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i want to have a career in animal training..?

I want to work with training for all animals, not just dogs, and i was wondering if anyone knows what i need to take in highschool to get there? And also, i would like to go to collage/university somewhere in ontario, preferably southern. any ideas?

Public Comments

1. You may want to find a program in your school that deals with animals and agricuulture (not all high schools have these programs). If your school doesn't have one, just be sure to take basic biology (most mammals have similar organic structure to humans). I wouldn't worry about high school so much, I would worry about taking the right classes in COLLEGE. Educational requirements in this field can vary, depending on where an animal trainer works. For example, an animal trainer running a puppy kindergarten class or a basic dog training class at the local shelter may require only minimal training from an animal training workshop or a proprietary technical school to adequately perform the job. However, animal trainers working with large or exotic animals or with animals with specific behavior problems, or animal trainers working at zoological parks, may require a graduate degree in psychology, counseling, animal behavior, biology or zoology. Marine mammal trainers, for example, may need at least a bachelor's degree in marine biology, animal science, psychology, or zoology, plus strong swimming skills and SCUBA certification. There are many private proprietary animal training schools as well as training programs offered by groups such as the Humane Society of the United States, the American Humane Association, the American Institute for Animal Science , the American Boarding Kennels Association and the National Animal Control Association. Programs offered by these groups can range from simple symposia and workshops on very specific animal training issues to a bachelor's of science degree in humane leadership for those who are interested in working and running animal shelters. Schools offering programs in animal behavior in Virginia include the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine run by Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland. Many animal trainers complete their training by doing an apprenticeship with a professional animal trainer following the completion of an animal training program. I was not able to find any animal training schools in Canada that did not specify in dog training only.