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(Animal Behaviour Specialist, Applied Animal Behaviourist, Animal Behaviour Therapist, Animal Behaviour Consultant)
Science & Research
Salary
€30,000 - €65,000/yr
Level
Professional
Outlook
Growing
Sector
Science & Research
As an Animal Behaviourist you study, observe and assess how animals think, feel and act in response to their environment, social groups and human interaction. You design and implement behaviour modification programmes to address problematic or harmful behaviours in individual animals, working closely with owners, veterinary professionals and animal care staff. Your day-to-day work may involve conducting detailed behavioural assessments in homes, veterinary clinics, equine yards or research facilities, and writing up detailed reports and management plans. You collaborate with vets, zoologists, welfare officers and pet owners to ensure animals are housed and handled in ways that support their physical and psychological wellbeing. Research-focused roles may also involve publishing findings, applying for grants and contributing to national or international guidelines on animal care.
Listen: a day as an Animal Behaviourist
Your alarm goes off at 7:15 a.m. Before leaving the house, you check your emails and find a message from a veterinary clinic in Kilkenny asking you to review notes on a border collie with severe separation anxiety. You add it to your case list, pack your observation kit — a video camera, a clicker, a behaviour assessment form and a notepad — and head out by 8:00 a.m. Your first appointment is a home visit in Carlow at 9:30 a.m. A family is struggling with their rescue greyhound, who has started growling around food. You spend about forty minutes quietly observing the dog in the kitchen, noting body posture, ear position and tail movement before saying much to the owners. You explain the concept of resource guarding in plain terms and begin walking them through a counter-conditioning plan, where the dog gradually learns that a person approaching its bowl is a positive rather than threatening event.
A strong Leaving Certificate with Higher Level Biology and ideally Chemistry, Mathematics or Agricultural Science provides the best foundation for entry into this field. Most animal behaviourists in Ireland hold an NFQ Level 8 Honours Bachelor degree in a relevant discipline such as Zoology, Animal Science, Veterinary Science or Biology, available at institutions including University College Dublin, University College Cork, University of Galway and Maynooth University. Many practitioners go on to complete an NFQ Level 9 postgraduate qualification or Masters degree specialising in Animal Behaviour or Applied Animal Behaviour, which is increasingly expected for clinical or research roles. QQI Level 5 or 6 PLC courses in Animal Care can provide an entry point for those wishing to build practical experience before progressing to degree level. Membership of professional bodies such as the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB) or the Animal Behaviour Society, and certification through organisations such as the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), is highly regarded by Irish employers. Ongoing continuing professional development is essential given the pace of research advances in animal cognition and welfare science.
Most animal behaviourists begin their careers in assistant or junior roles within veterinary practices, animal welfare charities such as the DSPCA or ISPCA, equine centres or university research departments, building practical experience alongside their degree or postgraduate qualification. With several years of experience and a relevant postgraduate qualification, practitioners can move into senior clinical consultancy, specialised research positions or lecturing roles in Irish higher education institutions. Some establish independent behaviour consultancy practices, taking on referrals from veterinary clinics and working across companion animals, horses or farm livestock. Experienced professionals may progress into animal welfare policy, advising Government agencies, Teagasc or the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on evidence-based standards for animal management.
Artificial intelligence is beginning to assist animal behaviourists through automated video analysis tools that can detect and classify behavioural patterns in research or farm settings far more rapidly than manual observation alone. Machine learning models are being developed to flag early signs of stress or illness in livestock and companion animals, supplementing rather than replacing the expert judgement of a trained behaviourist. AI-driven data analysis supports larger-scale research studies by processing extensive observational datasets, helping practitioners identify trends and refine intervention strategies more efficiently. However, the relational and interpretive elements of clinical behaviour consultancy — including reading subtle environmental contexts, counselling owners and adapting plans in real time — remain firmly in the domain of the human professional.
→ Animal Behaviourist (Current role)
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Organisations in Ireland that employ people in this occupation.
Belfield, Dublin 4
Research and clinical animal behaviour within veterinary teaching hospital setting.
Grange, Co. Meath; Moorepark, Co. Cork
Research livestock behaviour and welfare on Irish farms and research centres.
Phoenix Park, Dublin 8
Assess and enrich behaviour of zoo animals across diverse species collections.
Longford, Co. Longford; Nationwide
Conduct behavioural assessments on rescued and rehomed animals nationwide.
Finglas, Dublin 11
Deliver canine behaviour programmes and rehabilitation for rehoming candidates.
Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork
Monitor and modify animal behaviour to support welfare and conservation goals.
Dublin 2
Conduct academic research into animal cognition, social behaviour and ecology.
Maynooth, Co. Kildare
Research animal behaviour, ethology and human–animal interactions academically.
Inchicore, Dublin 8; Nationwide
Provide behaviour support and assessment for animals in welfare clinics.
Nationwide
Advise on livestock behaviour and welfare standards across supply chain farms.
Leopardstown, Dublin 18
Apply equine behavioural science to performance horse nutrition and management.
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