Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Directory Find a Board Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
A Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) is a professional with advanced academic training in animal behavior and extensive experience in applying their knowledge to solve behavioral problems. CAABs are distinguished by their scientific approach to understanding and modifying animal behavior, making them highly sought after for their expertise in both research and practical behavior modification. Here’s an overview of what a CAAB is, their qualifications, the path to becoming one, and why someone might seek their services.
What is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist?
CAABs specialize in the study and treatment of behavior in animals, primarily focusing on pets such as dogs and cats but also including other domestic animals and wildlife. They use evidence-based methods to assess behavioral issues, diagnose problems, and implement behavior modification programs. Their work is grounded in the principles of ethology, psychology, and learning theory, applying scientific research to practical situations.
Qualifications and Path to Becoming a CAAB
Educational Background
- Advanced Degree: CAAB candidates must hold a master’s degree or Ph.D. in a behavioral or biological science from an accredited college or university. Their studies should focus significantly on animal behavior, including coursework in ethology, animal learning, psychology, and behavioral physiology.
Research Experience
- Research in Animal Behavior: Candidates must demonstrate experience in research related to animal behavior. This involves designing, conducting, and analyzing scientific studies, with the results ideally published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
Practical Experience
- Hands-on Behavior Modification: In addition to academic credentials, aspiring CAABs need practical experience in applying animal behavior knowledge in real-world settings. This includes developing and implementing behavior modification programs under the supervision of a qualified professional.
Certification Process
- Application and Peer Review: The certification process for becoming a CAAB includes submitting an application detailing the candidate’s education, research, and practical experience. This application undergoes a peer review by the Animal Behavior Society (ABS), which awards the certification.
Why Seek a CAAB?
Expertise in Animal Behavior
Pet guardians and professionals seek out CAABs for their deep understanding of animal behavior science. Their expertise is especially valuable for addressing complex or severe behavioral issues that go beyond basic training challenges.
Evidence-Based Solutions
CAABs rely on the latest scientific research to inform their behavior modification strategies, offering evidence-based solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of each animal and situation.
Multispecies Knowledge
While many CAABs specialize in companion animal behavior, their training allows them to work with a wide range of species. This makes them invaluable resources for zoos, wildlife rehabilitation centers, and research institutions, in addition to pet guardians seeking assistance.
Addressing Complex Behavioral Issues
CAABs are often sought after for cases that require a nuanced understanding of behavior, such as aggression, severe anxiety, or phobias. Their ability to develop comprehensive, individualized treatment plans can be critical for resolving these challenging issues.
In conclusion, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists combine rigorous academic training with practical experience to offer expert guidance on animal behavior. Their qualifications ensure they are equipped to tackle a wide range of behavioral problems, making them a trusted resource for pet guardians, veterinary professionals, and others seeking to improve the welfare and behavior of animals.
Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Directory
Find a Board Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
This webpage containes a current 2024 Directory of Certifed Applied Animal Behaviorists, CAAB, and Associate Applied Animal Behaviorists ACAAB.
Jennifer Abrams, LVT, MA, ACAAB
Board Certified 2020
Behavior Vets
New York, NY
Tel: 646-661-1001
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Webpages: https://behaviorvetsnyc.com/; https://behaviorvetsnyc.com/our-team/2266-2/
Kathryn Bayne, PhD, DVM, DACLAM, DACAW, CAAB
Board Certified 1991
Global Director
AAALAC International
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.aaalac.org
Emily Bray, MA, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2023
University of Arizona
Tuscon, AZ, 85721
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://canine.org/research
Terri M. Bright, PhD D, BCBA-D, CAAB
Board Certified 2015
Director of Behavior Services
MSPCA Angell
350 So. Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02130
Tel: 617-522-5055 X5297
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.mspca.org
Mary Burch, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 1997
Director, AKC Canine Good Citizen Program
2213 Napoleon Bonaparte Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32308
Tel: 850-877-2901
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.drmaryburch.com
Sarah-Elizabeth Byosiere, MS, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2022
Director of Canine Research & Development
Guide Dogs for the Blind
San Rafael, CA, 94903
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/sebyosiere
Lillian Ciardelli, MA, ACAAB
Board Certified 2018
Behave Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
website: BehaveAtlanta.com
email: [email protected]
Crista L. Coppola, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2006
Senior Director, Animal Behavior
Cruelty Recovery Center, ASPCA
E-mail: [email protected]
Victoria A. Cussen, PhD CAAB
Board Certified 2019
Director of Applied Behavior Research
ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Behavior Team
Tel: (347) 514-1861
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.aspca.org
Janet Cutler, MSc, PhD, CPDT-KA, CAAB
Board Certified 2020
Landmark Behaviour Inc.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Virtual Consults
email: [email protected]
Website: landmarkbehaviour.com
Laura Davis, ACAAB
Urbana-Champaign, IL
Mikel Maria Delgado, PhD, CAAB, CCBC
Board Certified 2018
Cat Behavior Consultant
Feline Minds
Richmond, CA 94803
Tel: 510.619.9567
Email: [email protected]
Websites: felineminds.com & mikeldelgado.com
Tammy McCormick Donaldson, MS, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2003
Applied Animal Behavior Consulting
800 Ballantine Road
Golden, CO 80401
E-mail: [email protected]
Nicole R. Dorey, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2015
University of Florida and BARCgroup, LLC
University of Florida’s office phone: 352-273-2188
University of Florida’s fax: 352- 392-7985
E-mail: [email protected] and [email protected]
Kristyn Echterling-Savage, Ph.D., CAAB, BCBA-D, CPDT-KA
Board Certified 2017
Beyond the Dog
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.beyondthedogtraining.com
Services provided in Kansas City and Houston
Jacklyn J. Ellis, MRes, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2020
Director, Behaviour
Toronto Humane Society
Toronto, ON
Canada, M5A 4C2
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.torontohumanesociety.com
Jody Epstein, MS, ACAAB, CPDT-KA
Board Certified 2021
Fear Free Certified Professional Trainer
St. Peters, MO
818-389-5842
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.NutzAboutMutz.com
Daniel Q. Estep, MA, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 1991
Animal Behavior Associates, Inc.
17203 N. Palo Verde Dr.
Sun City, AZ 85373
Tel: 303-932-9095
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com and www.behavioreducationnetwork.com
Carley Faughn, PhD, Senior Strategist-Lifesaving Research, CAAB
Board Certified 2022
Best Friends Animal Society
5126 E Panorama Ave.
Kanab, UT, 84741
Tel: 270-293-4588
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: N/A at this time
Erica N. Feuerbacher, PhD, MS, BS, BA, BCBA-D, CPDT-KA, CAAB
Board Certified 2019
3460 Litton-Reaves Hall
175 West Campus Dr
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Phone: 540-231-139
Website: ericanfeuerbacher.com
Email: [email protected]
Robin Foster, PhD, CAAB, CHBC
Board Certified 2013
Research Professor, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA
dogs website: http://www.adaptiveanimals.com, email: [email protected]
horses website: http://www.horsebehaviorconsultant.com, email: [email protected]
Jill A. Goldman, PhD, MSc, CAAB
Board Certified 2005
DJG Animal Behavior Services
Los Angeles, CA 91610
Tel: 949-683-4886
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.drjillgoldman.com
Emma Grigg, MA, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2013
Post-doctoral Research Associate
University of California, Davis
School of Veterinary Medicine- Dept. of Population Health and Reproduction
Davis, CA 95616
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]
Please note that I am not currently seeing behavior cases.
Lisa M Gunter, MA, PhD, CBCC-KA, CAAB
Board Certified 2023
3090 Litton-Reaves Hall
175 West Campus Dr
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Tel: (540) 231-1210
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: https://www.lisamgunter.com/
James C. Ha, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2004
Emeritus Research Professor
University of Washington
Department of Psychology
PO Box 510461
Key Colony Beach FL 33051
Tel: 425-210-1227
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:www.faculty.washington.edu/jcha, DrJimHa.com, and www.dogmatters.us
Suzanne Hetts, PhD, Emeritus CAAB
Board Certified 1991
Animal Behavior Associates, Inc.
