About Us

About Dakota — and why this site exists

Dakota was the heart of this website.

She was a Border Collie mix — smart first, eager to please, high energy, and opinionated about Frisbee. Her dad was a Border Collie; her mom was a cross of Terrier and Labrador. That combination gave her brains, drive, and enough stubborn charm to keep our household interesting for 17 years.

Dakota didn’t eat like most dogs. She rarely cleaned her bowl in one sitting (we used to joke she could live on Frisbee throws). But she still had strong views on food, treats, toys, and which dogs played nicely at the park. Over nearly two decades we tried a lot of products — different proteins, senior formulas, low-phosphorus options when she aged, leashes, bowls, stain cleaners, and more Frisbees than I can count.

Dakota passed away in 2025. That was an extremely difficult day for me. This site continues in her memory. The voice you read here — “Dakota Says” — is still hers: curious, practical, and focused on what actually makes a dog’s day better. I maintain the site and keep recommendations current so other dog families can benefit from what we learned together.

Who runs Dakota Says

Dakota Says is published by Jaggerware LLC, a small family business I’ve run since 2009. I’m Stephen Jaggers, the owner and “translator” of Dakota’s knowledge.

• Education: Computer Science / Engineering, Texas A&M, 1986
• Career: Telecom industry, 1990–2020 — programmer, analyst, tester, and requirements writer
• Now: Retired; I spend time on this site, a few other projects, and the things I enjoy building and maintaining myself
• I’m not a veterinarian. I’m a dog owner who lived with Dakota day in and day out for 17 years, researched ingredients when her needs changed, and paid attention to what worked for her and for the breeds she met along the way.

If you want to know **how we pick products** and how affiliate links work, see How We Choose & Recommend Products and our Affiliate Disclosure.

What you’ll find on this site

Breed pages — Dakota “talks” to friends by breed. We start with temperament and traits, then get into products that often fit that breed’s needs.

Food by ingredient — pages on high protein, low protein, low phosphorus, corn-free, high fiber, and similar topics for owners who are comparing labels.

Toys, treats, comfort, and practical gear. Frisbee will always come up. You’ve been warned.

Some articles are informational only (for example, our CBD overview) and don’t push products.

Our history

I started Dakota Says more than ten years ago when Dakota was very much alive and very much the boss of the editorial calendar. The site grew slowly — at side-project pace — but breed pages and ingredient guides became the pages readers kept coming back to.

After Google’s quality updates, especially in 2025, I stopped treating this as a set-it-and-forget-it affiliate site. I’m refreshing older articles, expanding breed coverage, and being more upfront about who we are and how we recommend products. Dakota deserves that, and readers do too.

Get in touch

Questions, corrections, or your own experience with a product we mentioned? Contact us or leave a comment on the relevant article. I will do my best to respond to them all.

Thank you for visiting. Dakota would have wanted you to have a good Frisbee day.

— Jaggerware LLC