The Biology of Dogs with Dr Tim Lewis

In this episode, Chantal and Angelique talk to Dr Tim Lewis. Tim Lewis, Ph.D., approaches canine research through the lens of an evolutionary ecologist. 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 two Border Collies, prefers herding with his dogs to most other activities beside walks, and hovers on the edges of the dog agility and canine freestyle worlds with his wife, who competes in those sports and teaches others to do so.