I have my BA in animal behavior & health and I am a dog trainer. However, I would like to work with dogs with severe aggression / at high risk of behavioral euthanasia. However, I have found a passion for a researching canine behavior and cognition and wanted to learn more about this as a career path. For example, I would like to study aggression, fear, anxiety, OCD, abnormal behaviors, etc.

Do I need a master do work as a researcher for animal behavior & cognition? Would I make more & have more opportunities with a masters than a bachelors in this field? Ideally I would want to be researching canids - dog , wolves, coyotes, etc. how realistic is this career path?

I have also gone back and forth on the idea of being an animal’s behaviorist or veterinary behaviorist.

Hi everyone! I’m currently a freshman at uni, and I am double majoring in Biology and Animal Behavior. I am currently on a pre-vet track as well, but I’m honestly not for sure if that’s what I want to do! I am really into wildlife (my absolute biggest passion is birds) and I love the idea of wildlife rehab, but I also know that is a very volunteer-based position and I probably can’t make a career out of it? On the other hand I am also really interested in behavior management and dog training and stuff. Does anyone have any good ideas on what I might want to do and/or what I should focus on in school? Thanks!

Hello! I'm new to this community and new to reddit generally so please bare with me.

TLDR: I want to train service dogs for non combat PTSD survivors- Is ABC a good program? or are there places comparable or better that I'm not finding?

I am dipping my toes into animal behavior school as someone who originally did not want to go to school at all. I'm beginning to be more open to higher education as I settle into my 20's. The problem with this huge lack of information is I hardly even know where to start.

my goals are to train service dogs for non combat PTSD survivors. eventually, hopefully start a non profit with that same goal. I have worked at a vet as a receptionist, worked at pet stores, as well as in grooming for less then a year each and found passion with animals. I feel as if I have a base line of understanding dog behavior. all that being said I feel like I have a leg up but i have no clue where to start. Thank you! Xo

Hey everyone!

I'm studying psychology but I'm also a big animal lover. Because of this I would love to be able to study with animals directly but I'm finding it really hard to think about what to investigate.

Does anyone know of some good thesis topics that need more research and involve psychology and animals?

Thanks a lot!

Hi Everyone,
We found a dead raccoon on our property splayed out on its back, still-meaty ribs showing like an autopsy. I can grab a photo of it if it's still around, but I'm wondering if there is any animal that would treat prey this way? We live outside of Madison, WI, USA. Known predators nearby are coyotes and various birds of prey - vultures, eagles, hawks, owls. Neighbors saw a bobcat about two years ago.

From researching it, none of these animals would leave prey out in the open like that in the middle of the day. It looked like it had just died - yesterday or earlier this morning. Thanks in advance for helping to solve the mystery!

I'm an undergraduate student in the USA currently and am trying to find professors that are doing marine or aquatic related animal behavior research, as that's what I want to do with my life. Most of the professor's that I'm finding however are in the UK and I'm not sure I'll be able to go there. (I have an emotional support animal that I need to survive). Can anyone help out? Know (of) professors doing research in this field who supervise Ms students?

I am an apprentice in canine behavior, apprenticing with certified behavior professionals and I am working towards my credentials and certifications in dog training and behavior. I am about to start the UW-Applied Animal Behavior program this fall and I am hoping to apply for a Master's in the next couple of years.

I come from an electrical engineering background prefessionally, but have been contemplating pursuing studies and switching over to animal behavior since having handled, fostered and adopted several dogs who have been project dogs. I've worked with a lot of behavior professionals over the past few years. I have lived and witnessed a few tragic stories as well as a few successful stories, and am finally making the professional jump in getting credentialed and certified.

My primary interest is canine aggression and I contemplating it beyond "dog training schools" but rather study it in academia and do research.

I know Tufts and UC Davis have a good program. It seems that UW no longer have their Animal behavior MS-PhD program and I wanted to look into more about graduate programs in canine behavior and specifically canine aggression.

Hello! This is a very specific question. I’ve done a kind of embarrassing amount of research (not real research, layman research) into saltwater and Nile crocodiles, as well as alligators.

