Meet Dr. Pachel
From Curious Kid to the Veterinary Behaviorist
I’ve worn many hats in my life: veterinarian, behaviorist, business owner, speaker, educator, musician, and perpetual problem-solver. Whether I’m working with pets, people, or an audience of thousands, my work has always centered on the same thing: helping others see what’s possible when we take the time to understand.
From the moment I took my first job at a young age—running the pet department at a local dime store, I was hooked. I didn’t just love animals; I loved figuring things out. How did changing one small thing completely shift an animal’s response?
A Career that Didn’t Fit in a Box
Vet school was always the plan… University of Minnesota, years of study, a veterinary degree in hand. I stepped into general practice, excited to be the kind of veterinarian I had always envisioned. But along the way, I kept noticing something that pulled me in a different direction.
I saw cases where medicine alone didn’t solve the problem. Why did some pets recover effortlessly while others struggled? Why did some owners navigate challenges with ease while others felt stuck? There was something bigger happening. Something about the relationship between animals, people, and their environments that shaped the outcomes.
I became enthralled with understanding behavior—not just in pets, but in people too. That curiosity led me back to school to specialize in veterinary behavior medicine. But the path wasn’t straightforward. My first program wasn’t the right fit. I had to take a leap, find my own mentors, and carve my own path forward.
And it was the best decision I ever made.
Today:
A Bigger Mission
Fast-forward to today, and I’ve built a career that approaches science, psychology, and human connection through a new lens. I run the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, serve as VP of Veterinary Behavior at Instinct Dog Behavior & Training, and speak on stages across the world, helping veterinarians, trainers, and pet owners explore what behavior can teach us about animals, relationships, and ourselves.
This work isn’t just about pets. It’s about being more thoughtful in how we respond, more curious in how we listen, and more collaborative in how we connect.
In my book, every day is a school day, and my field is always evolving. Whether I’m teaching, problem-solving, playing music, or tackling a new project, one thing remains constant: I’m always learning, always adapting, always looking for meaningful ways to support well-being.
So, let’s discover how to stop “fixing” behavior and start understanding it. The more we take the time to listen, the more we open up possibilities.
And that’s a lesson worth sharing.
Onward and upward.
Dr. Pachel presents his teachings in a way that is accessible to everyone, regardless of their individual level of experience and education in the science of animal behavior.
He shares with humility and makes his students feel comfortable with wherever they are at in their learning journey. His knowledge and expertise is unparalleled and he educates with a comfortable, humorous approach that makes learning easy, inviting and fun.
He shares with humility and makes his students feel comfortable with wherever they are at in their learning journey. His knowledge and expertise is unparalleled and he educates with a comfortable, humorous approach that makes learning easy, inviting and fun.
Cydni True
Professional Dog Trainer & Behavior Consultant
Dr. Pachel is someone you absolutely want on your team. His breadth and depth of knowledge are astounding.
He cares for his patients as if they were his own and supports their humans with incredible empathy and dedication. We feel like we’ve hit the lottery—not only by having Dr. Pachel as our behavioral vet but by having him in our lives. He has truly changed our lives for the better.
He cares for his patients as if they were his own and supports their humans with incredible empathy and dedication. We feel like we’ve hit the lottery—not only by having Dr. Pachel as our behavioral vet but by having him in our lives. He has truly changed our lives for the better.
Liz Donovan
Interpreter Education Specialist with Sorenson Communications | Sign Language Interpreter Mentor with Utah State University
100% recommend!
Dr. Pachel is absolutely excellent with support of behavioral veterinary care as well as public speaking and education about canine behavior.
Dr. Pachel is absolutely excellent with support of behavioral veterinary care as well as public speaking and education about canine behavior.
Kelly Wey
Senior Program Manager
Dr. Chris Pachel spoke for Animal Community Talks about the canine socialization period.
Dr. Pachel was a joy to have as a speaker - knowledgable, professional, humorous, and generous with his time and expertise. We had fantastic turnout for his presentation, and participants consistently rated him highly on a post-event survey. We look forward to working with him again!
Dr. Pachel was a joy to have as a speaker - knowledgable, professional, humorous, and generous with his time and expertise. We had fantastic turnout for his presentation, and participants consistently rated him highly on a post-event survey. We look forward to working with him again!
Daniela Iancu
Third degree connection | Learning/Leadership Development Specialist at IDEXX
Dr. Pachel is a delight to work with in every facet of his job, and is a caring, intelligent and intuitive Veterinary Behaviorist.
As a lecturer, he is informative, interesting and worth every second of information he delivers. He is extremely fun to listen to and has an incredible gift with challenging cases. Dr. Pachel is an amazing veterinarian!
As a lecturer, he is informative, interesting and worth every second of information he delivers. He is extremely fun to listen to and has an incredible gift with challenging cases. Dr. Pachel is an amazing veterinarian!
Nona Nesseth
Executive Sales Representative -- Passional Sales
After one animal behaviorist dismissively recommended euthanasia for our dangerous dog, the doggy Gods led us to Dr. Pachel.
With his devoted guidance and support, we had 11 more incredibly happy years with our beloved Woody. He is simply THE best at what he does.
With his devoted guidance and support, we had 11 more incredibly happy years with our beloved Woody. He is simply THE best at what he does.
