Job Description

Waggles Pet Resort is a state-of-the-art dog daycare in Wheeling, Illinois. We seek to enhance the lives of pets and families by offering high-quality dog daycare, lodging, training, and spa services in a fun, professional atmosphere. We are looking for highly motivated pet professionals to join our team and help us redefine the standard for pet care in the Chicago area.

The Dog Training Apprentice position is an amazing opportunity to grow and develop your professional skills in caring for and training dogs. Staff will begin working in our daycare and resort environments, training virtually with modules online. Once you pass the industry-leading Pet Connect program, you transition to hands-on training with dogs. You can have a passion for dogs but no formal training experience, and still be considered for this role.  

Schedule / Location: 

• We are hiring for morning and afternoon shifts. You will start in the daycare and resort environments for the first 4-8 weeks of this role. 
• We currently have shifts available from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
• Business hours with clients visiting the resort. are Monday to Friday, 7am to 7pm, and Saturday-Sunday, 9am to 5pm.
• We prefer candidates to be available one weekend day per week.
• We ask that staff be available during peak periods, including Thanksgiving, Winter Break, Spring Break, and the week of Independence Day. 
• The role is designed to be full-time.
• 419 Harvester Court in Wheeling, Illinois 60090

Compensation:

$16 - $18 / hour (starts at $16 - $17 / hour and will go to $18 after independent dog training begins)  
$2700 - $2900 / month

• Quarterly Performance Reviews
• Paid Training and Continuing Education
• Professional growth opportunities are available for motivated and dedicated staff.
• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Paid-Time Off
• Employee Assistance Program
• End-of-year bonus (up to $300, based on hours worked)
• Onsite Meals/Snacks
• Referral bonuses for new clients and staff

Responsibilities:

• While in the Pet Connect program, we expect staff to complete and pass all weekly lessons.
• The Pet Connect online training program must be completed within the first six months of employment. 
• A paid six-month apprenticeship follows the Pet Connect program. 
• Staff will be a certified dog trainer at the conclusion of the apprenticeship. This is an incredible opportunity but it will require patience and hard work. 
• Every member of our staff trains the same way. You must be able to adhere to our dog training guidelines and principles. 
• We offer puppy obedience, adult basic training, adult advanced obedience, reactivity/behavior modification, and off-leash programs. After training, you will be expected to train dogs in all five programs. 
• The core responsibility for this role is staff and dog safety. 
• Dog daycare and dog resort duties will be assigned as needed.
• Provide patience and empathy to all of the dogs in our care.
• We work as a team, so be ready to step in for your colleague.

The ideal candidate:

• We seek candidates who desire to build and develop a career working with dogs.
• It may take a full year for staff to graduate from the apprentice program. We strongly prefer candidates who envision working with Waggles for at least the next 12 consecutive months.    
• We strongly prefer a candidate with prior professional or volunteer group dog management experience. 
• Empathy: The effort you put into this work positively impacts the lives of animals. 
• Awareness: Our job is to provide enriching canine experiences and constantly read dog body language to ensure the safety of dogs and other staff members. 
• Health: Staff should want to help us keep Waggles Pet Resort clean at all times, reducing the risk of canine illness. 
• Time management: Dogs in our care may require food, water, medication, or care provided at timed intervals while visiting Waggles Pet Resort. 
• Teamwork: We expect staff to communicate with their colleagues, asking for help when needed and helping out when requested. 
• Reliability: We always want to maintain a safe staff-to-dog ratio at Waggles Pet Resort. By design, we have 15 dogs to 1 staff member, which is a very safe number for the dog daycare and boarding industry. 

Our Google page will show you what our clients say about our work!

Job Tags

Full time, Apprenticeship, Shift work, Weekend work, Sunday, Day shift, Saturday, Afternoon shift, 1 day per week, Monday to Friday,

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