Vocational training with a Federal Diploma of Vocational Education and Training (Federal VET Diploma) always takes place practically in the training company and theoretically at a vocational college. In addition to an apprenticeship as an animal keeper, attendance at a vocational college is therefore also compulsory. In German-speaking Switzerland, this apprenticeship is offered at the commercial-industrial vocational school Olten GIBS, the adult education center Federal VET Diploma Olten, as well as at another vocational school.

In addition to completing compulsory schooling, it is recommended that you complete a trial apprenticeship at an animal care facility to find out whether the animal care profession actually meets your expectations. For an animal care apprenticeship, it is also important that apprentices are able to work irregular hours, including public holidays and weekends. In addition, apprentices should naturally have a certain sensitivity in dealing with animals, but also with people, have a great appreciation of all animals, good powers of observation, manual skills and physical resilience. Prospective animal keepers must be responsible and reliable, not shy away from dirty and physical work and have an interest in animal behavior and biology. In addition, applicants should not have any allergies that could affect their work with animals.

The amount of salary that can be earned in an animal care apprenticeship varies depending on the chosen specialization. A salary recommendation for 2010 from the Swiss Association for Vocational Training in Animal Care SVBT stipulates that pet care apprentices should receive CHF 430 net in the first year of their apprenticeship, CHF 550 in the second year and CHF 690 in the third year. CHF 530, CHF 690 and CHF 930 are recommended for animal care apprentices in wild animal care for the first to third year of their apprenticeship. For laboratory animal care, the recommended salary is set higher and is CHF 740 in the first year of training, CHF 950 in the second and CHF 1230 in the third.

Depending on the chosen specialization, an animal keeper apprenticeship can be found either in pet stores, zoos or animal parks, in dog salons, animal shelters or breeding facilities, or in laboratory animal farms, research laboratories and university laboratories.