About Dogs www.dogs.about.com Review

Overall Rating

In my experience there are a small number of experienced folks who do their very best to undo all the really, really, really (did I mention "really"?) bad advice disseminated by incredibly people who seem to think that because they own a dog and a computer, they have something insightful to share, in my opinion.

In my opinion too much bad advice, for me anyway, inexpertly derived and ineptly conveyed. People genuinely looking for help in raising a good canine citizen could easily be swayed by the volumes of unscientific, baseless rhetoric that tends to hinder, rather than help, the training process.

I see that About.com is FINALLY looking for a REAL expert to become the guide for the dog section. As I feel the previous person was limited in "experience" and not what I imagine most people expect from a 'guide' on any subject.

Hopefully, the new guide will clean things up, a bit. As far as I am concerned, sadly, since no one at About.com seems to have the necessary expertise to vet any particular candidate, the successful individual may be no better than the last. At least they claim they're looking for someone with VERIFIABLE and CREDIBLE expertise with dogs. That's a step in the right direction.

I assume the new guide will treat the dogs section differently, but since About.com was seemingly happy with that kind of guide, I suspect it won't be a big priority for them, in replacing the old one.

I would say the worst part of About.com's guide to dogs is that it perpetuates (or allows to be perpetuated) some of the oldest, and worst, myths about dogs in my opinion. As far as I am concerned that's particularly egregious, given that many of those myths are actually detrimental to the process of raising a good canine citizen. If you ever hope to hold yourself up as a resource for responsible dog ownership, you have to rely on fact and science to refute the kinds of (albeit popular) myths that only harm dogs, their owners, and society.

Responsible dog ownership is an educational process in my opinion. The information provided to readers must be factual and scientifically valid (as much as is possible) if it's to have any credibility whatsoever. I personally feel About.com has been little more than a depository for all the inane, unfounded, hysterical, and even comiclal 'old wives' tales' that exist about dogs.

I do not recommend www.dogs.about.com.