Organisations are members of ABTC, not individual Practitioners. If you are a practitioner then you can be added onto the appropriate Register if you are a full (assessed) member of one of ABTC Practitioner Organisations.
If you are not yet a member you will find a list of the organisations who can assess you for the various roles on ABTC Assessing Organisations
If you are looking for Organisation Membership please look here for details.
If you are a member of one of ABTC’s Practitioner Organisations you should contact your office/administrator and let them know you want to join the Practitioner Register. They will give you a link and a one time password which will enable you to apply to join the register.
Being on the ABTC register is a mark of distinction. It signifies to clients, peers, and the wider community that you have undergone the most comprehensive and rigorous assessment process, proving your exceptional competence and dedication to animal welfare. This recognition sets you apart as a trusted and highly skilled professional in the sector.
Joining the ABTC register significantly enhances your professional reputation. It aligns you with a community of top-tier practitioners who share your commitment to excellence. This prestigious recognition not only attracts more clients but also opens up opportunities for professional growth and development, showcasing your dedication to the highest standards in animal care and training.
On top of this, as a registered ABTC practitioner, you’ll be listed on our Directory, helping people locate your services when in need of support, and display the ABTC logo with your recognised role in your marketing, plus have access to discounted practitioner tools, such as British Sign Language Services, and more to come. So get registered today!
The ABTC offers a robust framework via our Role Standards that helps you maintain and enhance your skills, ensuring you remain at the cutting edge of the sector. Additionally, our Practitioner Directory increases your visibility and credibility, connecting you with a broader audience and potential clients.
Members of Practitioner Organisations are able to be added to specific Registers. If you look on the Practitioner Organisations page you will see letters in their details explaining which these are. AT (Animal Trainer), ATI (Animal Training Instructor), ABT (Animal Behaviour Technician), AAB (Accredited Animal Behaviourist), CAB (Clinical Animal Behaviourist). You can only be listed on a register once you have passed your assessment in a given role. You may be assessed for more than one role.
Please be aware that you can no longer be added to the AAB role as those registers have now closed.
Training and Behaviour is not yet regulated by government, therefore membership of ABTC is voluntary. Organisations who apply to join are required to give information regarding their procedures and policies as well as their assessment process. These are checked, rigorously, before membership is given. The Practitioners they enter onto the ABTC registers are audited each year in respect of CPD (Continued Professional Development) and compliance with the ABTC Code of Professional Conduct. Not all organisations want to go through this process.
If your practitioner organisation isn’t listed under the ABTC, it simply means they haven’t yet undergone our rigorous assessment and approval process. We encourage all organisations to seek our approval, demonstrating their commitment to excellence and high standards in animal welfare. Being part of the ABTC network is a mark of quality and dedication.
For further details on joining ABTC as a Practitioner Organisation please look at the guidance notes on https://abtc.org.uk/organisations/
If you would like to join one of the ABTC Practitioner Organisations please look at their website for details of how to join. There is a link to the websites on https://abtc.org.uk/practitioner-organisations/
Have a look at the Practitioner Organisations’ website(s) and contact those you are interested in joining. They should be able to give you some useful information about getting the experience you need.
Please look at this page where you will find a list of the ABTC Standards for the different roles. Each Standard has an overview of the role and the Knowledge and Understanding and Performance Criteria required for each role.
Trainers and behaviourists both play crucial roles in animal care. Trainers focus on teaching animals specific skills and cues, enhancing their cooperation and performance. Behaviourists, delve into the underlying causes of behavioural issues, using scientific methods to address problems like anxiety or aggression. Both professions are essential, and the ABTC ensures that practitioners in both fields are highly qualified and skilled.
The EW Standard is being reviewed. Consequently we are not accepting applications at this time but if you email Val on admin@abtc.org.uk will contact you once the Working Party reviewing the Standard has finished its work.
An Animal Behaviour Technician (ABT) typically works with guardians/owners/handlers of companion animals such as dogs, cats, rabbits and other small animals, birds, and horses, to provide preventative and or ‘first-aid’ behavioural advice to help address problem behaviours. For complex cases, such as those involving but not limited to aggression, stereotypies, fears, and phobias, an ABT would work with a registered Accredited Animal Behaviourist (AAB), Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB) or Veterinary Behaviourist (VB). In such cases, the ABT’s role is to work with the owner on implementing a behaviour modification and or environmental plan that has been developed by the AAB, CAB or VB. Consequently, the ABT plays a key role in helping the owner and in improving the animal’s welfare.
