An animal behavior consultant is a practitioner of applied behavior analysis or clinical animal behaviour, who helps resolve behavior problems in animals, usually companion animals. Animal behavior consultants are usually employed to identify the cause of a behavior problem, to develop an intervention plan to change the problem behavior, and to help the owners learn how to execute that plan. Animal behavior consultants are distinct from animal trainers, in that their primary goal is not to train an animal to have basic manners or to perform a task, such as agility competition for dogs, but to mitigate behaviors that are problems for the animal's owner. Animal behavior consultants may also be known as clinical animal behaviourists, pet behavior counsellors or pet psychologists.

The issues that an animal behavior consultant will typically be called upon to address depend on the species of animal and its living situation. There are, however, some problems that are common to all species of companion animal. These include aggression towards other animals or humans, self-injury and stereotypies, phobias, isolation and separation-related stress behaviors, destructiveness, making excessive noise, and resource guarding. The kinds of behaviors that consultants are called in to address may not be ethologically abnormal for the animal; they may be inappropriate given the individual animal's living situation and either undesirable from the client's point of view, a cause of diminished welfare for the animal, or both.

Animal behavior consultants may hold group classes for some behavior problems, and may work on-site at laboratories, zoos, sanctuaries or animal shelters; many work in clients' homes.

A typical in-home animal behavior consultation usually includes the following stages:

Most animal behavior consultants work face to face with the animal and human client; however, in some cases, the consultant will work remotely over video and email. Remote consultation is a particularly common modality in separation related problems cases.

Behavior consultants do not practice veterinary medicine, unless they are also veterinarians. Veterinarians may choose to refer animals with behavioral issues to behavior consultants, and some veterinarians maintain working relationships with specific behavior consultants for this purpose. Some general practice veterinarians also choose to see behavior cases themselves. While few veterinary schools have extensive behavioral programs, some general practice veterinarians may choose to further their own education in this area. Additionally, a veterinary behavior specialty exists. Veterinary behaviorists are veterinary specialists with extensive education and experience in working with behavior problems. Behavior consultants may refer cases to veterinary behaviorists, especially animals who may benefit from behavioral medication, as only veterinarians are legally able to prescribe medications for animals.

Animal behavior consultants need education in a variety of different areas to be successful. They need to know about the normal behaviors of their chosen species, to understand the etiology of abnormal behaviors and have the skills to develop effective interventions to change abnormal behaviors and instruct their clients in implementing these interventions.

This knowledge can come from a variety of sources: undergraduate and graduate studies in animal behavior or a related discipline such as psychology from accredited colleges; online courses through professional and technical schools; or in-person classes through humane societies and other animal education organizations. There is no single course of study that will fully equip an aspiring animal behavior consultant for the job.