About Dr. Ward

Dr. Camille Ward is the President and founder of About Dogs LLC, where she specializes in pet dog training and behavioral consultations. Her training philosophy stresses relationship building and working from the dog's point of view.

Dr. Ward received her Ph.D. 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 taught animal behavior at the University of Michigan, and she designed a seminar class called Dog Cognition, Behavior and Welfare. She has published on animal behavior in a variety of scientific journals, and her work has also been featured on MSNBC and in Cosmopolitan magazine and The Bark. Her current research focuses on dog-to-dog play and communication. She keeps current with the scientific literature on dog training and behavior so that the methods she recommends to her clients are based on the latest scientific findings. Dr. Ward completed a family dog training book titled Relationship Training for a Well-Behaved Dog. She is currently working on a puppy training handbook and a Dog Science Newsletter.

Most recently, Dr. Ward received her certification through the 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 "owned" by a German Shepherd, Sage, who she competes with in the dog sport agility. She and her husband also have two Doberman rescues, Meadow & Jimmy, who are both currently in training, and they recently added a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Tango to their pack.

Dr. Ward's curriculum vitae

Dr. Ward's Dissertation: Cognition and Social Cognition in the Domestic Dog (Canis lupus familiaris). 2007. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI