Animal Behavior and Training

Career Overview

Specialists in animal behavior and training are needed in a wide variety of settings, including animal shelters, zoos, aquariums, sanctuaries, research laboratories, private pet training facilities, and service animal training facilities. In addition to working directly with animals, companion animal trainers may work with pet owners to help them with behavioral issues or teach them how to train their pet.

Representative Job Titles

Animal Trainer

Assistant Trainer

Animal Behavior Specialist

Behavior Associate

Behavior Consultant

Behavior Team Member

Behavior Manager

Doggy Day Camp Attendant

Horse Trainer

Pet Training Instructor

Shelter Behavior Specialist

Training Specialist

Recommended ABEC/ANZ Courses

ABEC 217: Connecting ABEC to the Wider World

ABEC 220+L: Animal Learning

ABEC 320+L: Applied Dog Behavior

ABEC 332: Animal Welfare

ABEC 339: Animal Enrichment

ABEC 346: Integrative Behavior

ABEC 365: Animal Communication

ABEC 370: Animal Cognition

ANZ 101: Anthrozoology

ANZ 310: Psychology of the Human-Animal Bond

ANZ 315: Equine Evolution and Behavior

ANZ 325: Animal-Assisted Interventions

Other Recommended Courses

COM 201: Dynamic Presentations (or any course in public speaking)

MGT 101: Introduction to Management*

MKT 201: Principles of Marketing*

*Recommended for students interested in started their own business (training, pet-sitting, dogwalking, etc). In these cases, a business minor may be beneficial.

Experiential Learning

Research: Dr. Margulis and Dr. Snekser conduct research with undergraduates that is most applicable to this career field

Internships: See Dr. Tyrrell for information on animal behavior and training internships

Local Places to Volunteer: Erie County SPCA, Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center

Important Skills

Animal training techniques

Education or public speaking

Training Certifications: CCPDT, IAABC, CAAB

Where can I find job postings in this field?

One of the best ways to learn about what courses, skills, and experiences are beneficial for a particular career path is to look at postings for jobs that interest you. Starting to do this early in your undergraduate program can help you to set realistic goals and know that you are on the right track to be competitive in the job market. This can also help you determine whether other preparation (such as graduate school) will be needed for the type of job you are interested in. The links below lead to some of the most popular job boards for the field of Animal Behavior and Training:

1) AZA Job Board (Zoo and Aquarium)

2) Animal Behavior Society Positions (lists jobs and graduate school opportunities)

3) APDT (Association of Professional Dog Trainers) Career Website

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