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Pet behaviour consultants help pet owners deal with animal behaviour problems.
You could work: evenings / weekends; as customers demand
There will be
3.8% more Pet behaviour consultant jobs in 2027.
In your local area
On a typical day you might:
You could work at a client's home, in a therapy clinic or at a veterinary practice.
Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time and you'll travel often.
You can get into this job through:
You could take a degree that includes the study of animal behaviour, though it is not essential. Relevant courses include:
If you want to become a member of a recognised professional or industry body you should check their preferred degree subject requirements.
As well as your degree you would also need knowledge of different types of animals and animal breeds, and some experience of animal handling and training.
Postgraduate qualifications in subjects like animal welfare and behaviour or applied animal behaviour and welfare are also available.
You'll usually need:
You could take a course at college that would give you some of the skills and knowledge to start in an animal care role and work towards further qualifications in animal behaviour.
Relevant courses include:
You could gain some of the skills and knowledge needed for this job through an animal trainer higher apprenticeship.
With experience you may be able to take further training to become an animal behaviour consultant.
You'll usually need:
You could start out as an animal care assistant in:
With experience and the support of your employer, you may be able to train on the job to become a pet behaviour consultant.
Voluntary work with an animal welfare organisation, veterinary surgery or a pet rescue centre can be a useful way to get experience.
Look for opportunities with organisations like the:
You can find specialist courses on animal behaviour with animal welfare and training organisations. It may help to work towards national standards or membership of a professional body like:
You can get more advice about working in pet behaviour through the:Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors; Animal Behaviour and Training Council
With qualifications and experience you can apply to the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour for Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourist status. This will allow you entry onto the Register of Certified Clinical Animal Behaviourists.
You could set up your own practice, move into teaching, or work in animal behaviour research.