17203 N. Palo Verde Dr.
Sun City, AZ 85373
Tel: 303-932-9095
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
www.BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
Twitter.com/suzannehetts
Mary Huntsberry, MA, ACAAB
Board Certified 2010
Helping Pets Behave
Montgomery County, MD
Tel: 301-337-7401
Fax: 240-383-3457
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.helpingpetsbehave.com/
Katenna Jones, ScM, CPDT, ACAAB
Board Certified 2006
Cumberland, RI
Tel: 401-439-6442
E-mail: [email protected]
Susan D. Kapla, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2006
Psychology Department
Canine Consultants, LLC
N5167 Kuivinen Rd.
Skandia, MI 49885
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.canineconsult.com
Phone: 1-906-458-5817
Edith Katsnelson Ilan, Ph.D., CAAB
Board Certified 2018
Dog-Human Connection, LLC
Santa Clara, California
Tel: 650-864-1819
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: doghumanconnection.com
Camille King, EdD, MS, CPDT-KA, ACAAB
Board Certified 2011
Canine Education Center, LLC
Loveland, CO, 80537
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website: www.canineeducationcenterllc.com
Office phone: 970-292-8604
Cell phone: 720-442-6754
Jennie Lane, RVT, MA, ACAAB
Board Certified 2017
Synergy Animal Behavior LLC
PO Box 38368
Germantown, TN 38183
Office: 901-221-8904
Tel: 530-304-5428
Website: https://synergyanimalbehavior.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Carmen LeBlanc, MS, CPDT, ACAAB
Board Certified 2009
Way To Behave
Vancouver, WA 98660
Tel: 541-400-0738
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.waytobehave.com
Jessica Lockhart, MS, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2012
908 Autumn Lake Drive
Dallas, TX 75002
Tel: 214-686-8106
E-mail: [email protected]
Karen London, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2004
3100 W. Shannon Drive
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Tel: 928-414-0037
E-mail: [email protected]
Sarah Low, DVM, CAAB
Board Certified 2022
Tel: 928-774-7424
E-mail: [email protected]
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.yonder.care
Megan E. Maxwell, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2004
Pet Behavior Change, LLC
4951 Preston Forest Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24060
Tel: 540-818-8711
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.petbehaviorchange.com
Patricia B. McConnell, PhD, Emeritus CAAB
Emeritus (first Board Certified in 1992)
Emeritus, Department of Integrative Biology, UW-Madison WI
PO Box 447 Black Earth, WI 53515
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.patriciamcconnell.com
Blog: www.theotherendoftheleash.com
Please note that I am not seeing behavior cases.
Sue M. McDonnell, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 1991
Horse/Farm Animal Behavior
School of Veterinary Medicine
University of Pennsylvania
New Bolton Center
382 West Street Road
Kennett Square, PA 19348
Tel: 610-220-4203
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.vet.upenn.edu/
Katherine Miller, PhD, CPDT, CAAB
Board Certified 2007
Director, Anti-Cruelty Behavior Research
ASPCA
Works only with ASPCA shelter animals.
E-mail: [email protected]
Heather Mohan-Gibbons, MS, RVT, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, ACAAB
Board Certified 2009
Director, Applied Research and Behavior
Strategy, Research & Development
ASPCA
Tel: 646-477-1506
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.aspcapro.org
Not available for behavior consults
Alice Moon-Fanelli, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2000
Animal Behavior Consultations, LLC
PO Box 947
Eastford, CT., 06242
Tel: 860-428-1458
E-mail: [email protected]
Kate Mornement, BSc(Hons), Ph.D., CAAB
Board Certified 2022
PO Box 4012
Croydon Hills
VIC Australia 3136
Tel: +61 4 38569610
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: https://www.petsbehavingbadly.com.au/
Melissa Nelson Slater, MA, ACAAB
Board Certified 2013
PhD Student Level II
Assistant Curator of Behavioral Husbandry
Bronx Zoo
Bronx, NY 10460
Tel: 718-741-1127
E-mail: [email protected]
Barbara Pezzanite, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2005
Long Island Animal Behavior Consulting
Tel: 646-712-2949
Website: http://www.liabc.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Dr. Pezzanite only consults with rescue organizations.
Julie Posluns, M.Sc. ACAAB
Board Certified 2019
CatSchool Inc.
