How to Become an Animal Behaviorist: An Expert’s Guide

“Essentially, we’re the psychiatrists of the veterinary world.”

Katherine Houpt, VMD, PhD, James Law Professor Emeritus, Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine

The bond between humans and animals is unique, built on understanding, trust, and care. Animal behaviorists play an essential role in enriching this bond by helping humans understand animal behavior and addressing behavioral challenges in pets and wildlife. For those passionate about animals and science, becoming an animal behaviorist can be an incredibly fulfilling career path.

An animal behaviorist is a professional who studies and analyzes the behavior of animals, understanding why they behave in specific ways and providing solutions to improve their well-being. This role often involves diagnosing and treating behavioral issues, conducting research, or working with pet owners and veterinarians to implement behavior modification techniques. There are also behavioral vet techs.

Behaviorists can work with domestic animals, such as dogs and cats, as well as wildlife or exotic animals. Their work spans multiple disciplines, including biology, psychology, and veterinary science.

Day-to-day work in this field can vary widely: “Today, I had two aggressive dogs. One was biting the owner, and one was biting the other dog and two cats,” shares Dr. Katherine Houpt, James Law Professor Emeritus in the Section of Behavior Medicine at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “Sometimes the treatments are common sense, like a dog who bites should wear a muzzle, but as veterinarians, we can also prescribe medication to reduce the dog’s aggression and the cats.”

One of the greatest challenges in the field of animal behavior is that the patients cannot communicate verbally. Unlike in human psychology, where individuals can describe their thoughts and feelings, animal behaviorists must rely entirely on observation, body language, and environmental context to understand what an animal is experiencing. “We can’t ask, ‘what are you worried about?’ We have to read the signs, context, and body language to determine what’s going on,” explains Dr. Houpt. “For example, in determining if this dog assertively aggressive or fearfully aggressive, we have to look at what’s happening. If he’s biting the mailman, he’s probably assertively aggressive, but if he’s biting the veterinarian, he’s probably fearfully aggressive.”

If this sounds like an exciting career, keep reading to hear more advice from Dr. Houpt, as well as our comprehensive step-by-step guide and how to get started in this field.

Meet the Expert: Katherine Houpt, VMD, PhD

Education Requirements to Become an Animal Behaviorist

To become an animal behaviorist, a strong educational foundation in biology, psychology, zoology, or a related scientific field is essential. Typically, this starts with earning a bachelor’s degree in one of these areas, providing a broad understanding of animal physiology, behavior, and neuroscience.

Many aspiring animal behaviorists then pursue advanced studies, such as a master’s or doctoral degree, specializing in animal behavior, ethology, or behavioral psychology. These programs often include practical research opportunities and training in experimental design and data analysis. For individuals seeking to work in clinical practice, additional certifications, such as those offered by the Animal Behavior Society (ABS), may be required to demonstrate expertise and professionalism in the field.

Unfortunately, the field of animal behaviorists is not well-regulated: “Anyone can be an ‘animal behaviorist ‘without any degrees,” says Dr. Houpt. “However, most people who do it for livelihood have either a PhD or a veterinary degree or both. Those with a PhD in animal behavior usually do research, go out in the field and watch lions or teach at the college level. Veterinarian behaviorists are more likely to help people who have dogs, cats, and horses with behavior problems. Essentially, we’re the psychiatrists of the veterinary world.”

What Every Animal Behaviorist Wishes Pet Owners Knew

One of the most important things animal behaviorists wish pet owners understood is how to proactively work with professionals to address their pets’ behavioral issues rather than resorting to punishment. Many behavioral problems in animals stem from underlying causes, such as fear, anxiety, or misunderstandings in communication, which punishment can often worsen. “We often have to persuade the people not to punish their pets,” says Dr. Houpt. “Recently, a person I was working with used a shock collar on her dog. This was not a good idea, particularly because his dog was fearfully aggressive, so now he’s even more fearful.”

She continues, “Punishing your dog inappropriately, or punishing it at all, can make the dog much worse. Many owners assume their dog has intellectual abilities that it doesn’t have. Therefore, they can blame it for their bad actions as if they intentionally meant to upset the owner, justifying themselves in punishing the dog. Still, the dog does not have that intellectual ability, and you are just torturing the dog. Now, when you leave, he doesn’t know whether you will hit him when you come back or pet him.”

Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming an Animal Behaviorist

1. Gain Early Experience with Animals

Start by immersing yourself in close interaction with animals. Volunteer at animal shelters, intern in veterinary clinics, or work at a zoo. Exposure to different species in diverse environments provides invaluable insight into animal behavior and strengthens your determination to pursue this path.

2. Earn a Bachelor’s Degree

A solid academic foundation is crucial. Focus on earning a degree in one of the following fields:

• Animal science
• Biology
• Psychology
• Zoology

Choose courses that cover animal biology, neuroscience, and behavioral sciences. Balancing a mix of theoretical and practical learning will ensure a well-rounded education.

3. Pursue Advanced Education

To be a reputable and certified animal behaviorist, a master’s or doctoral degree is essential. Consider programs that specifically focus on animal behavior or related fields, such as:

• Anthrozoology
• Veterinary medicine
• Behavioral psychology

Some universities offer specialized tracks within veterinary programs to focus on animal behavior.

4. Get Certified

Obtaining certification demonstrates professional competence and enhances credibility in the field. The Animal Behavior Society (ABS) offers the following certifications:

• Associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (ACAAB) for those with a master’s degree or higher
• Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) for applicants with a doctoral degree

Both certifications require related work experience as well as letters of recommendation.

5. Gain Hands-on Experience

Practical experience goes hand-in-hand with academic qualifications. Aspiring behaviorists should gain as much hands-on experience as possible through:

• Internships at veterinary clinics or zoos
• Shadowing certified animal behaviorists
• Working with animal rescue organizations

Real-world practice will improve your confidence and refine your behavioral assessment skills.

6. Build Specific Expertise (Dog and Cat Behaviorists)

For those interested in specializing in dogs or cats, further refine your skills by focusing on the behavior of these beloved pets.

Specializing as a Dog Behaviorist

Dog behaviorists are particularly sought after by pet owners dealing with challenges such as aggression, separation anxiety, or obsessive behaviors. Specializing in canine behavior involves:

• Learning canine psychology and communication signals
• Studying breed-specific traits and tendencies
• Educating pet owners on training and positive reinforcement techniques

Specializing as a Cat Behaviorist

Cats are fascinating animals, but their behaviors can confuse even the most seasoned pet owners. Cat behaviorists address issues like litter box problems, scratching, or fearfulness. Building a specialty in feline behavior requires knowledge of:

• Feline body language and vocalizations
• Environmental enrichment to create stress-free living spaces
• Techniques for gradual behavior modification

Both canine and feline behaviorists collaborate closely with pet owners and veterinarians to implement behavior improvement plans.

Advice For Aspiring Animal Behaviorists

Through her work, Dr. Houpt has gathered invaluable insights and practical advice that aspiring animal behaviorists can use as they begin their own journeys in this rewarding career. “You’re not going to become a millionaire, and you’ll have to pay off your veterinary education bills, but it’s a very rewarding career,” she offers. “With your expertise as an animal behaviorist, you can certainly save dog, cat, and horse lives, as well as prevent human injury.

Dr. Houpt emphasizes the unique role that animal behavior specialists play in veterinary medicine. She explains, “We specialize in treating behavior cases rather than surgical, skin, or other types of cases. We’re board-certified, and, in most cases, we have gone to veterinary school. We can improve a pet’s behavior with the owner’s cooperation and, if necessary, with psychoactive medication.”

In her tenure, Dr. Houpt has seen many advances from which future students will benefit: “We’ve certainly expanded the range of medications that we use. And as far as methodology is concerned, we tend to use positive reinforcement as our primary tool,” she says. “Also, client education is key. For example, you have an owner whose dog barks during dinner, and finally, they give them something from your plate. Now, the dog has learned that he should bark 30 times, and then you’ll give him the treat. If you don’t, he’ll bark 50 times. Instead, you can teach the owner that if they had just ignored him or put him in his crate with a Kong, then he wouldn’t have learned that if he barks long enough, you would give them something.”