A Dog’s View of the World with Tim Lewis

Most people have no trouble distinguishing a person from a dog, although many like me value the dog at least as much as another person. Dogs do not just look different from people, they evolved quite independently from humans with different ecological needs. Like humans, they evolved as pursuit predators living in social groups, but each species got there through different paths. Dogs are optimized for sense of smell, good vision especially in low light, and hearing in ranges that best detect prey. All of that means our dogs do not experience the world the way we do. Learning how their senses differ from ours will help you understand your dog better and help you build your human-canine bond. This webinar will help you improve your training, enhance your relationship with your dog(s), and perhaps increase your wonder at the beings we share so much with. There will be time for questions during and after the webinar.

Your Presenters- Tim Lewis, PhD

Tim Lewis, PhD, approaches canine research through the lens of an evolutionary ecologist. Born in Colorado in sight of the Rocky Mountains and raised near Chicago, mostly he has lived his adult life in the woods surrounded by wildlife, and surrounded by dogs. Like many of us, his first dog found him, greeting the Lewises as they returned from a friend’s wedding. Beaker lived outside almost a full week before he owned the house. Wild at heart, he would roam the countryside anytime he could slip his leash or dart out the door. So much of what he did appeared natural, and clearly had not been taught to this puppy. Beaker showed Tim how to see the world through a dog’s eyes.

Tim’s formal, non-canine education began at Augustana College in Illinois, where he received his bachelor’s degree in biology, followed by a master’s and doctorate 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; now he is a professor of biology at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. His classes include ecology, evolution, mammalian ecology, forest biology, tropical ecology, and general biology survey. He frequently uses dogs to illustrate biological ideas, and even taught a class 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. He currently cohabitates with three Border Collies, and prefers herding and scent work with his dogs to most other activities beside walks. He hovers on the edges of the dog agility and canine freestyle without actually participating.

PPG Members

PPG Members use your $10.00 discount coupon code at registration to access this for FREE. The code can be found in your membership area.

Not yet a member? Click here to join and begin receiving discounts on PPG member events.