Product Review Guidelines

One of Gentle Dog Trainers core goals is to help our readers find the best products for their canine companions.

In today’s world, the options are endless, so finding the time to research and choose the right food or gear is daunting.

So we do this for you, following a strict review procedure that enables us to provide unbiased and honest reviews of the products we list.

For any statement or facts we make, there are references to back them up (just click on the numerical link next to it; these are our references).

Furthermore, our team of veterinarians and/or professional dog trainers review and fact-check our articles prior to publishing. This ensures that all our guides are accurate, honest and released to the public with integrity.

Below is a breakdown of our product review procedure.

What We DO

Anonymous Ordering

Reviewed products are ordered anonymously so that we can form an unbiased opinion of the process.

We pay close attention to ordering and checkout, shipping, packaging and returns.

Ordering anonymously and evaluating the end-to-end process provides us with real-life experience in the whole process.

System-Based Review Method

We have developed and implemented a systematic method of reviewing products.

Focusing on key areas that include quality, cost, sustainability and supporting local businesses.

Direct Product Comparisons

Through our system-based review method we are able to provide honest and fair product comparisons based on the end-to-end consumer experience.

From ordering and shipping to product testing and reviews, we take the uncertainty out of purchases.

We get our hands and paws dirty, have real-life experience, complete in-depth research and perform experiments and tests. This enables us to stay up to date with the latest training, nutrition and grooming needs. We ensure every article contains extensive inline references and adheres to strict evidence-based guidelines. Our content is regularly updated when new information becomes available.

We frequently recruit a group of independent product testers for products like dog food that affect dogs in different life stages.

Specific Rating Criteria

For product reviews, we evaluate features specific to that product. We consult with vets, dog trainers, dog behaviourists, dog groomers, dog owners, research literature, and publications to completely understand the efficacy and effectiveness of each and every product.

At times we also use independent testers for relevant products to evaluate how much their dogs liked the product and how effective it was to achieve the end goal of what the product was designed to achieve.

Our independent testers’ experience using each supplement is also critical to our review.

Follow All Regulatory Guidelines

For example, dog food in Australia is unregulated. We draw upon the most trusted universally accepted guidelines for example the AAFCO.

The words used in our articles will show the strengths and/or weaknesses of the product. It will be crystal clear if a claim lacks robust scientific and real-life evidence and is based on opinions or anecdotes.

Know The Reputation & History Of The Brand

Before promoting any products for your dog, we ensure the reputation and history of the brand are rock solid. What we look for are:

• History of recalls
• FDA warnings
• Where the product is made
• Affiliations with other companies or brands
• Any previous name changes

Pricing

Our recommendations are made for the everyday, budget conscious Australian. All product review articles will contain budget-friendly, best value and premium options.

Our Readers Contributions

We encourage our readers to provide us with feedback and their experiences of the product (support@gentledogtrainers.com.au), this is taken into consideration when we make our usual updates.

Updating Content

We regularly update our product and evidence-based guides to reflect the changes in technology and updates to the latest science on the topic.

Our team gathers the most up-to-date information by searching published literature on the core subject matter and keeping abreast with new important studies on the topic.

We Promise To Never

• Go against veterinarian advice
• Post without in-depth research
• Accept sponsorship fees