The Nicholberry Dispatch
Book Club is back!! And I hope I don't start a food fight with this one...
BOOK NEWS
Oh my, it’s been a minute since I’ve sent a dispatch! Obviously Puppy Brain is based on the puppies I raise and lately, I have been raising a whole lot of puppies. With our last litter, we did a weekly book club based on the developmental milestones outlined in Puppy Brain and it was so much fun.
I’m delighted to report that book club is back! We will resume tomorrow.
Next Puppy Brain Book Club: Saturday November 23rd 10am PST
If you haven’t yet added your name to my mailing list, please do so here. I will send the Zoom registration link later today. I am not posting the recordings, so hopefully you can make it.
And whether you can make it or not, please ask whatever questions you have from Chapters 0 to 7 here and I will put some of my answers in future newsletters.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
Dr. Ben Rein on Understanding Research
This is a quick clip on Instagram, but it touches on a much bigger topic. Research. And our growing belief that we can develop the same level of knowledge about complex topics as those who have devoted years of their lives to fields like neuroscience or veterinary medicine.
One thing I discuss a lot with people is dog food. I’m pretty quiet about my opinions, as I recognize that I am, in fact, not a board certified veterinary nutritionist. Despite my best efforts to wade through PubMed, I cannot attain the same level of knowledge as an actual BCVN. And because I do have a sizable following on Instagram, I am hyperaware of the responsibility that places on me to be careful with my content. And to provide receipts.
As a result, I particularly appreciate Dr. Rein’s reference to PubMed. I find that in my conversations with people about food, they reference buzzwords like “byproducts” and “holistic” without realizing that much of their belief system comes from marketing, not science. When I ask for the journal article, study, or feeding trial that supports their statements, they have none.
So while I think it’s important (essential) that we do our best to be informed and intentional, we must also recognize our limitations, including our propensity to be susceptible to highly effective marketing. If you have a negative opinion about something related to food, my challenge to you is this: why do you have a negative opinion, where did the negative opinion come from, and what is the peer-reviewed, data-driven science behind that opinion? These are questions that I constantly ask myself, and lead me down bottomless PubMed rabbit holes.
SOMETHING TO REMEMBER
Speaking of food, this is a fantastic list of foods to avoid for your dogs (from an extremely credible source).
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER
“Too often … we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” - JFK
SOMETHING TO LOVE
"And to provide receipts." This is why I so value the information that you share!
Great post by Dr Rein (and yes, we can access information, but that does not equate understanding it, or prevent us from applying confirmation bias).
Also - I love the quote you shared “Too often … we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” - JFK