**EXPERIENCED** Dog Handler
Welcome to Paws at Play! We are a family-owned dog-loving business. We are looking for enthusiastic and dedicated animal lovers like us! We poured our heart and soul into making this an exceptional doggy daycare and boarding experience for all precious pups who visit us and provide total peace of mind to their family members who trust us.
The Doggie Daycare Attendant position must have at least two years of experience. Must be able to work full-time and have some flexibility with the schedule on occasion.
*****PLEASE DO NOT APPLY FOR THIS POSITION UNLESS YOU HAVE A MINIMUM OF 2 YEARS WORKING EXPERIENCE SUPERVISING DOG PLAY GROUPS.*****
A Day in The Life:
As a Boarding and Daycare Dog Attendant, you are part of a larger team focused on the daily care of our canine guests. You’ll handle everything from feeding and administering medicines to cleaning suites, monitoring playgroups, and loving them as if they were your own.
You’ll interact with the dogs and their parents. You’ll document what you see and be ready to share with your manager and the pet parents. And let’s not forget—you’re probably going to go home with some fur on you and get lots of sloppy kisses!
Dog Handler Job Description:
The Daycare Dog Handler is responsible for dog safety and the smooth running of daily operations. A successful candidate for this position will be a team player, self-motivated, take direction well, has excellent communication skills, and has great attention to detail. This is a service-related industry; you should be skilled at customer service and passionate about helping people. You’ll work in many areas to care for and ensure the dogs' safety in our facility. Not only will you focus on handling dogs all day, but also on the cleanliness of the facility and customer service.
Responsibilities:
- Ensure that each dog is treated with respect and dignity
- Ensure that all dogs get appropriate amounts of food and water
- Clean and sanitize food and water bowls daily. Clean up dog poop, pee, and any vomit throughout your shift.
- Supervise activities of the yards throughout the day.
- Monitor the yards closely for potential conflicts or escalations and redirect or remove dogs from the pack as needed.
- Maintain a sanitary and healthy environment by following our standards of cleaning and disinfecting the facility indoors and out.
- Monitor dogs' health by daily charting of eating and medication routines.
- Monitor dogs' behavior and general demeanor during playtime interactions.
- Follow all safety standards about handling dogs, particularly aggressive dogs and escape artists.
- Pay specific attention to special handling notes, such as allergies, deafness, prone to overheating, histories of seizures, etc.
- Immediately alert the front desk and manager when a dog is ill or exhibiting odd behavior and follow up by filling out an incident form and turning it into a team lead or manager.
- Ensure that the facility exceeds expectations for cleanliness and safety. Clean and sanitize all indoor play and feeding areas, outdoor yards, and common areas.
- Take pictures and videos of the pups at play for our social media accounts (when asked by management).
- Alert manager when inventory levels are low for cleaning products, dogs' food, grooming supplies, etc.
- Help maintain the property's cleanliness by picking up and disposing trash or debris. Keep aisles, shelves, sinks, floors, furniture, counters, and glass clean, sanitary, and clutter-free. Empty and sanitize trash cans and receptacles.
- Alert the manager of any safety or operational issues, such as broken equipment or hardware.
- Be willing and able to complete any E-learning platform modules
- Consult with other departments as needed.
- Other duties as assigned.
Successful Candidates Will Have These Attributes:
- A passion for animals and animal care. Willing to learn animal behavior to ensure their safety.
- Focus on safe and gentle handling. Forceful, aversive, aggressive handling, vocalizing, or treatment will not be tolerated.
- Excellent teamwork and willingness to assist other departments as necessary
- Cheerful, friendly, positive, and team-oriented
- Reliable, punctual, and dependable is a must
- Ability to work a flexible schedule, including holidays and weekends
- Must be comfortable around dogs of all sizes, physically able to handle dogs of all sizes, and able to lift 60 lbs.
- Client-service-oriented. Ability to take care of clients’ needs while following company procedures. Manages difficult or emotional client situations and responds promptly to client needs and requests for service and assistance. Build trust with clients.
- Willing and able to communicate about their dogs directly with clients, written and orally. Works to make these “lifetime clients.”
- Must be able to work under conditions that require sitting, standing, walking, bending, reaching, pulling, pushing, lifting, and holding.
- Ability to handle conflict with tact and diplomacy and work towards a calm resolution.
- Strong attention to detail, especially where documentation is concerned.
- Ability to take direction well and apply it independently.
- Ability to work in temperature extremes, outside, or distracting work environments such as loud noises or sounds.
- Ability to tolerate close contact with various bodily fluids and get dirty frequently.
How Much Does It Pay:
The starting pay for a Dog Handler will vary depending on your previous experience but generally starts in the $16-$17 range. There is an opportunity for growth and promotion as you develop and show us your value as part of our team.
Benefits:
- Training to allow you to advance your career
- Free daycare for your pup during your shift (excluding holidays)
- Paid Vacation and PTO for full-time employees
- Staff appreciation lunch each month
- $50 Gas card for perfect attendance each month
Equal Employment Opportunity:
Paws at Play is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity, or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $17.00 - $18.00 per hour
Expected hours: 40 per week
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Opportunities for advancement
- Paid time off
Day range:
- Holidays
- Monday to Friday
- Weekends as needed
Shift:
Work setting:
Work Location: In person