Michigan Theater Ann Arbor, MI
Dr. Camille Ward
Animal Behaviorist; Lecturer, University of Michigan Department of Biopsychology
Best in Show— Cognition and Development of Social Behavior in Dogs
Program Description
A discussion of the cognition and the development of social behavior in domestic dogs, as well as human-canine communication.
Presented At
Michigan Theater Ann Arbor, MI
Film Synopsis
A colorful array of characters competes at a national dog show.
A "behind-the-scenes" look into the highly competitive and cut-throat world of dog shows through the eyes of a group of ruthless dog owners including: yuppies Hamilton (Michael Hitchcock) and Meg Swan (Parker Posey) and their neurotic weimaraner "Beatrice"; mild-mannered menswear salesman Gerry (Eugene Levy) and Cookie Fleck (Catherine O'Hara), whose Norwich terrier's registered name is "Champion Thank You Neil Sedaka"; fly-fishing shop owner Harlan Pepper (Christopher Guest) and his beloved bloodhound "Hubert"; New Yorker Scott Donlon (John Michael Higgins) and his longtime hairdresser partner, Stefan Vanderhoof (Michael McKean), who anticipate the crown for their pampered shih tzus "Miss Agnes" and "Tyrone"; and the champion poodle "Rhapsody in White" who might just snare the title for the third year running. Director Christopher Guest popularized the mockumentary format in the 1980s, co-writing a number of popular films with frequent co-star Eugene Levy.
About the Speaker
Dr. Camille Ward is the president and founder of About Dogs LLC, where she specializes in behavioral consultations and pet dog training. Her philosophy stresses relationship building and working from the dog’s point of view.
Dr. Ward received her PhD from the University of Michigan, studying cognition and the development of social behavior in domestic dogs. Before that, Dr. Ward’s master’s degree focused on how American crows tradeoff the conflicting demands of finding food and avoiding predators. In addition to her work on dogs and crows, she also conducted behavioral studies on primates and fish. Dr. Ward has lectured nationally and internationally at scientific and dog training conferences on dog behavior. She has published on animal behavior in a variety of scientific journals, and her work has been featured on MSNBC, in Cosmopolitan magazine, and in The Bark. Dr. Ward has taught animal behavior and she designed and taught a seminar called Dog Cognition, Behavior and Welfare in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan. Her current research focuses on dog-to-dog communication, cognition, and applied animal behavior. Dr. Ward is the author of the book Relationship Training for a Well-Behaved Dog, and she is currently working on a Puppy Training Handbook.
Dr. Ward received her certification through the prestigious Animal Behavior Society as a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB). The process to achieve certification is selective and rigorous, and it represents the highest achievement available to an academically trained Applied Animal Behaviorist. Dr. Ward is currently serving on the Board of Professional Certification.