She grew up training and showing dogs, and is active in a variety of dog sports. She earned her Bachelors Degree in English from Cornell University in 2013, and became a licensed veterinary technician in New York in 2017. She has been writing professionally about dogs for most of her life, and has earned multiple awards from the Dog Writers' Association of America. Kate currently has three dogs at home, as well as a cat, two zebra finches, and six ducks.

Dr. Jennifer Bailey is a 2012 graduate of the Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine. She is an emergency and urgent care veterinarian at an emergency and specialty practice in Syracuse, New York.

Kathy Callahan’s new book, Welcoming Your Puppy from Planet Dog, is now available wherever you buy your books. Certified as a dog trainer (CPDT-KA) and licensed as a family dog mediator (LFDM-T), Callahan specializes in puppies. She and her family have fostered 225 of them in the past decade, and her business, PupStart, is focused on puppyhood coaching. The podcast Pick of the Litter is Kathy’s newest effort to help people and their dogs live more happily together. Kathy lives in Alexandria, VA, with her husband Tom. They’re technically empty-nesters now since their grown daughters have moved on, but the... Read More

Catherine Ashe graduated the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in 2008. After nearly a decade of working in emergency veterinary medicine, and a few years in general practice, she now works in a hospice/palliative-care practice in Asheville, North Carolina.

Barbara Dobbins has been writing for WDJ since 2011 with a focus on veterinary and canine health topics. Her lifelong fascination with dogs has led her in many directions. As a youngster she would round up her dogs and horse for a day of adventure exploring and searching for buried treasure in the California hills. Inspired by Margaret Mead with a nod to Indiana Jones, she went on to study anthropology, archaeology, and museum studies and obtained a masters degree in art history. Then two new puppies bounced into her life, and Barbara launched into studying animal behavior and training... Read More

Lisa Rodier, CNWI, lives in southern Rhode Island with her husband and a Bouvier named Atle. When she’s not at the beach, she competes with Atle in scent work trials and teaches K9 Nose Work classes.

Cindy Foley is the editor of Cornell DogWatch and Cornell CatWatch. She has competed in dog agility for over 17 years with her Papillons. A member of the Syracuse Obedience Training Club, she is currently doing agility with Aries, who has his AKC MACH and PACH titles, and Twisty, who is just beginning her agility career. A lifelong horsewoman, Cindy was a founding editor of Horse Journal and an assistant editor at The Chronicle of the Horse.

Mary Cope, PhD, earned her Doctorate in Animal Nutrition from the University of Georgia in 2021 and has her Professional Animal Scientist (PAS) certification with a specialization in companion animals. Dr. Cope works as a companion animal nutritionist for a pet food consulting firm. Dr. Cope competes in a variety of AKC dog sports with her rescue dog and smooth Collie, including agility, Fast CAT, and herding.

John Strassburger is an award-winning journalist from Santa Rosa, Calif. He writes with the help of his Doberman Pinschers Boreas and Rhaegal, and a Livestock Guardian Dog named Isis.

Andrea Lee, MS DVM, is a graduate of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. She is an associate veterinarian at a small animal practice in Syracuse, NY. She actively competes in dog agility with her Brittanys, and also dabbles in hunting, barn hunting, dock diving, and FAST CAT.

Nancy Tucker, CDBC, CPDT-KA, is a full-time trainer, behavior consultant, and seminar presenter in Quebec, Canada.

Kate O’Connor serves as Executive Editor at Whole Dog Journal. In addition to growing up in a family that bred and showed Airedales, she has worked as a groomer, trainer, kennel manager, and veterinary hospital care attendant. For fun, Kate and her dogs participate in rally and agility.

Linda P. Case is the owner of AutumnGold Consulting and Dog Training Center in Mahomet, Illinois. She is also a canine nutritionist and science writer, and the author of Dog Food Logic and other books on nutrition for dogs and cats. Her blog can be read at thesciencedog.wordpress.com.