Toronto, ON, Canada
Tel: 416-579-5719
Website: www.catschool.co
E-mail: [email protected]
Alexandra Protopopova, MSc, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2022
Vancouver, BC, V6H 1A7
Canada
Tel: +1 778 554 9755
Website: https://www.theacademicdog.ca/
Website: https://awp.landfood.ubc.ca/
E-mail: [email protected]
Pamela J. Reid, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 1994
ASPCA Behavioral Sciences
Hendersonville, NC 28739
Tel: 917-838-0511
E-mail: [email protected]
Allyson Salzer, PhD, CAAB, BCBA-D, CPDT-KA
Board Certified 2024
Canine Behavioral Blueprints, LLC
Glastonbury, CT 06033
Services provided in Connecticut
Tel: 860-385-1755
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: caninebehavioralblueprints.com
Courtney L. Sexton, MFA, MS, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2023
Washington, DC
Tel: 609-709-3717
E-mail: [email protected]
Melissa Shyan-Norwalt, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 1993
Tel: 317 496-7502
E-mail: [email protected]
*Not seeing clients at this time.
Kristina Spaulding, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2017
Educator, Speaker
Science Matters Academy of Animal Behavior LLC
Tel: 518-369-9135
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.sciencemattersllc.com
Aaron Teixeira, MS, ACAAB, CPDT-KA
Board Certified 2021
Oakland CA, 94609
Tel: 510-930-2710
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.TeixeiraTraining.com
Catherine Torcivia, VMD, CAAB
Board Certified 2021
Specialty: Equine behavior
Preferred Name: Cade
Prounons: they/them
Downingtown, PA, 19335
Tel: 732-770-5575
E-mail: [email protected]
Monique AR Udell, MS, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2019
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR, 97331
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.thehumananimalbond.com
Kristyn R. Vitale, M.En., PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2023
Maueyes: Cat Behavior, Science, & Training
Lebanon, OR 97355
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.maueyes.com
Mindy Waite, PhD, MS, CAAB, CPDT-KA, CAAB
Board Certified 2019
Fox Point, WI 53217
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.animalbehaviorwi.com
Sheryl Walker, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2021
Owner, Wonderful Animal Guidance Services
Lafayette, IN 47909
E-mail: [email protected]
Website:https://www.wonderfulanimalguidanceservices.com
Michele Wan, MS, MA, PhD, CAAB
Board Certified 2012
Advanced Dog Behavior Solutions, LLC
In-person services offered in southern Fairfield County, CT.
Tel: (203) 227-3647
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.dogbehavioranswers.com
Camille Ward, M.S., M.S., Ph.D., CAAB
Board-Certified 2010
About Dogs LLC
Ann Arbor, Michigan
W: www.AboutDogsLLC.com
E: [email protected]
P: 734.358.1972
Jackie Watson, MLAS, ACAAB
Board-Certified 2022
Laboratory animals, horses, birds
Manager, Animal Care
Merck Animal Health and Animal Behavior Consulting, LLC
22213 Holly Oak Lane
Lewes, DE, 19958
E: [email protected]
P: 302-897-3588
Regina Willen, M.S. ACAAB
Board Certified 2016
Helping Animals Lost and Orphaned (HALO)
Behavior Consultation
3346 Jasper Rd
Xenia, OH 45385
Tel: 513.668.0088
E-mail: [email protected]
Nancy Williams, MA, RVT, ACAAB
Board Certified 2004
Nancy Williams – Dogs and Cats With Issues
4328 Millers Station Rd.
Manchester, MD 21102
Tel: 410-374-1556
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.dogswithissues.com
Lindsay Wood Brown, MA, ACAAB
Board Certified 2011
Think Behavior Consulting
Services offered in Richmond, Virginia
email: [email protected]
phone: (804) 317-0634
John C. Wright, PhD, Emeritus CAAB
Board Certified 1991
Emeritus Professor of Psychology
Mercer University
9645 Loblolly Ln
Roswell, GA 30075
Tel: 478-742-2538 (Atlanta)
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: https://liberalarts.mercer.edu/faculty-and-staff/john-wright/
Stephen Zawistowski, PhD, Emeritus CAAB
Board Certified 1997
Adjunct Professor of Animal Behavior and Conservation, Hunter College
Chelsea, MI
E-mail: [email protected]
You can also search a Directory of Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorists
Search a Directory of Certified Dog Behavior Consultants and Trainers
Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Directory
Find a Board Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
This webpage was last updated March 1, 2024