The Canine Science Symposium is Back: Get Your Discounted Registration Now!
A weekend of continuing ed for dog trainers, the event also provides a chance to hang out with smart folks like you. photo: Canine Science Symposium.
Mark your calendars, dog fans! The Canine Science Symposium returns to San Francisco State University later this spring on the weekend of May 17-18. The discounted registration period ends on March 31 so now’s the time to get in on the lowest rate if you’re interested in attending.
Repeatedly ranked one of the Top 10 animal behavior and dog training conferences of the year, this two-day gathering is a must-attend continuing education event for behavior consultants, dog trainers, veterinary professionals, animal sheltering staff, and volunteers. It’s also a great networking event for animal behaviorists, scientists, students, and anyone else eager to learn more about the science of dogs and how to apply this knowledge to their interactions with dogs.
Founded in San Francisco in 2013, the Canine Science Symposium regularly attracts attendees from around the world. Now under the leadership of Dr. Lisa Gunter and Dr. Erica Feuerbacher with the Center for Applied Animal Research and Education in Virginia Tech’s School of Animal Sciences, this year’s conference will feature 14 presentations by national and international scientists.
Plenary speakers for the 2025 Symposium are Dr. Simon Gadbois, director of the Wildlife Ethology and Canine Olfaction Lab at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada, and Dr. Kathryn Lord, research specialist in the Karlsson Lab at The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Other presenters include Dr. Monique Udell from Oregon State University, Dr. Gunter and Dr. Feuerbacher from Virginia Tech, Dr. Alexandra Protopopova from the University of British Columbia, Dr. Nathan Hall from Texas Tech, and Dr. Lindsay Mehrkam from Monmouth University.
A diverse array of featured topics will include presentations on the evolution of dogs, canine play, enhancing scent detection training, welfare considerations for therapy dogs, wildlife conservation canines, defining success in training, cohousing and foster care programs in animal shelters, and much more. And just to show they don’t discriminate, there’s even a talk on the behavior and cognition in cats.
Ariana Luchsinger, operations manager at San Francisco Animal Care & Control, has brought her behavior team to the Canine Science Symposium for the last few years. She says attending the event has helped her and her staff develop enhanced enrichment programming for shelter residents and ways to increase positive interactions between adopters and their potential matches. Luchsinger also calls it a great networking venue and one that lets her team take away current science they can use in their work every day. “The collective knowledge gained by attending CSS has really opened up dialogue on our team on how best to ‘give the animals a good day’ regardless of the circumstances before their stay at SFACC,” she says.
Another regular attendee is Kirsten Letham-Hamlett, co-founder and vice president of Post Adoption and Welfare Support (PAWS) and senior research specialist with the REACH Institute at Arizona State University. As a professional dog trainer, Letham-Hamlett says the symposium offers a unique opportunity to discuss innovations and challenges with other trainers, shelter workers, and academics. She notes the symposium research translates to best practices for anyone who works with animal learners and their families. In fact, she cites it as her favorite conference of the year “because it always feels like a collaborative experience where everyone is there to learn and develop practical strategies that help all of us in the canine-loving community.”
Whether you’re involved in animal sheltering, behavior consulting, training, veterinary medicine, or behavior science, the symposium has something for everyone to improve the lives of companion animals. To learn more or register for in-person or Zoom attendance, visit caninesciencesymposium. Discounted registration pricing ends March 31, 2025, so don’t delay!