Dan Muse is a journalist who has worked at Disney Publishing, McGraw-Hill, IDG Communications, and IBM. Dan is a lifelong dog lover and dad. He currently volunteers at The Little Guild in Connecticut where he walks, feeds, socializes, and transports dogs.

Dr. Jennifer Bailey is a 2012 graduate of the Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine. She is an emergency and urgent care veterinarian at an emergency and specialty practice in Syracuse, New York.

Jae Thomas is an e-commerce journalist, editor, and dog trainer based in Colorado. She graduated from the New York University journalism program in 2020, and has written commerce content for publications like Mashable, Apartment Therapy, Bon Appetít, and CNN. Jae has tested hundreds of dog products, and isn’t afraid to say what is or isn’t worth a reader’s time and money. Jae shares her life with mixed breed Muddy Paws Rescue alum, Miso, and Rough Collie, Dashi. Jae competes in various dog sports with her pups, and lives for clicker training, free shaping, and desensitization. She is also a member... Read More

Joan Merriam lives in Northern California with her Golden Retriever Frankie and Maine Coon cat Indy, both rescues. She’s lived with dogs for most of her life and has been writing a syndicated newspaper column on life with dogs since 2012. As a freelance writer, she’s authored three books and numerous articles on everything from animals and aging to politics and popular culture. She also teaches Communication Studies at a California community college.

Kim Campbell Thornton has been writing about animals since 1985 and is a recipient of multiple awards from the Cat Writers Association, Dog Writers Association of America, and American Society of Journalists and Authors. When she's not writing, she's reading or on the road with her husband and Sparkles, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Certified through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Debby McMullen specializes in behavior consultations with an emphasis on multiple dog households as well as aggression. She owns Pawsitive Reactions, LLC in Pittsburgh and ran her own Doberman rescue for nearly 15 years. In addition to offering seminars and webinars, Debby is the author of the "How Many Dogs? Using Positive Reinforcement Training to Manage a Multiple Dog Household."

Author Helene Goldberger, Esq., PMCT, CPDT-KA, is an attorney in Albany, NY, who has been a professional dog trainer for six years (Heartdog Training). She is also a certified canine massage practitioner. 

Susan Sarubin, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, PMCT4, lives on Maryland’s eastern shore with her husband and 11-year-old Pit Bull-mix, Penny Pyewacket.

Writer Elizabeth Vecsi lives in the Hudson Valley with her five cats. Over the past two decades, she has been an editor and writer for various pet publications, including Cornell's Dogwatch.

Dr. Kate Mornement is a Ph.D. qualified, Board Certified Applied Animal Behaviourist (CAAB) through the Animal Behavior Society. She has devoted the past two decades to sharing her expertise through her consulting business Pets Behaving Badly and she recently founded Pet Behaviour Academy; an online education platform for pet owners and pet industry professionals. In her role as a consultant, Kate has had the privilege of educating and advising pet parents, pet professionals, industry groups and local government. She also enjoys sharing her knowledge across various forms of media as a pet writer and media spokesperson. Kate appeared in the... Read More

Jessica Hekman, DVM, MS, completed her internship in shelter medicine at the University of Florida’s Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program in 2013. She now studies the genetics of dog behavior in Illinois, where she lives with her husband and two dogs. Check out Dr. Hekman’s Facebook page, where posts about dog brains and behavior (and sometimes shelter medicine).

Canine education specialist, dog behavior counselor, and trainer Laurie Williams is the owner of Pup ‘N Iron Canine Fitness & Learning Center in Fredericksburg, Va.

Beth Ann Mayer is a writer and dog lover living in New York. She has written for Dogster and covered pets for a variety of publications including the “Dog of the Month” feature, for Long Island Pulse Magazine. She has two rescue dogs, Topanga and Sarge.

Trainer Jill Breitner has been training dogs since 1978 and is a body language expert. She is the developer of the Dog Decoder smartphone app, which helps people identify and “de-code” their dogs’ body language for a better understanding. She is also a certified Fear Free Professional and certified in Animal Behavior and Welfare. She lives on the West Coast and offers online dog training worldwide.

