Just a Dog Podcast · Episode 22 · March 12, 2026 · 57 min
Good owners, unhappy dogs | The gap between good intentions and what dogs actually need | Dr. Jessica Pierce | Bioethicist & Author
Most of us try to do right by our dog(s). The problem is that almost everything we've been taught about how to do that was built around human needs, human comfort and human expectations. My guest for today's episode is Dr. Jessica Pierce, a world-renowned bioethicist and author of 13 books on animal ethics and moral philosophy. She's spent nearly two decades writing about dogs and exploring what life is like for them when we de-center ourselves as humans. In this episode we cover: Why 99% of dogs in a large-scale study showed signs of anxiety, stress or behavioural disturbance, and what that actually tells us The sensory world your dog lives in that you've probably never thought to look at, including sound, smell, and a daily experience nothing like your own Why barking, pulling, counter surfing and chasing aren't bad behaviours. They're dogs being dogs in a world built entirely for humans What burned Jessica out after years in this work, and the unexpected thing she did about it Bella, Jessica's 14-and-a-half-year-old dog, and the decision every dog guardian eventually faces, but few talk about openly Dr. Jessica Pierce | Bioethicist and Author