An Animal Behaviour Technician may have completed an ABTC recognised course at Level 5 They will have also demonstrated their practical skills, as well as the necessary Knowledge and Understanding required to work at this level of practice through peer-review assessment from a Practitioner Organisation.
However, there may be individuals that want to become an ABT but have not completed an ABTC recognised course Level 5 . In these cases, individuals may still demonstrate they have acquired the necessary Knowledge and Understanding (via APEL), and practical handling and training skills required for this level. APEL assessment is carried out by the ABTC and the assessment of practical skills is carried out by the Practitioner Organisation they wish to join.
If you are new to the world of Animal Behaviour and Training and are interested in pursuing some qualifications in readiness for this role, then do check out the list of ABTC recognised courses.
However, if you already have practical Behaviour and Training experience and feel you have the necessary Knowledge and Understanding to become an ABT, then do review the list of Practitioner Organisations to see which may be of interest to you when applying for membership and assessment of Practical Skills.
A Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB) will work on veterinary referral, helping the guardians/owners/handlers of companion animals (such as dogs, cats, horses, rabbits and other small animals, and birds) resolve behavioural issues. Examples of these can include fears, phobias, stereotypies, and other issues that may result in aggressive behaviours, such as fighting and biting. To provide clients with ethical solutions to such behavioural issues, a CAB will need to have demonstrated their practical skills, as well as the necessary Knowledge and Understanding required to work at this level of practice through peer-review assessment.
A CAB may have completed an ABTC recognised course at Level 6 or higher. They will have also demonstrated their practical skills, as well as the necessary Knowledge and Understanding required to work at this level of practice through peer-review assessment from a Practitioner Organisation.
However, there may be individuals that want to become a CAB but have not completed an ABTC recognised course at Level 6 or higher. In these cases, individuals may still demonstrate they have acquired the necessary Knowledge and understanding (via APEL) and practical handling and training skills required at this level. APEL assessment is carried out by the ABTC and the assessment of practical skills is carried out by the Practitioner Organisation they wish to join.
If you are new to the world of Animal Behaviour and Training and are interested in pursuing some qualifications in readiness for this role, then do check out the list of ABTC recognised courses. However, if you already have practical Behaviour and Training experience and feel you have the necessary Knowledge and Understanding to become a CAB, then do review the list of Practitioner Organisations to see which may be of interest to you when applying for membership and assessment.
The ABTC believes that practitioners can demonstrate that they are operating at the required level to be competent in the CAB role in a number of ways. We also recognise the value of practical experience. There are a number of ABTC recognised degree courses which practitioners can take and these cover all the necessary Knowledge and Understanding (KU) that is required for the CAB role, along with having demonstrated their practical skill by meeting all the Performance Criteria via assessment with an ABTC Assessing Organisation. However, ABTC also recognise that insisting practitioners have a minimum 2:1 classification for their degree is divisive as it fails to be representative of the broad cultural and socio-economic backgrounds that many behaviourists may have. Nor does it reflect that different professions have varied educational and assessment frameworks. Our aim is to ensure that ALL practitioners, regardless of their specific paths, meet the comprehensive KU and Performance Criteria set by the ABTC for the role in which they are practicing. For practitioners that have not undertaken a recognised ABTC course, then they have the option to be assessed for their KU by ABTC through our Assessment of Prior Experience and Learning (APEL) route, and then, if successful, go on to be assessed for their Performance Criteria by an ABTC Assessing Organisation.
APEL is an opportunity for you to show that from your courses, at whatever level, and from your experiences, that you have acquired the Knowledge & Understanding required as a CAB at Level 6. To do this you will need to complete the mapping document to list your learning and experience together with the reflective accounts forms.
The guidelines say:
“The reflective accounts forms should give specific examples of how your experience and learning has allowed you to acquire the Knowledge & Understanding for each of the Knowledge & Understanding statements. How you have acquired your Knowledge & Understanding is not being assessed. It is your level of Knowledge & Understanding which is assessed here through APEL.”
If you have acquired the Knowledge & Understanding required as a CAB at Level 6, you will not necessarily need to do any more courses – this is one of the main reasons for introducing the APEL route. It is not about the level of course that you have done, it is about the level of learning which took place for you, through that experience.
If you would like to undertake further studies, some of the ABTC recognised courses include ‘module pathways’. It might be worth talking to the education providers to see if their modules would be appropriate for you.
