How our guides are made
Who writes them, who reviews them and what they're based on.
What this page is for
This page explains how our guides and blog articles are made and who stands behind them. Anyone who wants to know how a piece of information came about before acting on it should be able to read that, rather than take it on trust.
It covers the breeder guides, the puppy and adoption guides, the guides on insurance, dog tax and dog names, and the articles in the Education Center (blog).
How a guide is made
We write our guides with AI assistance. The draft is produced by a language model working to our editorial rules: which sources count, which phrasings we do not use, which topics we deliberately decline.
We say so plainly, because it's a fair question. What matters is not what a text was written with, but whether it is correct and sourced. Every new blog article goes through a source and fact check before publication – only what passes goes live. On top of that, Sufyan Osamah reviews our articles regularly in person.
From idea to publication
- Topic chosen from what people actually search for — not from what sells best.
- Research and draft, AI-assisted and bound to fixed editorial rules.
- Automated checks of claims against sources, together with checks of the title, description and article text.
- Automatic approval only after a passing review, with additional personal reviews at regular intervals.
- Publication with sources and details of how it was made.
- Re-review when the law or the professional consensus moves.
What the review covers
Sufyan Osamah, co-founder of HonestDog and the responsible party named in our Impressum, is accountable for the editorial rules, the personal reviews and corrections. The name on every blog article stands for that responsibility. The review is editorial, not veterinary or legal advice.
Specifically, we check
- that every source cited exists, resolves, and says what we attribute to it,
- that figures, deadlines, statute references and dates match the source,
- that the text makes no recommendation the source does not support,
- that our editorial principles hold — in particular that we produce no buying guidance for breeds with conformation-related health problems.
When to ask a professional
Our guides explain and put things in context. When it comes to your specific dog or your specific case, your vet, the veterinary office or a lawyer specialising in animal law is the right place to go. If you spot a mistake in a guide, tell us – we correct quickly.
Sources
Claims that need evidence rest on primary sources: the full text of laws and regulations, statements from professional bodies and authorities, veterinary guidelines. Each one is listed with a link at the foot of the guide it supports.
Law and professional consensus change. Every article shows when it was published and, after a revision, when it was last updated. When the law changes, we re-check the articles it affects.
Independence
Our guides recommend no providers and carry no paid placements. A mention, a recommendation or a position in a list is not something anyone can buy from us.
No breeder, shelter or company sees a text before it publishes. If a page ever does carry paid content or partner links, we will label it in that exact place.
Reporting an error
If you spot something wrong in a guide, write to info@honestdog.de with the address of the page. We check it and correct what needs correcting.
Responsible for content: Sufyan Osamah, Am Hauptbahnhof 6, 53111 Bonn, Germany.
Sufyan Osamah