This week I am joined by Hasan Yiğit Aktaş, an animal behaviourist and breeder of primitive and spitz breeds such as Akitas, Shibas and Shikokus.

Hasan’s path into breeding began by accident, yet over time he has combined academic study in animal behaviour with the lived experience of generations of family breeding and hands-on work with horses and dogs.

We explore what it might mean to breed for preservation rather than profit, the hidden influence of genetics on a dog’s health and temperament, and the ethics of practices that many people see as normal, from dog shows to fertility clinics.

Hasan explains why for him temperament matters more than trophies, how cultural attitudes shape our treatment of dogs, and what it takes to put welfare before convenience.

This is not a simple conversation about breeding. It is an invitation to think more carefully about the categories we create, such as pet dog versus product dog, and preservation versus profit. These categories shape our choices, and those choices reveal something about us as humans.

The episode runs for three hours because Hasan had much to say and we cover a wide range of issues in the dog world.

Some of these conversations may be triggering for listeners and viewers.

While the views expressed are Hasan’s own, the purpose of Just a Dog Podcast is not to endorse or dismiss any single perspective. Instead, it is to create space for open dialogue across the dog industry, because hearing different voices helps us reflect more deeply on our own assumptions and choices.