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.
Dr. Lewis speaks regularly in venues ranging from the annual professional conferences for the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT International) and the Aggressive Dog Aggression conference, to dog camps and private dog groups in the US like Y2K9 near Philadelphia, Camp Gone to the Dogs (Vermont and Virginia), Dogs of Course Nose Work Camp in Colorado, and Sierra Sniffing Canines in California, as well as programs in Poland, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. He has also taught dog biology at the Minnesota Correctional Facility at Lino Lakes for their Leader Dog for the Blind program and at the University of St. Thomas Biology Department.
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.