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Canine Behavior and Outreach Foster Trainer

Schedule

The working schedule for this position is Sunday - Tuesday, 9AM - 5:30PM with Wednesdays - Saturdays off. The position requires the Canine Behavior and Outreach Foster Trainer to travel to foster homes throughout the five boroughs.

Who We Are

ACC is one of the nation’s largest open-admission animal shelters, whose mission is to End Animal Homelessness in NYC. We touch the lives of nearly 30,000 animals each year. ACC is more than an animal shelter; we are a resource to the community, always seeking ways to keep the human-animal bond intact. With a 90% placement rate, our progressive, life-saving initiatives contribute to the successful placement of our animals.

We strive to find loving homes for homeless and abandoned cats, dogs, guinea pigs and rabbits, both by adopting animals directly to the public and by partnering with more than 200 dedicated animal placement organizations (our New Hope partners). We also help keep NYC communities safe and rescue animals in need, responding to emergencies that involve animals as well as keeping our doors open 24/7 for people and animals in need.

Summary

The Behavior Outreach Foster Trainer is a member of the Canine Behavior Team who focuses primarily on creating training plans and running daily behavior modification sessions for ACC foster dogs. You will also be designing and providing low-stress handling training to staff, volunteers, fosters, and adopters to learn how to gently modify challenging behaviors. ACC uses only force-free, reward-based training methods.

ACC’s Behavior Program provides environmental enrichment and socialization for all cats and dogs in our care as well as thorough behavior assessments in order to make successful adoption and foster matches. We strive to provide the highest possible quality of life for our pets during their stay. To that end, we are adding a training and behavior modification element to our dogs in care that have now transitioned into foster homes. The Behavior Department is seeking an experienced canine trainer to help create, launch, and oversee this program.

Our ideal candidate is an experienced behavior modification trainer, with approved certifications, and excited to take on the unique challenges and rewards of working with shelter dogs transitioning into new homes. You also enjoy sharing your skill and knowledge with others in order to improve the quality of care in the shelter, decrease stress, and help keep dogs in their foster homes. You are self-motivated and able to work independently. Have great time management skills. You work well with people of all walks of life and varying levels of dog handling skills. You are passionate about animal welfare and improving the quality of life for sheltered animals, and you are excited to be part of a progressive shelter enrichment program.

Required Qualifications:

+ High School Diploma or GED required. Bachelor’s degree or comparable work experience required.

+ At least one of the following approved certifications, licenses, or educational programs are required: Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA, CPD T-KSA, or CBCC-KA), Certified Behavior Consultant through IAABC, or The Academy for Dog Trainers (CTC).

+ Minimum 6 months experience with and/or knowledge of creating training plans to address a range of behavior challenges.

+ Must be able to lift and move up to 50 pounds.

Benefits

Part-Time employees are not eligible for vacation time or personal leave.

Essential Job Responsibilities:

+ Designing and implementing individualized training plans for dogs in foster care.

+ Assist foster parents with problem solving and behavior modification while in their homes.

+ Working alongside the foster department, providing updates on training progress, communicating any concerns, providing recommendations for future foster matches.

Other Responsibilities:

+ Track and provide metrics for the dogs in training program; maintain accurate records of daily tasks, including written reports on current foster dogs enrolled in program.

+ Create and conduct seminars on problem solving behavior concerns and behavior modification for fosters, adopters, and others in our organization.

+ Communicate with adopter’s post-adoption to address behavior challenges in the new home.

+ Participate in helping build our Canine Behavior Program working alongside our trainers to hosting future behavior seminars for the community.

+ Assisting and communicating with our adoptions department with possible matches to fosters dogs in training or that have graduated program.

+ Work with the Canine Behavior Team with helping transition foster dogs back into the care center if needed and maintaining their individualized training program.

+ Work with the Canine Behavior team in the care center to assist in various task when needed.

+ Fear Free certification within 30 days of hire.

+ Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Preferred Qualifications:

+ Current driver’s license and clean driving record preferred.

+ Comfortable taking different modes of transportation such as private cars (Lyfts), buses, and subway to commute throughout NYC.

+ Familiarity with and ability to provide low-stress handling and force-free training.

+ A thorough understanding of positive reinforcement and a training methodology rooted in a scientific understanding of how canines learn.

+ Ability to make sound judgments and work independently in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to juggle multiple competing tasks and demands.

+ Ability to foster a cooperative, encouraging and positive work environment with staff as well as volunteers.

+ Strong communication skills.

+ Comfortable discussing different training philosophies and mentoring people into learning our training methods.

+ Open to new concepts and enjoys trying new things to expand and elevate the quality of training our canines receive.

+ Comfortable managing your schedule independently and holding strict guidelines for fosters to follow when they can reach out for guidance.

+ The ability to remain pleasant, calm and objective in all situations.

Work Environment

At ACC it's all hands-on deck. We work together as a team, which means you may be asked to help with tasks that involve working outside in all sorts of weather. As a busy animal shelter in one of the biggest cities in the world it can get noisy inside. Employees should have the ability to remain calm yet professional in stressful situations involving animals and/or members of the public. ACC houses hundreds of animals in its facilities at any given time and with that comes fur, odors and other airborne particles in abundance.

ACC offers many low-cost services to pets and people in need. This includes compassionate end-of-life services for people who cannot afford to go to a private veterinary office but still want to provide a professional and peaceful transition for their beloved pet.

Reports To: Canine Behavior Program Manager

Overtime: This is a non-union position and is eligible for overtime.