Introduction to working with animals

Are you interested in working with animals and looking to get started? - Then you've come to the right place. Here you will find lots of suggestions, important information and suitable links on working with animals and on various training courses, activities and professions - divided into the following chapters:

• What you need to bring in any case
• Work and professions with animals
  • Trials, volunteering, voluntary work
  • Officially regulated professions with animals
  • Non-formal education courses with association qualifications, provider certificates, etc.
• Animal husbandry and breeding

What you need to bring in any case

What working with animals always requires - regardless of the career goal - is enjoyment in dealing with (certain or all) animals, patience, a strong sense of responsibility, empathy, practical skills, long-term interest and often also strength and good health.

What you also need to bear in mind is that jobs with animals and apprenticeships are in high demand. Even if there are hardly any formal requirements for some apprenticeships, experience with the relevant animal species and a strong passion are always an advantage.

Work and professions with animals

Working with animals is enriching. Many people want to combine the animal world and the special relationship between humans and animals with their professional life. Some want to do this from an early age, others seek to enter the field later, as an alternative or supplement to their previous profession.

Working with animals is diverse. Some activities fall into the area of animal husbandry and breeding, others belong to animal care and veterinary medicine, and still others to the area of animal-assisted health and social professions. Furthermore, there are professions that are limited to certain animal species or species - such as horse specialist, dog trainer or beekeeper - while others deal with different species - such as animal keeper or retail specialist in the pet trade.

For some work with animals, there are professions with official, i.e. federally regulated qualifications in the Swiss Education System. Other activities are based on non-federally regulated specializations and training or continuing education, further training offered by clubs, associations and other organizations. Further opportunities are available in the context of unpaid work.

On this page we have compiled a list of job opportunities, training courses and professions*. We limit ourselves to training courses and qualifications that are possible without prior training in the field of "working with animals", i.e. are suitable for an initial career entry and/or a later lateral entry.

* Incidentally, adults can also start and complete an apprenticeship. You can find out more in ourCareer guide "The Swiss Education System at a glance", chapter 2.

Trials, volunteering, voluntary work

Perhaps you would first like to try out what working as an animal handler or horse specialist is really like and whether it matches your expectations. Or maybe you want to work with animals without turning your previous professional life upside down. Or perhaps when you think of "working with animals" you don't think of gainful employment at all. In all three cases, we recommend you take a look at facilities that interest you. Get in touch with your favorite riding stable, zoo, bird breeder, pet shop, animal shelter, dog trainer or llama walk provider, explain what you want to do and see what opportunities are available.

At some facilities you can find such offers online, e.g. in the zoos ofBaselandZurich:

For a specific example of volunteering, see also the Radio SRF-1 report from March 2025:https://www.srf.ch/radio-srf-1/besuch-auf-dem-gnadenhof-im-einsatz-fuer-die-schwachen-freiwilligenarbeit-im-tierschutz

Officially regulated professions with animals

Vocational education and training (VET) with Federal VET Certificate

• Agricultural practitioner Federal VET CertificateRearing and keeping livestock on a farm. Prerequisite: Completion of oblig. School Sek I.
• Retail assistantin the pet trade Federal VET Certificate: care and sale of various animal species. Prerequisite: Completion of oblig. School Sek I.
• Horse keeper Federal VET CertificateCare and grooming of horses. Prerequisite: Completion of oblig. School Sek I.

Vocational education and training (VET) with Federal VET Diploma

• Poultry specialist Federal VET DiplomaRearing and keeping poultry for egg and meat production. Prerequisite: Completion of oblig. School Sek I.
• Farrier Federal VET DiplomaMetalworking (forging and shaping hooves) and animal care (trimming and shaping hoof horn) with horses, ponies, mules and donkeys. Prerequisite: Completion of oblig. School Sek I.
• Federal VET Diploma farmerRearing and keeping livestock on a farm. Prerequisite: Completion of oblig. School Sek I.
• Federal VET Diploma horse specialistRiding, care and grooming of horses with various specializations (care and service, gaited horse riding, harness driving, classic riding, horse racing, western riding). Prerequisite: Completion of oblig. School Sek I.
• Veterinary practice assistant Federal VET DiplomaAdministration and consultation in veterinary practice, care of animals and assistance during consultations and operations. Prerequisite: Completion of oblig. School Sek I.
• Animal keeper Federal VET DiplomaCare and maintenance of various animal species in zoos, animal shelters, laboratories, wildlife parks, etc. Prerequisite: Completion of oblig. School Sek I.

