Dan Irish always knew he wanted to be an animal behaviorist, but there was not an “animal behaviorist” degree available in California when he was a college student. He found a mentor in Dr. Patricia McConnell. She recommended he take courses in
- biology
- zoology
- anatomy
- physiology
- psychology
- biochemistry
He took courses from Santa Monica College, College of San Mateo and UCLA in those fields. Dan then moved on to the practical application of what he had learned.