Who we are

Hi. I’m Dr. Courtney (and that’s Sonder the hound). Among other things, I’m a dog person and through Canine Compass I endeavor to:

  1. Share the knowledge, skills, and insights I have gained with would-be dog people (you!) so they can begin what can be an incredible journey — forging an intentional, fulfilling, life-long relationship with a canine companion. 

  2. Empower people to play a more active role in improving the quality of life for the dogs who bring joy to so many in their communities, and to be more educated, responsible members of those communities.

For more on why I do what I do, please take a moment to read my statement of purpose… I can’t wait to help you start your journey with a canine co-pilot!

Dr. Courtney Sexton, PhD, CAAB

Dr. Courtney Sexton is an anthropologist, dog scientist, writer, and the Co-founder of DC-based nonprofit literary arts organization, The Inner Loop. She earned her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and her PhD from The George Washington University. Courtney is passionate about community building, scientific outreach, and advocacy (and of course, dogs). As both a researcher and an accomplished communicator and curator, she works with a diverse cadre of humans, animals, institutions, agencies, and organizations, and often ropes her hound, Sonder, into helping out. 

Courtney is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Population Health Sciences at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, and member of the the Dog Aging Project research team. With a background in animal welfare, conservation, and the evolutionary biology of the human-dog relationship, she is especially interested in One Health applications of canine science research, as well as how non-human animals, especially dogs, can inform what we know about the evolution of human communication and social relationships. 

Courtney is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB), and a member of AAAS, the Animal Behavior Society, and the International Society for Anthrozoology. She serves as a member of the Communications and Community Building committee for ManyDogs Project, and is a Virginia Tech Research & Innovation Scholar (2024), Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute Fellow (2022), AAAS Mass Media Fellow (2020), and DCCAH Arts & Humanities Fellow (2018; 2022; 2025).