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About the RoleTrain dogs during the day, on a set route that we book and fill for you. You lead one-on-one Training Walks for our clients' dogs while their families are at work, and you set the plan our walking team follows between your sessions. You do the training. We handle the marketing, booking, billing, and client service. What You'll Do<ul><li>Lead 1-hour&nbsp;Training Walks: leash manners, basic obedience, and calm behavior around other dogs, practiced in real places like town greens and main streets.</li><li>Run 1-hour&nbsp;Training Assessments&nbsp;with new clients and write a simple training plan for each dog.</li><li>Send a visit report with photos and notes after every session.</li><li>Record short cue videos and brief our walkers so every team member uses the same cues and timing.</li><li>Tell us when a dog is ready to hand off to a regular walker, or needs more time with you.</li><li>Help lead dog behavior workshops and continuing education for our dog walkers.</li></ul>Schedule3 to 5 weekdays a week, 4 to 5 hours a day, between about 9am and 4pm.&nbsp;We prefer someone available all 5 days, Monday through Friday. No regular evenings or weekends.A typical day:<ul><li>9:00 to 10:00 - Training Walk 1</li><li>10:15 to 11:15 - Training Walk 2</li><li>11:30 to 12:30 - Training Walk 3</li><li>12:45 to 1:45 - Training Walk 4</li><li>1:45 to 2:00 - Wrap up day report and send cue videos for the team</li></ul>Routes are built back to back in one group of towns, with 10 to 15 minutes of driving between stops and 40 to 50 miles a day at most. You need a reliable car. Before you apply, check Google Maps from your home to Madison, Old Saybrook, Old Lyme, and Chester, since your drive to the first stop and home from the last is not reimbursed. Pay and BenefitsYou earn an hourly base on all paid time, including driving between stops, plus a bonus for every Training Walk you lead. On a full route of four Training Walks in five hours, that works out to&nbsp;about $34 to $45 an hour&nbsp;depending on your tier.<ul><li>Hourly base:&nbsp;$22 to $25</li><li>Bonus per Training Walk:&nbsp;$15 to $25</li><li>Mileage between client stops is reimbursed</li><li>W-2 employee, paid every Friday</li><li>Paid drive time between stops</li><li>Insured and covered by workers' compensation</li><li>Support toward continuing education: we pay for your CEUs, approved by the Founder </li></ul>The bonus is paid per session, so your hourly earnings are highest on a full route and lower on a lighter day. Growth PathThere are three trainer tiers, each with a raise. Your starting tier depends on your experience and certification.<ul><li>Standard Trainer:&nbsp;$22 an hour base, $15 per Training Walk, about $34 an hour on a full route. Hands-on training experience or a trainer-school graduate, working toward certification.</li><li>Senior Trainer:&nbsp;$23 an hour base, $20 per Training Walk, about $39 an hour on a full route. Certified, with a track record of sessions and happy clients with us. Writes training plans.</li><li>Advanced Trainer:&nbsp;$25 an hour base, $25 per Training Walk, about $45 an hour on a full route. Certified with 2 or more years. Leads reactivity cases, designs our programs, and coaches the team. </li><li>The role starts part time. Hours can grow as the training route fills.</li></ul>Who We're Looking For<ul><li>A certified dog trainer (CPDT-KA, KPA CTP, or similar), or someone actively completing certification</li><li>Reward-based, positive reinforcement methods only. No harsh corrections</li><li>Experience with leash manners, basic obedience, and dogs who react to other dogs</li><li>Comfortable working alone, using good judgment, and writing clear notes</li><li>Able to teach: you'll be showing our walkers how to carry out your plan and helping lead team workshops</li><li>Lives within a reasonable drive of our service area, from Madison to East Lyme and up to Chester. Please tell us what town you live in</li><li>Available at least 3 weekdays between 9am and 4pm, with all 5 days preferred</li></ul>What we don't take on:&nbsp;we work on obedience and mild to moderate reactivity toward other dogs. We do not take aggression cases, and never aggression toward people. Those are referred to a behavior specialist. Service Area and DrivingWe serve the Shoreline and Lower River Valley, from Madison to East Lyme and up to Chester, including Clinton, Westbrook, Old Saybrook, Essex, Deep River, and Old Lyme. You should be comfortable driving anywhere in that area, mostly on neighborhood roads away from the highway. Your route can be in a different group of towns from one day to the next, depending on where our training clients live. We aim for tight routes, so on any given day your stops are kept close together. About Shoreline Happy PawsWe're a professional, team-based dog walking company trusted by Shoreline and Lower River Valley families since 2010. Our team visits 40 to 50 homes a day. Every team member is Pet First Aid and CPR certified, insured, and accountable through our app with GPS tracking and time-stamped photo reports.

Professional Dog Trainer - Weekday Daytime

What town in CT are you based in or will be driving from for this position?

Yes, I have a driver's license and my own car

I will have family/friends drive me around

I do not yet have a driver's license nor my own car

This job requires you to drive to assignments AND transport pets in your vehicle. Do you have a valid Driver's License AND a reliable, registered, fully insured, personal vehicle available to you 100% of the time?

Yes, I consent to a background and reference check + employment history verification

If selected for the position, do you consent to a pre-employment background check, reference check, and work history verification?

Are you comfortable using your personal smartphone (with data and GPS) for work, including checking map routes, clocking in/out, uploading pictures/videos, reading pet care instructions, and communicating during your workday?

What makes you the ideal candidate to join our team? Please share your personal, professional, or volunteer experience with pets or animals, including the types or breeds you've worked with.

A) Ideally, how would you like your weekly work schedule to look? B) In detail, please describe your time availability if hired. C) What other professional, educational, or personal obligations do we need to keep in mind for your availability and location? This is the availability we will be counting on when extending a job offer. We allow for periodic changes.  Answer A, B & C, please.

If hired, what is your earliest available start date? (An estimate is fine.) Are there any conditions or contingencies that might affect this date?

If your availability doesn’t align with our current job openings but your expertise does, would you like us to keep you in mind for future positions? You’ll be among the first to hear about new opportunities at SHP. We have positions available across all shifts and time commitments.

Professional Dog Trainer - Weekday Daytime

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