Animal Behavior Institute

What Animal Behavior Institute does

The Animal Behavior Institute (ABI) is a privately held, online-only education provider founded in 2004 by Dr. Gary Fortier and Dr. Janis Hammer, headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. It delivers IACET-accredited certificate programs in animal training, behavior, and care across 15 distinct programs covering canine, feline, equine, exotic, wildlife, laboratory, therapy, and shelter management disciplines. Coursework is delivered asynchronously through the Moodle learning management system with maximum class sizes of 12 students, a 40-hour hands-on field requirement, and credentialed faculty holding PhDs and DVMs active in their respective specialties. Graduates earn professional designations (e.g., CCTBS, CZKP, CWRP) recognized across 200+ organizations through the institute's IACET continuing education unit authority.

ABI's revenue model is tuition-based, charging $1,320 per course across both specialized 3-course programs ($3,960 total) and professional 5-course programs ($6,600 total), with a one-time $50 application fee and three interest-free installment payment plans. Distribution is entirely direct-to-consumer through the animaledu.com website and student.animaledu.com portal, supplemented by social media, Google Ads, YouTube sample lessons, and student success stories as marketing channels. The institution is licensed by the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges, approved by DEAC, holds BBB A+ accreditation, and maintains partnerships with AZA, CCPDT, IWRC, and AALAS that make its coursework portable across multiple regulated animal care professions.

Name

Animal Behavior Institute

Legal name

Animal Behavior Institute, Inc.

Website

https://animaledu.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Animal Behavior Institute is a private, online-only education provider founded in 2004, offering IACET-accredited certificate programs in animal training and behavior across canine, equine, feline, wildlife, and exotic species for working adult learners seeking professional certification.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition - Professional Certificate Programs: Five-course professional certificate programs priced at $6,600 total, charged per course at $1,320 each. Students pay as they enroll each semester rather than upfront.
2. Tuition - Specialized Certificate Programs: Three-course specialized certificate programs priced at $3,960 total, charged at $1,320 per course.
3. Application Fee: One-time non-refundable $50 application fee paid when applying for admission.
4. Interest-Free Financing: Students can finance courses through interest-free installment plans with processing fees. Plan 1 requires $555 deposit per course with 6 monthly payments; Plan 2 requires $370 deposit with 3 monthly payments; Plan 3 requires $300 deposit with 12 monthly payments (US students only, credit check required).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Animal Behavior Institute (ABI) delivers fully online, IACET-accredited professional and specialized certificate programs in animal behavior, training, and care. Its catalog includes 12 five-course professional certificate programs (e.g., Advanced Canine Training, Animal Assisted Therapy, Wildlife Rehabilitation, Zookeeping) and 3 three-course specialized certificates (Canine Training & Behavior, Equine Behavior & Management, Feline Training & Behavior), all delivered through the Moodle learning management system with capped class sizes of 12 students and a 40-hour hands-on field requirement.

Product overview

The Animal Behavior Institute is an online education provider offering professional and specialized certificate programs in animal training, behavior, and care. Their portfolio includes 12 professional certificate programs (5 courses each, 15 credits) and 3 specialized certificate programs (3 courses each, 9 credits), plus dual certificate bundles. Programs cover canine, feline, equine, exotic animal, and wildlife training; animal assisted therapy; shelter management; laboratory animal behavior; and zookeeping. All programs are delivered online through Moodle with maximum class sizes of 12 students, include a 40-hour field requirement, and award professional designations upon completion. Tuition is $1,320 per course with total program costs of $3,960 (3-course) or $6,600 (5-course).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advanced Canine Training A 5-course professional certificate program building on fundamental canine training skills, teaching advanced behavioral science principles for complex training situations; awards the Certified Advanced Canine Training Professional (CACTP) designation.
• Advanced Equine Training A 5-course professional certificate program providing in-depth study of equine training and behavior using behavioral science principles; awards the Certified Advanced Equine Training Professional (CAETP) designation.
• Advanced Feline Training A 5-course professional certificate program for in-depth feline training analysis using real case studies and problem-solving skills; awards the Certified Advanced Feline Training Professional (CAFTP) designation.
• Animal Assisted Therapy A 5-course professional certificate program covering animal-assisted interventions, therapy, education and activities; awards the Certified Animal Assisted Therapy Professional (CAATP) designation.
• Animal Shelter Management A 5-course professional certificate program preparing students for leadership roles in animal shelters; awards the Certified Animal Shelter Management Professional (CASMP) designation.
• Animal Training & Enrichment A 5-course professional certificate program for training and environmental enrichment across multiple species; awards the Certified Animal Training and Enrichment Professional (CATEP) designation.
• Canine Sports Training A 5-course professional certificate program for training dogs in competitive sports including agility, flyball, nosework and more; awards the Certified Canine Sports Training Professional (CCSTP) designation.
• Exotic Animal Training A 5-course professional certificate program for training wildlife including carnivores, birds, primates and marine mammals; awards the Certified Exotic Animal Training Professional (CEATP) designation.
• Laboratory Animal Behavior A 5-course professional certificate program for behavioral management of laboratory animals using training and enrichment; awards the Certified Laboratory Animal Behavior Professional (CLABP) designation.
• Service & Therapy Dog Training A 5-course professional certificate program for training service dogs for assistance work and therapy settings; awards the Certified Service & Therapy Dog Training Professional (CSTDTP) designation.
• Wildlife Rehabilitation A 5-course professional certificate program for rehabilitation and release of injured or orphaned wildlife; awards the Certified Wildlife Rehabilitation Professional (CWRP) designation.
• Zookeeping A 5-course professional certificate program for zoo keeper and aquarist careers covering animal management and conservation; awards the Certified Zookeeping Professional (CZKP) designation.
• Canine Training & Behavior A 3-course specialized certificate program for dog training fundamentals covering behavior, training, health and nutrition; awards the Certified Canine Training and Behavior Specialist (CCTBS) designation.
• Equine Behavior & Management A 3-course specialized certificate program for understanding equine behavior, training, cognition, emotions, health and nutrition; awards the Certified Equine Behavior and Management Specialist (CEBMS) designation.
• Feline Training & Behavior A 3-course specialized certificate program for cat training and behavioral problem-solving; awards the Certified Feline Training and Behavior Specialist (CFTBS) designation.