The AAB register is now closed to new entries. You will need to be assessed as a Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB) instead.
No, you can’t be on both Registers. When you have passed your assessment for CAB you can apply to join that Register; you will be taken off of the AAB Register.
You will find a list of the ABTC recognised courses on https://abtc.org.uk/practitioners-info/careers/
The courses have been assessed against the Knowledge and Understanding criteria for the roles shown.
Please contact the Education Provider of the course you are interested in. Website links are given with each of the course titles.
If your degree is not listed, you can still apply using the APEL process to show where you have acquired your Knowledge and Understanding.
Education Providers are invited to have their course recognised by ABTC. This is then looked at in detail and a decision is made as to whether it covers the Knowledge and Understanding for the appropriate role. If you have not already applied for/started your course we would advise you to look for an ABTC recognised course.
You can show the knowledge and understanding you have for the Animal Behaviour Technician (ABT) or Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB) roles through the APEL process.
All APEL Applicants are assessed by two APEL Assessors from the APEL assessment team. Applicants have the right to choose not to be assessed by someone they know due to conflict of interest.
APEL Assessors are mostly members of ABTC Practitioner Organisations. However, the APEL process is an assessment of Knowledge and Understanding, not of Performance Criteria. Therefore, an APEL Assessor, with relevant knowledge, could be recruited from outside the ABTC, for example from educational practice.
Any person assessing an ABTC Standard will be acting on behalf of the ABTC regardless of their personal membership to any other Organisation. No assessor may assess any person with whom they have a personal relationship and will sign such a declaration prior to commencing work. All assessors are required to carry out their role with impartiality.
All assessors are trained and competent. Their work is subject to verification processes as part of Quality Assurance.
Once you have passed the APEL assessment for Knowledge and Understanding you will need to build your practical skills (Performance Criteria) before being assessed for those skills. Your Practitioner Organisation can explain the process.
No, ATs and ATIs are assessed by the Practitioner Organisations for both the Knowledge & Understanding and the Performance Criteria.
Yes, you can be registered just for dogs. The standards refer to animals so although you may choose to work with dogs, an understanding of the welfare needs of other species is required and you need to know how to refer on to a competent practitioner if necessary.
At least, this would include other companion animals – many dogs live in multi-species households, frequently with cats. It may also include some understanding of interactions between dogs and horses, and livestock.
Yes, you can be registered just for cats.
The standards refer to animals so although you may choose to work with cats, an understanding of the welfare needs of other species is required and you need to know how to refer on to a competent practitioner if necessary.
At least, this would include other companion animals – many cats live in multi-species households, frequently with dogs, and rabbits and other prey species.
Yes, you can be registered just for horses or other equids.
The standards refer to animals so although you may choose to work with equids, an understanding of the welfare needs of other species is required and you need to know how to refer on to a competent practitioner if necessary.
Your learning should show awareness of other species, particularly those with which are likely to relate to horses. At least this would include dogs and cats – as these may visit or even live at stables. It may also include some understanding of interactions between equids and livestock.
Yes, you can be registered just for one or more of these species.
The standards refer to animals so although you may choose to work with a particular species, an understanding of the welfare needs of other species is required and you need to know how to refer on to a competent practitioner if necessary
Your learning should show awareness of other species, particularly those with which are likely to share a home/environment with these animals. At least, this would include other companion animals – many small mammals and exotics live in multi-species households, frequently with dogs, cats and other predatory species.
At the ABTC, we recognise how important it is for everyone to feel seen, respected and treated fairly. That’s why we’re working hard to improve diversity, equity and inclusion within our own organisation and across the wider animal behaviour and training community.
We know there’s more to do, and we’re committed to creating a profession where everyone feels they belong. You can read our full Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Statement here.
We’ve created an Accessibility and Inclusion Guide to provide organisations with straightforward, practical ideas on how to help all members feel welcome, supported, and part of the team.
We’ve also included a simple checklist for venues to help when planning events, so that spaces are accessible and everyone attending feels included.
We acknowledge that mental health and wellbeing are significant concerns for many within the animal behaviour and training sector. Supporting practitioners in maintaining their emotional and psychological wellbeing is a priority for us. The ABTC’s DEI working group has developed a dedicated Mental Health and Wellbeing Toolkit, designed to offer practical resources, guidance, and signposting to support individuals navigating the challenges of the profession.
