About PawDataLab

PawDataLab exists because dog advice online tends to be either vague ("ask your vet") or unsourced ("never feed anything"). So we start from published sources instead: AKC breed standards, AAFCO and WSAVA feeding formulas, ASPCA and FDA toxicity lists, public cost research. Each fact becomes something usable, whether that is a calculator, a comparison table or a plain verdict page.

How we build pages

Every breed page cites its data source. Every calculator states its formula. Every food verdict links to the authority behind it. Where numbers matter — theobromine doses, calorie formulas, cost ranges — we show the math instead of asking you to trust us.

What we are not

We are not veterinarians and nothing on this site is veterinary advice. For anything medical, including suspected poisoning, contact your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

How our data pipeline works

Breed measurements (weight, height, lifespan, AKC group and popularity rank) are compiled from AKC breed profiles and merged with a manual correction layer for breeds whose published standards differ from typical adult ranges. Trait ratings (energy, shedding, grooming, trainability, family fit) reflect the AKC's published breed trait scales. We re-crawl the source data monthly and diff it against what we publish, so corrections flow through automatically rather than accumulating as stale numbers.

Calculators use published formulas, not vibes: feeding amounts follow the AAFCO/WSAVA resting-energy requirement model (RER = 70 × kg^0.75 × life-stage factor), chocolate toxicity bands follow Merck Veterinary Manual theobromine thresholds, and cost ranges come from published ASPCA and Synchrony research cited on those pages. Where a number is an estimate (puppy growth curves, for example), the page says so.

Business model

The site is free, funded by advertising and affiliate commissions from providers we list factually. We publish no ratings we cannot verify, and affiliate relationships never change the data on a page.