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Learning Partner relationship where ABI and AZA share a common mission to provide professional, high quality training in zoo science. Many ABI courses can be applied toward AZA Professional Development certificates for dual credit, creating a pathway for students to earn credentials from both institutions.
• Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABI's animal training programs are approved for CCPDT Continuing Education Units. The CCPDT is an international testing and certification program for professional dog trainers, and this approval ensures graduates can maintain their professional credentials.
• International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll Wildlife Rehabilitation courses approved by IWRC's Certification Review Board to satisfy continuing education requirements for nationally certified wildlife rehabilitators, providing professional advancement pathways for graduates.
• American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMany ABI Laboratory Animal Behavior courses satisfy AALAS standards and requirements, providing continuing education credits for eligible laboratory animal science professionals seeking career advancement.
• Distance Education Accrediting Council (DEAC)coreTechnology or IntegrationABI is recognized as an Approved Provider after completing DEAC's Approved Quality Curriculum (AQC) review process. DEAC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and Council for Higher Education Accreditation, validating ABI's curriculum quality.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Victoria Stilwell Academy: Online positive-reinforcement dog training academy with certification programs and continuing education. Comparable to ABI's Canine Training & Behavior and Service & Therapy Dog Training offerings in modality and curriculum philosophy.
• Companion Animal Sciences Institute: Online certificate-granting institution offering diplomas in canine behaviour, feline behaviour, equine behaviour, and animal-assisted therapy. Highly comparable to ABI's breadth across species and behavior specializations.
• Starmark Animal Behavior Center: Dog training education provider offering instructor academies and curriculum for professional trainers. Comparable to ABI's advanced canine and instructor-level certifications though historically more in-person/retail-focused.
• CATCH Canine Trainers Academy: Online dog trainer certification program offering levels of certification (Levels 1-3) plus behavior specialist credentials. Directly comparable to ABI's canine training tracks in format, target learner, and outcome.
• Karen Pryor Academy: Online and in-person clicker-training based dog trainer certification program with a strong professional brand. Directly comparable to ABI's canine training certificates in target student and curriculum approach.
• Animal Behavior College: Online vocational school offering dog training, veterinary assistant, and pet grooming certification programs. Closest direct competitor to ABI in online animal training and behavior certification, serving the same adult-learner, career-changer segment.
• National K-9 Learning Center: In-person dog trainer school offering professional trainer programs and behavior specialist coursework. Comparable to ABI in target learner and curriculum, but with a primarily residential/in-person delivery model.

Others

• International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants: Professional association offering certifications (CDBC, CCBC, etc.) for animal behavior consultants. Adjacent credentialing body whose certifications overlap with ABI's behavior specialist offerings and represent both a partner channel and a competing credential.
• Animal Behavior Society: International scientific and educational professional society for the study of animal behavior. Adjacent rather than competitive; relevant ecosystem reference for ABI's academic credibility but does not sell competing certificates.

Broad incumbents

• Penn Foster: Large-scale, accredited online career school offering veterinary technician, pet grooming, and animal care programs. Overlaps with ABI in online vocational animal training delivery but operates at much greater scale across many occupations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/abi_inc
• Facebookfacebook.com/animalbehaviorinstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/animalbehaviorinst
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/animal-behavior-institute

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Animal Behavior Institute