The animal behavior industry in the United States is unregulated. This means that YOU (yes, you) could decide tomorrow that you're a trainer and can charge money for your "services." Individuals are not required to prove that they know anything about behavior before working in the field. With that being said, within the behavior industry there are different terms that professionals use to describe one another that can be helpful in narrowing down what will be the best fit for a potential client:
Trainer - This is an animal professional that teaches basic manners like sit, leave it, loose leash walking, stay, etc. They can also address minor nuisance behaviors like jumping and counter surfing. These professionals frequently teach group classes.
Consultant - This is an animal professional that works with more severe behavior concerns like inter-animal conflict, reactivity, separation anxiety, and more. There is some variation on what a behavior consultant will work with that is dependent on the individual. Jolene and Emily are consultants.
Behaviorist - This is an animal professional that has a PhD in animal behavior. The only exception to this rule would be an Associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (ACAAB), who has their masters degree in animal behavior. Individuals that have PhDs are either board-certified veterinary behaviorists or Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists (CAAB). CAABs are like the psychologists of the animal world and board-certified veterinary behaviorists are like the psychiatrists of the animal world. Behaviorists typically see more complicated and/or severe cases. Jolene and Emily refer cases to these professionals semi-regularly.
If you have any questions about the differences between animal professional classifications, please don't hesitate to reach out!
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