Higher Professional Education - FPE (Federal Diploma of Higher Education, qualification: Federal Diploma of Higher Education)

• Beekeeper (FPE)Keeping and caring for bee colonies and marketing wax and honey. Prerequisite: any Federal VET Diploma or equivalent qualification.
• Fisheries warden (FPE)andGamekeeper (FPE)Training in these two professions is reserved for people who already work as cantonal employees in the field of game management, hunting and fishing administration.

Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education (Advanced Federal Examination (AFPE))

• Guide dog instructor (AFPE)Breeding, raising and training guide dogs for the blind and instructing people with visual impairments. Requirement: Tertiary education qualification (FPE, AFPE, Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education or UAS, Uni/FIT).
• Animal physiotherapist (AFPE)Treatment of joint, muscle, tendon and ligament problems in dogs, cats and horses as well as training of police dogs and racehorses. Prerequisite: Degree and at least three years of professional experience in human physiotherapy (Bachelor UAS), veterinary or human medicine with additional training in manual medicine or equivalent training.

Non-formal education courses with association qualifications, provider certificates, etc.

There are numerous non-officially regulated training courses for people who are interested in working with animals. Here are some examples:

Animal care. An important entry option is the specialist, profession-independent training (FBA) "Animal Care / Breeding", a training course in the program of various associations and education providers, which prepares theoretically and practically for working with animals and enables entry into many activities (e.g. for jobs in animal shelters with up to 19 animals) and various continuing education, further training. Educational offers underwww.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/tierpfleger-ausbildung-info.aspx

Working with dogs. The Swiss Kennel Club SKG offers a wide range of training programs for working with dogs. As an introduction, theTraining as a group leader SKGideal. It imparts sound theoretical knowledge and practical skills that are essential for working with dogs and humans, and at the same time provides access to further specialized training courses.

You can follow this up with further training, e.g:

• Dog trainerwww.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/hundetrainer-ausbildung-info.aspx
• Dog hairdresser/dog hairdresserwww.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/hundecoiffeuse-hundecoiffeur-ausbildung
• Dog therapistwww.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/hundetherapeutin-hundetherapeut-ausbildung

Animal-assisted coaching. Do you have experience in counseling and coaching and would like to do a job with horses, e.g. involve these animals as partners in your coaching work? Then you've come to the right place. Animal-assisted coaching is coaching people with the help of horses, dogs and other animals. Educational offers underwww.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/tiergestuetztes-coaching-info.aspx

Animal therapy/veterinary medicineDo you have a medical or naturopathic education and would like to apply your knowledge and skills to animals? Then there are various options such as animal therapy, animal kinesiology, animal homeopathy, etc. (with different requirements). Take a look at the following continuing education, further training courses, for example:www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/tiertherapeut-info.aspx

Animal communication. Do you have a good connection to animals, would you like to deepen your knowledge as a dog whisperer or horse communicator and possibly pass it on? Then you might be interested in working in the field of animal communication. There are also training courses for this:www.ausbildung-weiterbildung.ch/tierkommunikation-ausbildung-info.aspx

Animal husbandry and breeding

Finally, this: If you are considering whether to start keeping and breeding animals, it is essential that you obtain information from the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office, as animals enjoy rights and the Animal Welfare Act regulates how they are treated. You can find all the important information, from keeping guinea pigs to poisonous beats or llamas and breeding crabs, cats or canaries to lists of recognized trainers for the various animal species, under "Keeping farm animals" and "Keeping pets and wild animals" athttps://www.blv.admin.ch/blv/de/home/tiere/tierschutz.html.

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