Daniel Mills | Meet Our Experts | University of Lincoln

Advancing Our Understanding of Animal Behaviour

With more than three decades of research experience, it would be fair to say that Professor Daniel Mills is an international authority on companion animal behaviour, cognition, and welfare. He was the UK’s ﬁrst specialist in veterinary behavioural medicine to be recognised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, and was in the top 1 per cent of cited scientists globally, according to Stanford University's research database.

Daniel is Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine at the University of Lincoln and his research focuses on two strands: the assessment of emotion in non-human animals, and how this understanding can be applied to human animal relationships, problem behaviour in animals (particularly cats, dogs, and horses), and improving the performance of working animals.

Over the past 25 years, Daniel has led the development of what has become known as the 'psychobiological approach' to clinical animal behaviour at Lincoln. This synthesises contemporary behavioural biology and psychology with neuroscience to develop a systematic scientific approach to the assessment of problem behaviour in animals.

The University of Lincoln is a world-leading centre of research that also maintains a strong connection with stakeholders. This means students can gain experience of both scientiﬁc excellence and clinical excellence in relation to problem behaviour and its management.

Our Relationships with Animals

During his time at Lincoln, Daniel has had chance to scientifically explore his interests in the potential value of our relationships with animals, using a multidisciplinary approach by undertaking collaborations with biologists, health care professionals, psychologists, lawyers, and economists.

Key areas of research have included the effect of pet dogs on human health and wellbeing; investigations into animal emotion; semiochemical signals in the dog; improving performance in scent detection dogs; and external influences on human decision making that impact animal welfare.

He has recently been working with a team of researchers at Lincoln exploring how dogs cope with distractions, which is especially important when so many carry out vital work for organisations such as the police and military that keeps us all safe. The study found that both strobe lighting and acoustic distraction significantly reduced dogs’ ability to move efficiently, identifying a clear need for dogs in working environments, such as military or policing capacities, to receive specific training to overcome these challenges.

Behaviour, Cognition, and Welfare

Professor Mills is the academic lead of the Animal Behaviour, Cognition and Welfare Research Group, which comprises a unique team of internationally renowned researchers addressing key questions relating to the development of novel observational, experimental, and computational methods to measure and understand welfare and improve the lives of animals.

Discover More About the Group

A Culture of Curiosity

The University of Lincoln offers a number of courses in animal behaviour and welfare at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. As Daniel explains, work in these fields is focused on allowing students to fulﬁl their potential by providing a diverse range of opportunities for research and training.

"Our students can work with our expert academics and research groups, and we also regularly provide opportunities for our clinical animal behaviour students to sit in on real problem behaviour cases that have been referred to the University Animal Behaviour Clinic. This gives them the chance to get first-hand experience which can help them with their learning and research."

We encourage our students to undertake research that cuts across traditional disciplinary boundaries, while ensuring specialisms can emerge and flourish in a culture of curiosity and innovation. Undoubtedly the passion of our staff for their subjects is also a huge benefit to our students.

Pet Perspectives

Daniel has written a number of books, book chapters, and journal articles on animal welfare and behaviour. His latest book invites the reader to take a look at the world through the eyes of a cat. Being Your Cat: What’s Really Going On In Your Feline’s Mind sees Daniel partner with Celia Haddon, former Daily Telegraph pet columnist, author, international anthologist, and University of Lincoln alumna.

"Through learning how your feline’s ancestors became pets to how their senses operate very differently to a human’s, readers can gain insight into everything from what toys their cats may enjoy to where to position their food bowls," explains Daniel.

The book is designed to appeal to cat lovers and owners alike by encouraging the reader to inhabit the mind of a feline. The anatomical differences that affect the ‘Cat’s Eye View’ are first explained before walking through a range of other frequently overlooked factors that significantly shape a cat’s reality.