UBC Human-Animal Interaction Lab

The UBC Animal Welfare Program is hosting the 2026 Canine Science Conference in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, from June 4 - 6.
Registrations are now open!
Check out the conference website for more information: https://www.caninesciencesociety.org/

The Canine Science Conference provides an opportunity for scholars from many disciplines, such as animal welfare, physiology, genetics, behaviour, and human-dog interaction, to present their research to peers. All dog science enthusiasts are welcomed 🐶

Another great week comes to a close at the HAI lab!

Huge congratulations to our newest graduates 🎓 🥳

Graduates from the attachment study: Jules, Mirabelle, Lumiere, Hudson and Eva!
Graduate from the human interaction study: Beans, Mallow, Phil, Daisy, Halley and Luna!

It was a pleasure having you all with us 🐶

We will be soon winding down for the summer and pausing our calls for participants. But do not worry, our online survey is still open, and you can still sign up for our participant database to be contacted for in-person studies later this year! (link in bio)

Lots of new grads here at !

Please congratulate them all! 🎓 🥳

For the attachment study: Ollie, Timber, Maizee, Teddy, Taro, Pepper, Hugo, Penny, Penny, Simon, Winnie, Bacchus, Hazel, Scotch,

For the human interaction study: Sadie, Whiskey, Tintin, Leica, Henry, Lucy and Edie!

Thank you all for coming 🐾

🔍🔍🔍 Thank you to everyone who wrote volunteering to participate with their dogs of specific breeds after our last post. We are still looking for a shiba, a husky and a pointer (or setter), all adopted as adults 🐾

Hello UBC HAI community

We need your help 📣

As you may know we have recently start a new interesting study about attachment style of dogs towards their owner very similar to research studies assessing the bond between infants and their caregivers.
The study focuses on the age of the dog at the time of adoption as a potential factor determining the extent of this bond.

We are now specifically in need of certain dog breeds and age groups.
We would like to have:

- 3 dogs from Retriever breeds such as Labrador, Golden, NSDT, Newfounland, Flat- or curly-coated) adopted as adults (at least at 12 months of age)
- 3 dogs from breeds such as Poodle, Maltese, Havanese adopted as puppies (before or up to 12 weeks of age)
- 2 Huskies or Shiba Inus adopted as puppies (before or up to 12 weeks of age)
- One Corgi adopted as an adult (at least at 12 months of age)

Please share this news with anyone who has a dog that might potentially meet this criteria.
This is an exciting opportunity for your dog to contribute into the science and receive a diploma from UBC 🎉

The attached photos were captured from sessions of this study (each session only takes 10 mins, for which you'll be invited to come to UBC Vancouver campus; parking is provided near the building)

Interested to participate?
Please email us 📧 at hai.lab@ubc

Another week ends here at the HAI lab 🤓

Congratulations to all new graduates 🎓 🥳

For the attachment study: Brophy, Trinket, Kaiser, Ruby, Everest, Maple, Luna, Berkshire
For the human interaction study: Howie (with a Master’s!) and Essie!

Thank you all for coming 🐕

Our latest survey is still available if you haven’t had a chance to take it yet, and you can also sign up to join our participant database for in-person studies! 🐾 Link in bio!

A very packed week here at !

Please congratulate all of our amazing new graduates 🎓 🥳

For the attachment study: Sadie, Annie, Romita, Angus, Kage, Jackson, Zara
Pekoe, Vanilla, Copper, Lexi and Witness!

For the human interaction study, therapy dogs: Olive (getting her Masters!) and Blue!

Thank you all for coming! 🐾

Remember our new survey study is still open (as well as the possibility to sign up to our database for in-person studies!🤓). See bio for the link!