A pet behavior consultant is someone that is trained and credentialed in animal behavior. These specialists can help you understand an animal’s normal and abnormal behavior and whether not an animal would be appropriate for a particular role. They also specialize in assisting pets with behavioral problems, just as mental health professional’s work with people. Unlike an animal trainer that focuses on teaching an animal to offer a particular behavior when given a specific cue, behavior consultants typically work with animals exhibiting an undesirable behavior based on instinct and emotion.
Those working in pet behavior will typically be a member of one one more of the following organizations; the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB), The Animal Behavior Society (ABS), and the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB).
Founded in 2004, the IAABC is working to standardize the practice of companion animal behavior consulting. With over 1,000 members throughout the world, IAABC members are an excellent resource for or those with pets with behavioral issues. The IAABC credentials Dog, Cat, Parrot and Horse Consultants. Those credentialed by the IAABC must demonstrate competency in counseling skills and social systems assessment, behavioral science, a general knowledge of animal behavior, genetics, neuropsychology, ethology and species-specific knowledge of healthcare, nutrition, husbandry, and behavior. Those certified are required to accumulate continuing education units on a regular basis. These individuals focus on the use of behavior modification protocols to treat animals. You can find a list of IAABC behavior consultants at this website: http://iaabc.org/consultants
The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) is a group of veterinarians and research scientists dedicated to improving the lives of animals and people through an understanding of animal behavior. AVSAB has published several important position statements on animal behavior. The membership of AVSAB is restricted to veterinarians and those that hold a Ph.D. in animal behavior or a related field. However, unlike the IAABC, the ABS or the ACVB, AVSAB does not offer a credential to its members that presupposes a level of expertise in the field of animal behavior. You can learn more about AVSAB at https://avsab.org/
The Animal Behavior Society (ABS) is a non-profit, 501(3)(c) professional organization dedicated to promoting education and research in the field of animal behavior. Members who work with clients and their animals are Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists (CAAB). These individuals are credentialed by the Animal Behavior Society and typically have doctoral degrees in animal behavior or related fields. They focus on more challenging cases and the use of behavior modification protocols to treat animals. There are very few such individuals in the United States. You can find a list of Animal Behavior Society Certified Applied Animal Behavior Consultants at this website: http://certifiedanimalbehaviorist.com/members/
Veterinarians that specialize in animal behavior are credentialed by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists as a Diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (DACVB). These are veterinarians who have completed an approved residency program in veterinary behavior and have passed a national board examination in that discipline. A board-certified Veterinary Behaviorist specializes in clinical animal behavior and can diagnose and treat medical and behavioral problems, as well as prescribe medications to treat those problems. There are very few such individuals in the United States, most of them in larger cities, major universities or veterinary schools. You can find a list of veterinarians accredited by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists at this website: http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/
Green Acres’ Don Hanson is an IAABC Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, and an Associate Certified Cat Behavior Consultant. Don is also a Bach Foundation Registered Animal Practitioner (BFRAP). His BFRAP credential means that he has completed the required courses and examinations to be registered by the Dr. Edward Bach Foundation in the use of the Bach Flower Remedies with animals. You can review Don’s credentials at this link: http://www.greenacreskennel.com/about-the-owners/dons-credentials.html
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