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Animal Trainer

Agriculture

Train animals for riding, harness, security, performance, or obedience, or for assisting persons with disabilities. Accustom animals to human voice and contact, and condition animals to respond to commands. Train animals according to prescribed standards for show or competition. May train animals to carry pack loads or work as part of pack team.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Veterinary Science

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Train horses or other equines for riding, harness, show, racing, or other work, using knowledge of breed characteristics, training methods, performance standards, and the peculiarities of each animal.
  2. 2Cue or signal animals during performances.
  3. 3Talk to or interact with animals to familiarize them to human voices or contact.
  4. 4Conduct training programs to develop or maintain desired animal behaviors for competition, entertainment, obedience, security, riding, or related purposes.
  5. 5Use oral, spur, rein, or hand commands to condition horses to carry riders or to pull horse-drawn equipment.
  6. 6Retrain horses to break bad habits, such as kicking, bolting, or resisting bridling or grooming.
  7. 7Observe animals' physical conditions to detect illness or unhealthy conditions requiring medical care.
  8. 8Feed or exercise animals or provide other general care, such as cleaning or maintaining holding or performance areas.
  9. 9Train dogs in human assistance or property protection duties.
  10. 10Evaluate animals to determine their temperaments, abilities, or aptitude for training.
  11. 11Administer prescribed medications to animals.
  12. 12Keep records documenting animal health, diet, or behavior.
  13. 13Evaluate animals for trainability and ability to perform.
  14. 14Advise animal owners regarding the purchase of specific animals.
  15. 15Organize or conduct animal shows.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • GDMI
  • Handler
  • Trainer
  • Horseman
  • Outrider
  • Wrangler
  • Equestrian
  • Lion Tamer
  • Cat Groomer
  • Dog Groomer

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. Typical entry

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationHigh school diploma

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

BusinessDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BiologyDraws directly on Biology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional ScienceDraws directly on Biology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Customer and Personal Service81%
  • Education and Training72%
  • Psychology64%
  • Administration and Management62%

    BusinessEconomics

  • English Language62%

    English

  • Sales and Marketing56%

    BusinessEconomics

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersVery high
  • Indoors, air-conditionedAlmost never
  • Outdoors, in all weatherEvery day
  • Noisy environmentAlmost never
  • Time spent sittingA little

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Teach owners how to train their dogs.
  • Teach people with visual impairments to use guide dogs.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

14%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Animal Trainers

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org