Of all the alligator stories I’ve found, not a single one has eaten a person (unless I missed something). Comparing this to species of crocodiles that will actively hunt people, I’m curious about why this difference may exist. My understanding of these crocodiles is that they will actively hunt people.

Before hurricane Ida hit Louisiana, only one person was documented to have been killed by an alligator, and it was dubious that this person was killed by an alligator. This was roughly 300 years ago.

Hurricane Ida came and a man got his arm torn off by a large alligator and that is the first documented, provable alligator fatality in Louisiana. All this has me very curious!

By the way, how would one go about getting involved in behavior research regarding alligators?

I’m looking to start university this year and would like to do a course which would land me a job working with/studying wild animals. I’m not sure which course from the aforementioned would be most suited to me, if any.

My dream job in an ideal world would be to study exotic wild animals and their actions, motives, habits, evolutionary quirks, needs, habitats, research their reasons behind things, find answers to unanswered questions etc. if at all possible in a role based more in the field than a laboratory.

I did think initially that animal behaviour would be the best degree for me but I’ve read a few negative threads about that degree on here so now I’m thinking zoology.

I’m applying through clearing and need to make up my mind very soon and I’m so stressed about it!

Any help particularly from those of you whose job role is something similar to what I’ve described above, would be greatly appreciated!!!

Hi! Not sure if this is the best place to ask - please let me know if there is a more appropriate sub. I have a BA in Psychology and am interested in getting a higher degree (or even certificate) in animal behavior, with the goal of working with pets (cats in particular) and their owners. However, I live in a more remote area (in the US) where there are no nearby schools with such a program. Does anyone know of online graduate degrees in animal behavior? I have heard of the Animal Behavior Institute, but was wondering if there were other similar programs you might recommend, or online masters programs. Thanks in advance!

Aside from worms migrating to my driveway I'm not too sure how various animals react to rain. Do they still hunt? Do deer move around normally and go on the road or do they bunker down in the forest? Does it make mosquitos more active or send them into hiding? Will a racoon or bear actively go scavenging in the trash?

Any insight on the subject is welcome!

I recently turned 30(female) and I working in corporate for 6+ years in IT infra as engineer. I’m considering changing my career path to animal behavior science, specifically in canine behavior and research. I am very blank about how to start since I don’t know anyone working in this area. I have degree in Computer Engineering. Absolutely no background in biology or science. But I am genuinely interested in canine studies and research. I didn’t know what I was really interested in until past few years. I got engineering degree only for employment reasons but now I know what I like to do. Maybe it’s too late to start over? Specially in science field? I don’t know. I never met anyone with such a drastic change in their career path.

If anyone could help me and share a general path people follow until they become researchers in canine science field.

I still want to earn money, I’m okay being paid less than what I earn now but I don’t want to be unpaid forever. I’m okay to be unpaid until I pay my dues.

heyy so i am not going to give too many details about myself, but i am a late teen interested in animal behaviour and am considering doing something within that field when i am older. i am still within the early stages of learning about this, so i dont know a lot and i have a lot of questions! any answers will be appreciated, or if u know any sites or books that would help answer my questions pls let me know! 🙏

• what does the path to becoming an animal behaviourist look like? so, starting from the beginning of someones university life, what would they study and get involved with to eventually become an animal behaviourist? if it helps, i will say that i am in canada
• what kinds of jobs do you guys do? if u are able to give some insight into the responsibilities and what ur daily life looks like, that would be wonderful
• how much variance is there within this field? like do most people specialize in very specific animals? how do you get to that point?

thats all i can think of for now but ill def have more another time. sorry if any of these questions seem hella obvious or stupid, i just really like to be sure 👍

Hi! Looking for advice on actually finding jobs to apply to
I just graduated college with an animal science degree and live in the Boston area. I did find a part time job in an avian cognition lab but its mostly cleaning and feeding the birds, and its only 1-3 days a week at $15 an hour- so its not enough to live off of, and doesnt give me all of the experience i really want (I love the lab, i just wish i was helping a bit more directly with research itself and/or actually experiencing some work out of lab as well).