Dog trainer Eileen Anderson writes about behavior science, her life with dogs, and training with positive reinforcement on her blog dogs.com. She holds bachelor's and master’s degrees in music performance and a master’s degree in engineering science. Eileen came to dog training a typical way: a dog with problem behaviors. After a brief but all too long stint with local trainers who mixed aversives and rewards, she found the positive reinforcement training community on the Internet, then locally.  It has become a passionate hobby and Anderson spends the bulk of her free time training, learning about training and dog behavior, and... Read More

Mary Schwager, “Watchdog Mary,” is a television and print journalist. She has won 17 Emmy awards for investigative and consumer reporting and several honors from the Dog Writers Association of America. You can find her at watchdogmary.com.

Linda Aloi, a highly respected trainer in the Syracuse, N.Y., area opened her K9capers Dog Training School in 2000 spending over 10 years training show horses. Linda teaches dog agility, obedience, trick dogs, rally, barn hunt, nosework, and herding. “Though I am very proud of the many students who have shown their dogs successfully, I am equally as proud of the little dog who finally learned how to do a ‘down,’” says Linda. Linda is an active member and former president of the Syracuse Obedience Training Club and evaluates puppy litters for temperament evaluation and dogs for therapy work and... Read More

Kathryn Socie-Dunning lives in Montana with her husband, their newborn baby boy, and three dogs.

Rachel Brix is Fear Free Certified and both a certified trainer and behavior consultant through the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers focusing on enrichment-based behavior modification. Her free time is devoted to her two rescues, Emerson and Apache.

Jennifer Berg is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer with more than 15 years experience providing force-free, sciencebased dog training. Jennifer is passionate about promoting dogs’ physical, mental and emotional wellbeing and specializes in private and group classes to help dogs and their people enjoy the outdoors together. She is the owner of Oberhund Dog Services in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Will Hank is an award-winning dog writer and editor who has worked with the American Kennel Club, Betterpet, Waggle, Digital Trends, and more. He enjoys traveling, hiking, and volunteering with his therapy dog teammate, Harley.

Kathryn Allen has a journalism degree from the University of Arizona and a veterinary degree from Cornell University. She has raised two children and is currently a small-animal veterinarian in Phoenix, Arizona, where she lives with two dogs and two pigs.

Claire Primo, CVT, ACMT, FFP, is a veterinary nurse and certified animal massage therapist residing in Lyons, Colo. She specializes in senior pet care, holistic veterinary nurse care, and empowering guardians with the tools and guidance needed for a healthy and nurturing relationship with their pets through her veterinary nurse practice, Peak Animal Wellness & Massage.

Jessica Peralta has been a journalist for over 20 years and an animal lover all her life. Her children are black cat, Riot, and Hawkeye, a Rhodesian Ridgeback/Border Collie puppy.

Joanne Osburn is the stem cell technician at Mt. Diablo Veterinary Medical Center in Lafayette, CA. After working for nine years as a biology tech at a government laboratory, she is delighted to be working in the veterinary field where she can help improve the lives of pets. She lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband Paul and super silly dog Guster.

Author of Oregon Beaches, A Traveler’s Companion and many other books, John Shewey is a professional photojournalist who has owned and trained Weimaraners for 30 years. He is a frequent contributor to The Pointing Dog Journal and editor in chief of American Fly Fishing magazine.

Sandy Chebat is a freelance writer and editor with more than 20 years specializing in pet topics, from health, care and behavior to purebreds, news and business. She and her husband live with two Bengal cats who like to supervise or participate in everything.

Laura Vinogradov has extensive experience in mainstream journalism and, of course, with dogs. Her books for the pet-care industry started with “How to Pick a Puppy,” which evolved into “Building Better Boarding Kennels” and “Unleashing Happiness.” Vinogradov is a lifelong journalist with extensive experience in the United States, Hong Kong, and Israel. She is a graduate of Kent State University and earned a second degree from the University of Maryland.