Dog Handler

This position requires to work weekends. Animal Experience is preferred.

ABOUT BEST FRIENDS FUREVER, INC.
Best Friends Fur Ever provides full-service dog care to our clients. We provide daycare, overnight care, training, and home care as a part of our services to our canine best friends. As a part of your career development with Best Friends Fur Ever, you will learn much about dog behavior, dog body language and pack behavior, safe handling protocol. We offer a very friendly, welcoming, work environment and a strong camaraderie amongst the staff and awesome career opportunities for our employees. We employ dependable, friendly, and loyal individuals with a positive attitude, excellent work ethic, willingness to roll up the sleeves and get dirty (really dirty!), experienced in dog handling, and a genuine love of dogs.
Job Summary: Handler
The Handler is responsible for the supervision, control and management of daycare dogs and ensuring the safety of the playgroup. The handler may also be assigned care of other animals lodging at the facility. Additionally, handlers are responsible for the maintenance and cleaning of the playrooms as well as other areas of the facility as assigned, the feeding as scheduled of dogs in our care, and the assistance in on the job training of new staff members. Handlers works under the supervision of the Shift Leader.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
• Must be able to be on your feet and moving on uneven terrain while monitoring and interacting positively with dogs of
varying sizes and energy levels for up to 3 hours without a break
• Must be able and willing to intervene utilizing proper techniques, if necessary (average maximum dog weight = 150
pounds)
• Must be comfortable, reliable, and confident in groups of 20-50 dogs per interactive play group (staffing ratio is approx.
1:15)
• Must be able to work for 3 hours straight without a break or sitting down.
• Must be willing to be “hands on” with the dogs.
• Must be able to bend down to let out dogs in bottom crates
• Must be able to maintain calm demeanor when occasional scuffles and other obnoxious behavior occurs.
• Must be able to physically maintain footing when dogs jump on you and knock into you.
• Must be able to interact professionally with our human clients
• Must be reliable and punctual
• Assist new hires to ensure understanding of BFFE rules, regulations, and job duties required of them
• Assist in new hire training within initial 30 days of employment
• Assist in carrying out events, open houses and shows.
• Complete other duties ass assigned
• Feeding
o Ensure proper feeding of each dog, according to dietary requirements.
o Ensure clean bowls and clean water are provided at all times.
o Must be able to physically bend and reach repetitively to ensure each dog receives appropriate meal.
o Must be able to lift bags of dog food (up to 50 pounds) and to re-supply food areas.
• Bathing
o Bathe dogs as required.
o Must be able to lift up to 60 pounds into the tub
o Must be able to maneuver to reach all areas of the dog (including feet) to bathe, rinse and dry.
• Clean up Patrol (aka Poop Patrol)
o Must be able and willing to remove feces (poop) using proper waste management protocol, disinfect and clean up
o Must be able hose/rinse/scrub large areas of ground
o Must be able to assist in moving crates (approximately 60 pounds) as needed
• Client interaction
o Must have good communication skills with our human clients
o Must have a friendly demeanor and always act professional while on premises
• Administrative Duties
o Maintain required documentation and records for 100-200 different dogs daily (time out and health reports, feeding
reports, one on one, new kid, and boarding report cards and bathing/grooming logs)
Availability
o Work on weekend day or both is preferred, Holidays; early morning and late evening shifts a possibility
o Must be flexible regarding shifts available
o Part time
Work Environment
• While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly exposed to outside weather conditions for approximately
6 hours per day year-round. The employee is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions. The employee is
occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles; extreme cold; extreme heat and vibration. The noise level in the work
environment is usually very loud.
Physical Requirements:
Must be able to walk and be outside the majority of the day.
• Able to lift 50-60 pounds repetitively on a daily basis
• Work with cleaning chemicals safely
• Must be able to move easily and quickly on a steeply graded hill over tiers of varying heights = max tier height = 3 feet
• Must be able to use hands and lifting techniques to lift dogs from crates of varying levels.
• Must be able to use hands to write and notate client records
• Must be able to verbally communicate with dogs and humans
• Must be able to use a shovel, broom, and other tools to complete job requirements
• Must be able to work various shifts which vary from week to week.
Minimum Requirements:
• High School Degree or G.E.D.
• Genuine care and concern for caring for dogs of all sizes and needs.
• 6 months experience working with animals in professional capacity preferred.

FLSA STATUS: This position is classified as non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Salary : $15