A Dog’s View of the World – Tim Lewis, PhD

Dogs are readily distinguished from people. They not only look different, they evolved quite independently from humans. Like humans, they functioned as pursuit predators living in social groups. Each species, however, developed along very different paths. In this presentation, Dr. Lewis will focus on the ways in which dogs are optimized for a sense of smell, good vision in dim to low light, and hearing in ranges that best detect prey. Because dogs do not experience the world the way we do, learning how their senses differ from ours will help you understand your dog better. This understanding will strengthen your bond and allow for specific adjustments to improve your training and interactions with your dog.

Tim Lewis approaches canine research through the lens of an evolutionary ecologist. With a PhD in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Tim taught for two decades at Wittenberg University in Ohio where he was an award-winning Professor of Biology. He is now a Professor of Biology at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota where his classes include ecology, evolution, mammalian ecology, and forest biology. Dogs have shared the Lewis household for years, and Tim taught a semester class completely built around dog biology for university students and friends of dogs. His research ranges across many species, including wolves, deer, squirrels, turtles and, of course, dogs. He has presented findings of his research in journals, at conferences, and as an invited speaker for more than 30 years. Tim hovers on the edges of the dog agility and canine freestyle worlds with his wife, Ruth, who teaches and competes in those sports. He is working on a series with APDT and his book about canine biology is to be released by Dogwise Publishing this fall.

Webinar will be presented via Zoom. The presentation will be approximately one hour, with an additional 30 minutes for questions.

Webinar link will be emailed 24 & 4 hours in advance.

Registrar: Debbie Chirichella

Email Debbie with questions about registration.