ABOUT US
our story
Courtney Smith is the founder of Whelp. The idea for Whelp came from her experience of being incompatible with her first dog. She was a dog breed "nerd" from a young age and felt confident in having the necessary knowledge to choose the right dog breed for herself. After her first dog, she learned that the invisible traits of a dog impact ownership far more than any visible traits.
She picked an Australian Shepherd that was unbearably cute and planned to change her lifestyle to meet the dog's needs. And she did, fully committing for over a year to molding her life around her dog's physical and mental needs. However, this was not sustainable for longer than a year or two. When her life circumstances changed and she started to focus more on her own needs than the dog's, her dog began to develop several undesirable behaviors as a result. She realized the toll that this incompatibility was taking both on her and her dog.
Realizing that she would not be able to go back to dedicating a large portion of her life to her dog's daily needs again, she made the extremely difficult decision to place him in a home with a family who could and would. After seeing several people around her experience the same heartbreaking challenges, she decided no more owners or dogs should have to go through this. Having a dog was supposed to be FUN. But because of a lack of education and misinformation, that is not the case for many people.
She threw herself into researching dog breeds, their standards, similarities, and differences, and developed a database which is the foundation of Whelp’s products now. Her goal was to consolidate the information into an easily consumable format for those who are planning to get a dog or want to understand their current dog and are unsure where to begin. What was born is Whelp's legacy products -- the Dog Breed DNA Profile and Owner Profile Builder. Translating dog breed traits into real life scenarios so owners can understand what it will really be like to bring that particular dog breed home.
we value the diversity of dog breeds
Not every person and dog will be a perfect fit for each other.
People have needs. Dogs have needs. It can be all too easy to find out the hard way that your adorable new puppy is not a good fit for your lifestyle. Dogs' needs are generally predictable based on their breed. We allow people to match with the dog breeds compatible with their current lifestyle, needs, and preferences. With over 200+ officially recognized breeds in the United States, you may find more matches than you expect!
informed consent is our priority
Our goal as a company is to educate and inform people about dog breeds. A dog's unique behaviors, quirks, and habits are heavily influenced by its breed. When choosing a dog, it is important to understand how that dog's breed will impact your ownership experience. The internet and social media are jam-packed with information about dog breeds, but consolidating that information on your own can be challenging and confusing. Often, we make decisions based on anecdotal experiences or take our best guess. Dog ownership is not always easy, and when it gets tough, it’s hard to know if the difficult times will pass or if you've committed to several years of challenges. To make confident decisions, we need to be well-informed. We aim to provide you with the information you need to confidently choose your next dog, knowing what to expect throughout its lifetime.