Animal-related professions

Love for our smaller brothers is rooted in distant childhood. Many kids in their games imagine themselves in the role of their beloved doctor Aibolit, and having matured, they decide to associate their professional activities with animals. We have prepared for you an overview of the specialties aimed at working with them.

The relationship between humans and animals has been going on for more than one millennium. During this time, a large number of behavioral models of their interaction have been developed. Pets, to one degree or another, pass on these patterns to their offspring, which significantly reduces the time it takes to get used to people. In the wild, a different approach to animals is required - here you need caution and observation, such qualities are brought up exclusively through everyday contact.

The situation is complicated by the fact that the animal cannot tell the person about its thoughts, feelings, problems and intentions. Moreover, many do not want to make contact - they bite, growl and attack. That is why much attention is paid to the professional training of specialists in working with representatives of the fauna. Many people believe that only veterinarians and trainers are involved in animals. This is not so - this type of activity is multifaceted, it has dozens of professions. They are conventionally divided into two groups.

• Theoretical - this includes specialists who study the physiological characteristics and anatomy of living organisms, the peculiarities of their interaction, the environment.These are zoologists of a wide profile, as well as serpentologists, entomologists, oceanologists and other specialized specialists.
• Practical - workers in this area deal directly with wild or domestic animals, carry out their upbringing and treatment, perform care manipulations.

The veterinarian is responsible for treating pets as well as some exotic pets. This is a difficult profession. When it comes to a person, here doctors work in narrow directions (cardiologist, otolaryngologist or infectious disease specialist), and a doctor for animals must be a specialist in a wide profile. He should have a good knowledge of ophthalmology, gastroenterology, oncology, surgery, andrology and many other disciplines.

Zoopsychology as a science emerged as a separate direction only at the beginning of the last century. Thanks to their research, these scientists were able to learn a lot about the various skills of the representatives of the animal world, as well as discover their unusual abilities. For example, the famous zoopsychologist Stanley Koren said that dogs have a predisposition for mathematics, and European experts said that cockatoos can pick locks.

However, conducting such research is not the main goal of zoopsychology. Experts study the behavioral changes of pets, identify the reasons for their aggression, isolation, or, conversely, affection. In agriculture, they find out the reasons for the decrease in milk yield in CGS and egg production in chickens, if these are not associated with pathological conditions.

A groomer is a hairdresser as well as a stylist and manicurist rolled into one. Only he does not work with men and women, but with pets, usually dogs and cats. The groomer tidies up their claws, trims, and polishes their fur. Usually owners of thoroughbred pets resort to his services before competitions and exhibitions.

Truth, unlike humans, groomer's clients generally don't enjoy spa treatments. Therefore, the groomer requires not only skill and professionalism, but also a high reaction rate, otherwise he can get serious injury from the sharp claws and teeth of his wards. In the most difficult cases, craftsmen resort to special devices to restrain the animal, put on muzzles and leashes. In Russia, girls most often work as groomers and provide their services at home.

Humans began using dogs over three centuries ago - even then they noticed that these creatures help in search and rescue operations. The first to notice this were the monks who lived in the Alpine mountains, where people disappeared very often. Nowadays, dogs are actively involved in the service in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as well as at customs.

Dog handlers are required to train a dog. They watch the pets, choose the strongest and smartest representatives of the breed, and then practice new skills with them. Usually such dogs have different specializations: some rescue people under rubble, others are looking for missing children, still others react to drugs, and others help to detect explosives. A separate group of dogs work as guide dogs and even treat people with neurological problems.

Animal trainers work with a wide variety of animals, from parrots and cats to tigers and lions.This specialist teaches pets how to perform various tricks. The trainer is required to teach wild animals to interact with a person without aggression and to exactly follow all their commands.

Such specialists are widely in demand in the circus, although some representatives of the profession open private practice and work with pets. (dogs, minipigs and parrots). The complexity of their activities lies in the fact that most often they are associated with those animals that, by their nature, are not inclined to negotiate. History knows many examples when trainers received serious injuries or even died from their wards.

