About ThePawManual

ThePawManual exists because pet advice online is a mess: contradictory, outdated, and optimized for clicks over correctness. We publish free, research-backed guides and interactive tools for dog and cat owners. Every health claim names the veterinary authority behind it, every limitation is stated plainly, and every page is honest about when a question belongs at the vet's office instead of a search result.

What we make

• Guides on dog care and cat care (breeds, food, health, training, and behavior), written to answer the question you actually searched, sourced to organizations like the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), AAHA, and AAFCO. How we research and source is documented in our editorial process.
• Free tools: calculators and selectors that turn veterinary guidelines into instant, personalized answers. No signup, no paywall; the math runs in your browser.

Who's behind it

ThePawManual is run by two lifelong friends, Mikkel Werner Jansen and Thomas Hjalte Bojsen. Neither of us is a veterinarian, and no veterinarian reviews what we publish. Our editorial process explains how we research and check things instead.

Thomas has had two Icelandic sheepdogs. He went looking for a herding breed on purpose: in his words, a herding dog simply has the sweetest personality around its flock. Perle, which is Danish for pearl, had a litter of puppies, and all of them found good homes. She died of cancer. Bjarki, Icelandic for little bear, is still here. There has been a hamster too, Plette, named for the single spot on its back, and there were cats and horses in the family. Thomas says he still has room for anything with paws, and that he'd like to try a golden retriever one day.

Mikkel's two gerbils were forever escaping, and held a particular place with him regardless. A black Labrador called Tarzan died when Mikkel was very young. There have been two cats, Little Cat the first and Burger the last, and Burger is still around. There were aquarium fish, which he found a bit boring. Two rabbits as well. The classic.

How we'll make money

Right now, nothing does. There's no ad network running on the site and no affiliate program, so no click here earns us anything today.

The plan is the ordinary model for a site like this: display ads eventually, and affiliate commissions when you buy through a link in one of our product guides. The mechanics, and the disclosures that come with them, are spelled out on the affiliate disclosure page, which gets updated the day either one goes live.

One thing holds either way: a recommendation doesn't move because a link pays better. If the cheap option is the right one, that's what the page says.

Our promises

1. Sourced, not vibes. Health and nutrition claims name the veterinary authority behind them.
2. Honest limits. We're an educational resource, not your veterinarian. Every health page says so, and means it.
3. Kept current. Guides carry a visible last-updated date, and we fix what we find or what you report (how).
4. Corrections welcomed. Spot an error? Tell us, because we'd rather fix it than defend it.

Questions, feedback, or press: contact us.