Reviewing companion dog welfare science advances in 2026 and priorities for continued improvement in research and practice.
Dog welfare science in 2026 provides a richer, more nuanced evidence base than at any previous time. Advances in pain management, cognitive health, and behaviour science are providing more effective tools for maintaining dog welfare across the lifespan. The implementation challenge - ensuring research advances reach dogs in practice - requires continued investment in veterinary education, owner communication, and system-level change that makes welfare best practice easier to access and adopt.