Dog Gone Problems is looking for a dog training apprentice with those skills to join our team.
Dog Gone Problems is Nebraska’s premiere dog behavior and training organization. Over the last 10 years we have trained and rehabilitated thousands of dogs and have had nearly 10,00 puppies take our Puppy socialization classes.
All of our trainers start off as puppy class instructors unless they’ve already been trained as a dog trainer using modern force and punishment free techniques. We have an intense, two month long training program for people who have the gift to work with dogs but do not have any practical, hands-on positive dog training experience.
Your first month you will learn the lessons and exercises we cover in our puppy school while shadowing and helping in our evening puppy classes Mon – Fri, 6 – 9 PM. The second month you will lead your own classes with the assistance of a training instructor.
Our puppy class instructors are paid $13 during training. Once your puppy class instructor training is complete, you will receive a one dollar a month raise (provided you contine to perform at a high level) until you are making $20 an hour leading puppy classes in the evenings.
The next stage is your Dog Trainer training. You will be taught force and punishment free methods to help train dogs in basic cues, loose leash walking, tricks and other common training exercises. You will also shadow and assist our Dog Trainers and Behavior Consultats at their in home appointments.
Once training is complete, Dog Trainers are compensated at $20 an hour and are elegible to receive raises (provided you are continuing to learn and perform well) until they are making $24 an hour.
If you excel as a Puppy Class Instructor and Dog Trainer, the next level up is Dog Behavior Consultant (DBC). Dog Behavior Consultants help dogs with all kinds of behavior issues; fear, anxiety, stress, nussance behaviors and more.
Our DBC’s make up to $30 an hour and are called in to solve all kinds of dog behavior problems.
In addition to being paid well to work with dogs and puppies, our staff members enjoy a flexible work schedule and employee discounts.
This is not a traditional 9-5 job. We work in the evenings for puppy classes and in people’s homes during the day. Some weekend work is involved too. Each session or class will be unique and different so you need to be able to think on your feet and adapt and change as needed.
Once you are fully trained you will be operating on your own for the most part, so you need to be dedicated and self motivated. We expect our team members to take pride in their work, follow up consistently, be on time, be willing to put in the extra mile and be there for your clients. If you need someone following up to make sure you got things done, this isnt the job for you.
Unless you are already experienced as a puppy class instructor or dog trainer, you will start off as an Apprentice. There is some weekend work (dog expos, training events or weekend classes) depending on the season and you will be working on the weekends during training.
To be successful as an apprentice, you need to dedicate yourself to absorbing the material we go over. This requires self motivation. We dont have the time or interest to check in and see if you are reading, watching videos, etc. Candidates should look at this paid training (most companies charge students to learn instead of paying them during training as we do) as a gift that motivates them to invest the time needed to become an expert.
As a smaller company, people who are dedicated, driven and work hard stand out. We pride ourselves as having a non-corporate, family feel. We want people to work with us, not for us. That said, we need people who are consistently available. We have a lot of flexibility when you need it, but the rest of the time we need to be able to count on you to be there for your dog and human clients.
If you are still reading and think you are a good candidate for us, here are the hard requirements to be considered:
- You are fully vaccinated for Covid (Most recent shot received within the last 6 months)
- You live inside the Omaha metro area.
- You have your own, reliable transportation.
- You are available to work from 10 AM – 9 PM with a consistent schedule. Not working 24/7, just available.
- You don’t need time off on a regular basis (not including emergencies or special occasions set in advance).
- You are self motivated and trustworthy. Much of this job involves working independently, without supervision.
- You are active and able to stand unassisted for hours, take a dog out for a run or deal with big dogs getting physical (jumping up, pulling you while on a leash, etc).
- You are looking for a career, not just a paycheck.
If you have natural dog skills, a solid work ethic and meet ALL of these requirements or skills, fill out the form below.