Whenever I search on google/indeed/etc anything with the word "animal", I get vet, pet sitting, or petco-type jobs. When I add behavior to that, it doesnt change. Ive looked at specific colleges but its entirely just research techs that care for the lab mice for the xyz non-zoology/asci research that they do, and nothing with actual animal research. The aquarium, zoo, and Mass Audubon werent much help either. The Animal Behavior Society only has 3 listings and none are near Boston.

I know Ill be hard put to find an animal behavior specific job other than the part time one I have right off the bat, but I was hoping to get more experience doing animal research with someone- or in an animal conservation job. Even something that is animal care but for non-pet or lab animals (like the zoo or aquarium) where itll be a new and different experience

Any suggestions on where to look or people/organizations to reach out to that may be helpful?

This might be the wrong sub for this question, but I have a course I've written and will be creating videos for on animal training. When it's complete, I would like to offer it as an option for CEUs for veterinarians and animal behavior professionals. I've tried to look up the requirements for that in Colorado, but can really only find stuff for teachers, and it won't even tell me how to go about it. Does anyone have experience with this? Or can anyone direct me to a better sub for this? Lol

I am used to hearing a very common statement now and then:-

"humans are the only species that can imagine and believe collectively in a God"

so to anyone expertized in animal behaviour and psychology, I have certain questions:-

do they show any kind of religious attitude? of course, expecting a full-blown religious attitude would be a fairy tale, but like any behaviour that suggests that they hold anything, say a tree or stone, within their community as unnaturally important which appears 'sacred' or something?

do they have any behaviour like giving more importance to the dead which goes beyond just the immediate sense of loss??

or maybe a special attachment to natural phenomena which goes beyond just the immediate instincts of survival?

I'm sorry if the questions seem stupid, but what I ultimately wanna ask is if any animal species has any evolutionary remnant of the trait that helped us humans create shared imaginations and ultimately gave birth to law, order, ideology, philosophy and most importantly religion and God?

I am used to hearing a widespread statement now and then:-

"humans are the only species capable of committing suicide"

but recently I came across some news of animals committing suicide due to lack of a partner or something else

so to anyone expertized in animal behaviour and psychology, I have certain questions:-

• do animals feel anxiety or depression? not just tension or sadness or something like that. things like clinical depression or anxiety attacks etc??
• can they commit suicide? (not by biological programming but due to reasons like depression or else?)

Okay, this is a weird question. I feed an Eastern chipmunk (just one comes around) that I think is male. I don't know if this is just territorial, but it seems like very odd behavior to me.

On particularly hot days or days where I'm not seeing him, I'll put a couple of peanuts (still in shells) on the table outside. If they disappear, I know he's coming around again and can go out to see if he'll come visit me. I think we're in the second mating season now, and he's done this thing two or three times now where he pees on the peanuts. Doesn't take them back to his burrow - just pees on them. I won't touch them, but after a few days, he'll show up again and eat them (will see shell pieces left on the porch). It's really odd behavior.

When I was befriending him, I gave him peanuts only. He'd take them wherever I left them and go bounding back to his burrow to either eat in peace or store them. About a month ago, I switched over to a wildlife mix that has corn and sunflower seeds. I'll give him peanuts occasionally, but it's mostly that mix now. Part of me wonders if this is him snubbing the peanuts because he'd rather get the mixture. I just don't understand why in the world he'd pee on them and then eventually eat them - he could just as easily take the peanuts to store and then pee on the table to mark his scent if that was the point. But, maybe chipmunks don't exhibit that kind of spite and territory marking's the only reasonable explanation.

Thought I'd ask somewhere that might know some alternate animal behaviors that might be going on...

(PS: I'm not trying to tame this little guy. If he stopped being jumpy around me/lost that self-protective instinct, I'd back WAY off. I don't want to make him easy prey. I'm not getting him used to other people, either... It's just me. He's very wary of anyone else in this house. It's just fun to get to observe the behaviors up close.... Plus, chipmunks are SO much softer than they look!)

If I witness a wolf in possession of a deer carcass, and I say it has a “deer kill”, does that necessarily mean the wolf killed the deer? Or am I free to use the term regardless of not knowing how the deer was originally killed?

