What is Kynology?
The term Kynology is based on the Greek root κύων, or kyōn, for “dog” and -λογία, or -logía, for “study of.” The word, more commonly spelled in English as cynology, first emerged in translation from the German kynologie in the 1870’s, and was used to denote enthusiasts of a Victorian-era invention– Purebred dog breeds regulated by kennel clubs maintaining official stud books. Among these kynologists were men like Louis Huyghebhaert, who helped to make the Belgian Malinois the dog we know today, Max von Stephanitz, the founder of the German Shepherd Dog Club of Germany, and many others who are less celebrated but also spent their lives deeply involved with dogs.
These European men– and less commonly women, like the Austrian Dr. Rudolphina Menzel– were handlers and trainers, and they had a deep emotional and physical attachment to their dogs and their dog sports. But they also had an intellectual attachment. Kynologists were often academically-inclined bourgeoisie, like Dr. Menzel, and thought deeply about every aspect of dogs and their relationship to the human race. They avidly devoured the science of their day for data and theory that would inform their knowledge, and their breeding and training practices.
Modern Kynology
The Kynology project was founded in 2023 by Michael Ellis, Forrest Micke, and Stewart Hilliard in order to follow in this tradition, and provide practical and scientific education to meet the needs and feed the curiosity of other kynologists. Their goal was to help serious amateur and professional trainers become more knowledgeable and technically skilled, and help them better fulfill their canine vocation by considering canine science more deeply, critically, and fruitfully.
But kynology as a discipline is not confined to science. Virtually all kynologists are convinced that their beloved shepherd dogs, hound dogs, terrier dogs, draft dogs, or pointing dogs are sentient—that they have a subjective emotional (or affective) experience that is valenced (it can be good or bad), and of which the animals have an awareness. Kynologists are convinced that each dog has a quality of life that can be dull or exciting, impoverished or rich, painful or pleasurable. Therefore kynology as a field of thought, principle, and practice also must concern itself with animal welfare and with ethics– even with philosophy– especially where the training of dogs is concerned.
What do Kynologists owe to dogs?
Kynologists must consider questions such as:
“Because we have evidence that dogs are sentient, does this mean that they have moral standing, that their quality of life should matter to us?”
“If we are convinced that dogs have moral standing, is it our responsibility to train them so as to minimize stress and maximize welfare?”
Universally, kynologists agree that it is, that we owe them this.
How do kynologists best define and then carry out our ethical responsibility to our dogs? In service to this question, the first resource offered (free) on Kynology.org is a slide deck titled The Agency-Accountability Framework. The framework summarizes a set of scientific, ethical, and technical guidelines that characterize what we believe are the best dog training systems of today, and may help us discover the best systems of tomorrow. Please open a (free) community account on Kynology.org if you haven’t already done so, and apply your kynological mind to the Agency-Accountability Framework.
Photos 1, 4, and 5 (from top) used with kind permission of de Koninklijke Nederlandse Politiehond Vereniging (the Royal Dutch Police Dog Association). Photos 2 and 7, from Canine Pioneer: The Extraordinary Life of Rudolphina Menzel, used with kind permission of Brandeis University Press. Photo 3 of Mr. Charles Huge, and photo 6 of Chevalier Heynderick de Theulegoet from L’Historique de Berger Belge by Georges van Ceulebroeck.