About the IAABC

The IAABC was founded in 2004 by a group of animal behavior professionals who recognized that the practice of assisting the public with companion animal behavior problems was a growing field without a formal professional body to support it. The IAABC now supports professionals with diverse backgrounds, species interests, and specialties in the practice of animal behavior. The organization is growing and currently has over 3,500 members in seventy countries throughout the world. The goals of the IAABC are to standardize and support the practice of animal behavior consulting and training, to provide professional development, and to offer peer support and mentoring for its members. IAABC credentials are the most rigorous in the field, and assess people working with multiple species both with private clients and in shelters. We offer credentialing in Spanish and English.

What We Stand For

IAABC members work to minimize the use of aversive stimuli and maximize the effective use of reinforcers to modify animal behavior. Members agree to adhere to LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) behavior change principles and the IAABC Code of Ethics upon joining. We actively enforce these requirements in order to remain an organization of principled practitioners. If you believe one of our practitioners may have violated the Code of Ethics, follow the published reporting procedures to address the issue to our ethics team.

Developing Industry Standards

Although the study and practice of animal behavior has roots going back thousands of years, the professional practice of behavior consulting and training has only recently begun to develop standards and processes of credentialing. The general public is likely to be more familiar with media gurus in the field than with expert practitioners. In most countries, there are no competence, education, or licensing requirements to take animal behavior clients. The IAABC and other industry-leading organizations seek to improve animal welfare, consumer protections and client outcomes by spearheading the development of industry best practices and standards of professionalism.