Editorial standards

Checking the numbers

We check the figures that matter: sample size, study length, the ages of the dogs and whether a result held against a control group. Where a study reports a range, we give the range. When a paper discloses who funded it, we note that too. A finding about a population stays a finding about a population. We won’t turn it into a forecast for your dog.

Specs versus lived use

Product pieces often compare figures the makers publish, like foam density or the amount of an ingredient per serving. Those articles say the comparison comes from published specs, and amounts are put in the same unit before they’re compared. We describe first-hand use only when a writer explains their own use of the product.

Where research stops

Aging research can’t assess one dog. For an individual dog, a veterinarian or other qualified professional gives advice that our articles can’t replace.

Updates and corrections

Theo goes back through published articles and corrects errors wherever they’re found. An article that has been corrected names the change and the date it was made.