Dog Behavior Follow-Up Trainer
Dog Behavior Follow-Up Trainer
Posted on :
22-06-2025
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Job Description
Dog Behavior Follow-Up Trainer
Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austins most dynamic and best-loved nonprofits. The organization is the leader in the no-kill movement nationally and is considered a national leader in animal welfare. APA! locally rescues treats and adopts out 10000 homeless dogs and cats each year providing the safety net for Austins most at-risk shelter pets which helps Austin to be a no-kill city while also assisting other communities in saving homeless animals. The organization is distinguished by the scrappiness of its grassroots non-traditional community-based animal rescue work.
The organization continues to innovate best practices to save lives and teaches its renowned lifesaving model through American Pets Alive! APA!s national division. In 2020 AmPA! began the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) project a collaborative movement of more than 10000 animal welfare professionals working in nearly 1900 organizations. HASS is the first-of-its-kind collective of shelters and animal welfare professionals coming together to build community-focused animal services that better meet the needs of people and pets by keeping human-animal families together and keeping pets unnecessarily out of shelters.
BRIEF POSITION SUMMARY/OVERVIEW: The goal of this entry-level trainer position is to provide education and training to adopters & fosters with dogs displaying on-leash and barrier reactivity through Austin Pets Alives Dog Behavior Follow-up program. Duties include promptly responding to emails scheduling and leading phone calls video sessions in-person and/ or in-home training sessions to provide behavior training and management support. This position may provide additional coverage for the dog behavior follow-up team by replying to requests for help with other non-OLR behavior issues including urgent or time sensitive situations. This position may be asked to develop and teach training classes or webinars on specific behavior topics to increase proactive education. This is a full-time nonexempt position and reports to the Dog Behavior Follow-up Supervisor and the Dog Behavior Program Manager(s).
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
- Respond to emails from fosters/adopters in order to:
- Remind and offer the support of APAs lifelong free behavioral counseling and training service with the goal of addressing all requests for help with on-leash and barrier reactivity
- Gather home notes details of incident(s) and behavior history to update the dogs ShelterLuv file attributes and scores appropriately
- Evaluate the home situation and dogs behavior to determine creative solutions for keeping the dog in the home safely
- Send a personalized training plan as well as applicable resource training documents and videos
- Schedule and lead phone/ video consultations or in-person training sessions at the shelter or in the home
- Maintain internal communication and documentation through the use of Google Documents Calendar Spreadsheets ShelterLuv software and email
- Develop new resource material which aims to proactively educate fosters and adopters on common behavior issues or topics
- Assist with duties related to placement of dogs including but not limited to:
- Consulting with potential adopters or fosters about a dogs history and behavior needs before they go into the home
- Working with fosters to teach best practices when screening potential adopters and handling introductions to the potential adopter(s) resident pets
- Job duties may include some or all of the above and other duties as assigned by manager
OTHER FUNCTIONS:
- Attend and participate in all required training sessions and meetings
- Maintain open and consistent communication with Program Manager or designee supervisor and other colleagues
- Meet established 30/60/90-day goals identified at time of hire
- Able to react to change productively and perform other related duties as assigned
- Able to work evenings weekends holidays and on-call as needed
- Able to work in a high-volume fast-paced high-stress environment
QUALIFICATIONS SKILLS & EXPECTATIONS:
- High level of interpersonal skills. Will be expected to work with people in a variety of scenarios some of which may be high stress and/ or sensitive
- Strong written and verbal communication skills to explain training and management techniques and dog behavior to people who may not have knowledge or experience in the field
- Thorough knowledge of dog body language and a more advanced understanding of dog behavior including classic and operant conditioning and how they apply to dog training and behavior modification
- Understanding of and adherence to LIMA and the Humane Hierarchy
- At least a year of professional experience training dogs
- Proficiency and comfortable utilizing a computer for daily tasks
- Comfort handling or working in close proximity to dogs with a variety of behavioral issues some of which may have a history of aggression and biting
- Valid drivers license and reliable form of transportation
- Applicants who are fluent in English and Spanish are preferred
- Must embody APA!s Core Values of Innovation Respect Drive Resourcefulness and Inclusion
- Must be committed to APA!s customer experience expectations
- Applicant will be expected to complete APA! dog training and handling classes and/ or shadow other staff-led training sessions to learn APA!s philosophies and techniques for dog behavior training
- Willing and committed to working well with volunteers and staff in all roles
- Must have a reliable internet connection computer and phone
PHYSICAL JOB REQUIREMENTS:
- Ability to routinely lift 40-50 pounds
- Ability to work around animals (including sick injured and/or potentially aggressive animals) and loud noises.
- Ability to work in all weather conditions
- Ability to sit or stand and work at a computer for long periods of time
- Ability to move safely over uneven terrain or in confined spaces
- Ability to see and respond to dangerous situations
- Ability to wear personal protective gear correctly
- Must be able to visually observe people and animals from up to 150 feet away
- Ability to hear normal speech at close contact and shouting up to 150 feet away with ability to hear and discern dog vocalizations both soft and loud
- If reasonable accommodations are requested reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job absent undue hardship to the organization.
WORK ENVIRONMENT:
- Work is normally performed at APA! (inside and outside) with exposure to environmental conditions that include working with and near animals
- Must be able to work around caged and free-roaming animals (including diseased injured and/or potentially aggressive animals) loud noises various cleaning agents and other chemicals including bleach and sanitizing agents and inclement weather
- Rapid pace with exposure to potential hazards including animal waste disinfectants and high levels of noise
- Uses own transportation to travel and transport
- Possible exposure to contagious diseases bites or scratches
- Occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required to support program needs
TIME COMMITMENT:
- This is a full-time nonexempt position with an average of 40 hours per week.
- Set schedule of 8 hour shifts 5 days a week including a minimum of 1 weekend day required
- Shift and schedule flexibility is required as weekly schedule is subject to change
- Able to work evenings weekends and holidays as needed
LOCATION(S):
- APA! Main - Town Lake Animal Center 1156 West Cesar Chavez Austin TX 78703
- Travel to other offsite locations as needed including adopter/foster homes
- May travel to offsite locations as needed
BENEFITS
Austin Pets Alive! is proud to offer a competitive benefits package for full-time employees including subsidized employer-sponsored medical coverage subsidized and voluntary life insurance voluntary dental vision and short-term disability options all effective the first day of employment. We also offer voluntary wellness and emergency sick plans up to 2% match on 401(K) retirement plan supplemental benefits flexible spending accounts and additional life coverage. Full-time employees receive 10 paid holidays and accrue 10 days paid time off during the first year of employment with an additional 5 days of PTO accrual upon completion of 12 months of employment. Employees will also receive professional development opportunities through APA!s ongoing mission to advance our animal welfare professionals in our life saving work.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT
Austin Pets Alive! is an equal employment opportunity employer and we value having staff who come from communities that are most impacted by the issues we engage on. We especially encourage people of color LGBTQ people women transgender and gender non-conforming people and people with disabilities to apply.
Austin Pets Alive! does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race color religion sex national origin age disability veteran status marital status sexual orientation gender identity or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Austin Pets Alive! is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion respect and integrity community focus and innovation.
APA! is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the employment application process. To request an accommodation please contact Talent Acquisition at at least one week in advance of your interview.
Employment Type
Full Time
Key Skills
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