A horse is a very expensive animal and therefore requires a special approach. The physiology of horses and their behavioral models are occupied by hippologists, they establish the rules for organizing nutrition and caring for animals, their breeding. And the groom is responsible for preparing the horse for riding. This is an interesting and highly paid, but very difficult specialty.

The profession of a livestock breeder is most often found in rural and farm households. These masters are interested in obtaining the highest quality milk, meat, eggs and wool, so they monitor the condition of the livestock raised, the growth and development rates. The breeder must have a good knowledge of zoology and veterinary medicine. He must be able to determine the pathological condition of the animal and recognize its causes.

There are several areas of work with animals that do not require professional qualifications. These are the simplest maintenance activities, such as cleaning stables, cages and enclosures, hourly feeding of animals, taking care of equipment and organizing the transportation of birds, four-legged and floating pets.

This is a specialty for those people who adore cats and are not allergic to their fur. Felinologists are engaged in professional breeding, keeping and studying cats. These include nursery owners, exhibition experts and breeders. However, among the usual owners of fluffy beauties, there are also amateur felinologists.

Aquarists are concerned with the study, maintenance and breeding of aquarium fish. The tasks of specialists of this profile include:

• creation of a favorable ecosystem in artificial reservoirs;
• study of aquatic animals living in aquariums;
• carrying out research using genetic and breeding methods;
• breeding and raising fish for sale.

One of the areas of aquarium hobby is aqua design. This professional is engaged in the design of an artificial reservoir and the creation of a stylish water landscape. Such a profession is widely in demand in the West, in our country it is not yet in demand.

Livestock technicians are considered gurus in the livestock industry. They are responsible for proper feeding, care, breeding and health monitoring of pets. Usually, the profitability of an agricultural enterprise largely depends on the work of a livestock technician. This employee must have good skills in veterinary medicine, have technical knowledge - they will allow him to create conditions under which livestock will produce maximum production with a minimum of material and physical costs.

Zoologists are distinguished among theoretical specialists; they know absolutely everything about tetrapods and birds. They know their anatomy, physiological features and behavioral responses. This is an exciting job that does not let you get bored - zoologists travel all over the world on scientific expeditions.Having collected the necessary data, they prepare scientific works and compose textbooks.

In European countries such a profession as a pet protection agent is widespread. They are people who want to make a difference in the lives of pets affected by human violence. Agents defend the rights of animals, confiscate them from cruel owners. In their work, they work closely with zoopsychologists, veterinarians and police officers. They control the entire course of pet rescue, from retrieval and treatment to handing over to a friendly family. A very important profession is the canister therapist. It is a symbiosis of cynology, medicine, and psychology. This specialist treats and rehabilitates people using specially trained animals, usually dogs and dolphins.

Using therapy can help reduce feelings of anxiety, insecurity, and lack of self-confidence. A kynotherapist closely interacts with people suffering from pathologies of the musculoskeletal system and psyche.

It should be noted that to work with domestic and wild representatives of the fauna, it is not necessary to receive a profiled higher education - sometimes it is enough just to love nature. These professions include the following.

• An animal photographer takes unusual photographs of animals at exhibitions or in the wild. In the first case, such filming allows you to create a portfolio of the animal, in the second - to illustrate a scientific article.
• The ecologist studies environmental pollution, changes in the population of various representatives of the animal world due to unfavorable living conditions.
• Handler specializes in the presentation of dogs at competitions and shows.
• The jockey acts as a rider during the races.
• The ornithologist aims to study the characteristics of the life of birds, their reproduction and migration.
• The herpetologist is interested in amphibians and reptiles, studies them and cares for them.
• A serpentologist is a specialist who catches snakes. Its tasks include the protection of reptiles, as well as the collection of snake venom for the subsequent manufacture of medicinal preparations.

People without special experience after the 9th grade can get a job as volunteers or cleaners in the reserve, oceanarium and zoological hotel. When recruiting personnel for such institutions, the personal qualities of the employee, as well as his ability to quickly respond to the situation, must be taken into account. In any case, such work will require studying the basics of caring for animals, basic knowledge of their psychology and anatomy.