We hope the regulation of the animal behaviour and training sector is on the horizon, with the government likely to require UKAS accreditation for any recognised regulator. The ABTC is at the forefront of this effort and is actively working towards this accreditation. By choosing the ABTC, you are aligning with an organisation dedicated to leading the sector in formal recognition and high standards.
ABTC is going ahead with a preliminary assessment by UKAS.
A letter was shared with Practitioner Organisations, and can also be found here
ABTC remains in constant conversation with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons with regard to regulation. However, such conversations are intricate and require additional changes with UK law and, consequently, have been ongoing for a number of years. Additionally, ABTC’s stance is not to segregate behaviourists and trainers, whereas others are focusing solely on the regulation of behaviourists. Instead, ABTC strives to ensure that ALL practitioners within the animal behaviour and training sector meet the high standards necessary for the welfare of animals and their caregivers. This is why UKAS accreditation is crucial for moving the animal behaviour and training industry forward, as we know there are many individuals practicing as trainers or engaging in behavioural work without having been assessed to the high standards set and maintained by the ABTC.
Please see statement from ABTC Board of Trustees
CCAB Limited has never been part of ABTC, consequently they choose to work in isolation of the ABTC community which is made up of 40 member organisations including major charities and veterinary organisations.
Previously, ASAB Acc (now known as CCAB Limited) was an Assessing Organisation, however, from their recent public communications, it appears that recollections vary as to the circumstances of which they chose to leave ABTC.
To be clear, every three years, all Assessing Organisations undergo a formal review of their policies, procedures and processes for applicants wishing to be assessed for particular role[s], such as Animal Behaviour Technician, Animal Training Instructor, Clinical Animal Behaviourist and so on. Since ABTC’s inception in 2012, processes have been refined and continually honed to ensure the highest standards are met, and practitioner assessments are fair to all. During the review of ASAB Acc practitioner assessments, it was found that there were a number of inconsistencies that had not been reviewed since ABTC’s establishment. Whilst this is often the case when reviewing Assessing Organisations and in all cases are rectified by those organisations, ASAB Acc were resistant to bringing their processes up to the ABTC’s high standards and standards that not only aim to be inclusive, standards that also showcase how practical skills with real cases across a range of situations are assessed fairly and independently. We remain saddened that ASAB Acc chose to leave the ABTC and reformed to be CCAB Limited, working in isolation and without any form of third party validation.
The ABTC stands out as the only registered charity in the animal behaviour and training sector, regulated by the Charity Commission, which ensures we uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability. This formal oversight guarantees that we are committed to the best practices in animal welfare, setting us apart as the trusted authority in the sector.
Please have a look at this table to see the differences.
The letters after someone’s name can represent various qualifications and affiliations, but their value varies. The ABTC focuses on real competence and thorough assessments to ensure our registered practitioners genuinely possess the skills, knowledge, and understanding needed. When you see an ABTC registered practitioner, you can trust that their credentials reflect true expertise and commitment to high standards.
The ABTC sets the highest standards for qualification and assessment. Our rigorous processes ensure that our registered practitioners are exceptionally well-qualified – whether they’ve taken a more formal University route of education or been assessed for their knowledge and understanding via prior experience and/or learning (APEL) plus their practical skills – often beyond what many certification schemes require. Choosing an ABTC-registered behaviourist ensures you are getting the highest level of expertise and care, providing you with confidence in their abilities.
There are many organisations claiming various forms of regulatory authority or certification. None of them have the recognition of UKAS accreditation, as required by the government. The ABTC is currently seeking UKAS accreditation in order to gain this recognition.
If you encounter someone using inhumane training methods, and they are a member of an ABTC-approved organisation, you can report them to their Practitioner Organisation, who will investigate the allegation by talking to the practitioner and the complainant. This ensures high ethical standards are maintained. If you did not witness the incident, yourself, please encourage the person who did see it to make the complaint. Following this due process ensures high ethical standards are maintained. Choosing practitioners who are ABTC-registered guarantees humane and effective methods, emphasising the importance of our rigorous oversight.
If the individual is not a registered ABTC practitioner and you are now working with the client to support them with their animal, then you can complete our Malpractice Form. When you complete and submit this form, it goes onto our ABTC library of evidence, which forms part of the evidence used to highlight to DEFRA and other organisations and government bodies the urgent need for an organisation like ABTC to lead the way in formal and government-recognised accreditation.