Animal behavior as a whole is good as well. I’m looking for a masters.

A new study provides the first evidence of non-human animals performing amputations on others to improve their odds of survival

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/carpenter-ants-perform-life-saving-amputations-to-treat-leg-injuries-180984653/

What are some of y'alls favorite animal vocalizations? I love canids so I'm into a lot of those guys, but my personal fav has got to be African Wild Dogs/Painted Dogs hunt noises! Those freaking squeaks are great I love them. Here's a video for your ears: https://youtu.be/RWXmZQeGkCM?si=kdfH_kNuLYCHlIgP

(Audios/videos of ur favorites highly encouraged cause I wanna hear em!!)

I remember watching The Jungle Book movie the other day, and in that movie, the pack leader explained why they couldn't protect Mowgli from Shere Khan. This is what he said,

"Even the strength of the pack is no match for the tiger."

Realistically speaking, how accurate is this? If a pack of wolves saw a huge male tiger coming their way, would they flee, or would they stand and fight him?

I know it sounds far fetched but is it possible crows /ravens have some kind of filter that enable them to see through mirror film? i love my crows and I'm always watching their behaviours. I feed them mice we catch in our traps so have a good relationship with our local murder and I've noticed alot of mannerisms such as bowing the head down before approaching the food, bringing food from other areas and throwing it up, then taking a food source, just alot of cool little behaviours. Anyway Im really starting to think they have the ability to see through mirrored tint during the day 🙈at first I assumed they were looking at their own reflection as most birds do, and sometimes I run out of mice and the omnivour feed mix so I hide in the house where I assume they can't see me BUT when the crows start to follow your movements while behind one way mirrored windows, or sit at your window looking in at an angle I honestly don't think they are looking at their own reflection. I know there isn't enough research to say if it's possible, or how, but from what I've witnessed it's extremely likely, and surely it can't be impossible.

How likely is it that a momma bat will collect her Baby from a box if left near the roosting area?

We have a bat colony in our chimney that our landlady keeps avoiding doing something about… she is family so it’s kind of a weird situation as far as “renting rights” or whatever…

Long story short, for the past few years during this time babies and adults will end up stuck at the bottom of the chimney and I will have to catch them and figure out what to do with them.

I’ve been able to get most to a wildlife rehabilitation lady, but some of them haven’t made it. It’s become more difficult because she doesn’t always have space…

My main question is: If the baby is put outside on a balcony in a large box at night, what are the chances the mom will care enough or be physically able to collect the baby and then return to the chimney?

Hi guys, Unaware if this is allowed on here so please remove if not. I'm currently studying to complete an Animal Management degree and was hoping to find some help filling in this questionnaire I've made for a project based on the interplay between Clinate Change and Invasive Species, also their impacts on Ecologies and Economies worldwide. I would massively appreciate if any of you could fill in this questionnaire. It shouldn't take too long.

Thanks!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8veX4ehn0wu48AMU0vM_fBa9AbUXUlll5ScoM1qyNMvZahQ/viewform?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR30n-0lp9fDNDAG4d_cGjV568xYmWwMz4UKDIUiUR5WEocgx5t_PaYxUHU_aem_AZG1rMC7i2OTTIc6Gt_iTCJDc2y29UX7Va2TeLBCoeQdOV0wckw9QeryWl7_-BOkN574PXiHqg8_-qggNJf4rUt3

I was in Yellowstone and I saw a herd of bison crossing a small river. One of the last few to cross, was a young calf and two females. One of the females continued to repeatedly ram the calf, even tipping it over at some points. It kind of looked like the other female was trying to stop the other from hitting the calf, but it was difficult to tell. The calf also looked like it had been struggling after crossing. All three eventually walked by and joined the rest of the herd but I’m really curious what was happening between the three. I think I might have an idea but I’m curious if anyone here can confirm my suspicions.

I was doing some casual reading about bats, as they are pretty interesting animals and there's a lot of freaky lookin bats. I was reading about this one called the Greater Noctule Bat, and the site I read claims this bat hunts birds in the air instead of when they roost. However I haven't been able to find any video proof of this. Does anyone have a video, it would make my day to see I'm not gonna lie.