# How do you become a dog behaviorist?



## mainegirl (May 2, 2005)

was wondering if there is a structured program (other than experience)to become an animal behaviorist? i've gotten really good and intuitive with middle school and elementry school kids (kind of like wild goldens?, lol), knowing when there is trouble, learning disabilities, autism, etc. but that's through all the psych courses and 35 years of teaching and being a mother of 3 adopted kids (29, 22 and 17) but i'm kind of interested in animal behavior. don't want togo for another degree (have 3 already and 4 teaching cert. areas) but am interested in maybe helping my rescue with eval. of behavior in rescue animals. I was right on several of our rescues that were labeled behavior problems (i didn't help with their training but did plead their case.... sadie and peanut). i'm 58 and don't want to be a vet or vet tech, but am very observant of human and animal behavior as well as being told by a psychic that i have psychic abilities (lol, like i believed her, i just feel i have a lot of intuitition)

thanx for any input
p.s. never found a dog i was afraid of...

beth
beth, moose and angel


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

I had hired a behaviorist in the early 90's for a GSD I had. He talked about going to school in Ohio - so there must be programs out there.

My GSD was fear aggressive and was afraid of people that feared him. The behaviorist had told me that people with fear emit a smell, and at this school they would actually spray this smell on them when learning to train the dogs.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Technically - within the mainstream animal training world:

You can become a certified animal behaviorist if you hold a MA or higher in a behavior-related field. If you're a vet and do two years of additional study in behavior, then you are a veterinary behaviorist.

Aside from that, no matter how much you work in the field of behavior, you are a trainer. (And unfortunately, lots of people who work in behavior choose to call themselves "behaviorists," which is insulting, IMO, to those who truly hold the credential.) Lots of ways to become a trainer. If you search archives, you'll find many threads about different education programs out there, as well as ways to apprentice and get a solid education outside of a formal "trade school" type program.


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