Specialized Dog Sitter/Walker

Specialized Dog Sitter / Walker

Challenging Dogs Pet Care, LLC is hiring part-time to full-time Specialized Dog Sitters/Walkers in the Richmond, VA area. In this position you would provide overnight sitting, daycare or walking at clients’ houses. You must be available year-round.

Please read the complete job description then visit our website to complete an application and upload your resume. https://challengingdogs.com/job-opportunities/

What are challenging dogs? The dogs we work with have difficulty with other dogs and/or with new people. We use a carefully planned process to help dogs get to know us in a slow, non-threatening way. This process works to avoid the reactions that challenging dogs may have to other dogs and new people. Challenging Dogs Pet Care does not accept dogs who have serious aggression issues.

How this differs from typical dog sitting: Working with reactive, fearful dogs is different than typical dog sitting. You will learn how to constantly focus on reducing the stress and anxiety that many of our clients’ dogs have. We hire individuals who are genuinely interested in learning about dog behavior and addressing behavior challenges with management and positive reinforcement only.

Requirements:

• To be full-time, you must have availability in your schedule for seven days a week, including flexibility for daytime, evenings and weekends. You must be comfortable with significant variability in time off because your schedule may vary greatly from week to week. You must be available to work year-round.
• To be part-time, you must have flexibility for daytime, evenings and weekends. You must be available to work year-round.
• You must have at least a high school degree and have a reliable car to drive to/from clients' houses.
• Good time management is critical for this position. Your schedule will vary day by day, and traveling to clients’ homes requires frequent planning ahead to arrive on time and to juggle multiple appointments.
• Attention to detail is also critical. You will care for a variety of dogs and paying close attention to their needs, habits and preferences is extremely important.

Specific responsibilities for sitting and daycare:

• Participate in multiple visits with a new owner and dog to help the dog become familiar with you.
• Arrive at the client’s home for the scheduled arrival time.
• Provide meals and medications (food provided by owner).
• Provide at least four potty breaks during the day.
• Provide an adequate amount of physical exercise and mental stimulation for the dog.
• Communicate regularly with the dog's owner to provide updates and pictures.
• Provide updates to senior Challenging Dogs staff about the stay.
• Use desensitization and counterconditioning for calm behavior on walks.

Specific Responsibilities for Walking:

• Participate in multiple visits with a new owner and dog to collect information and help the dog become familiar with you.
• Travel to the client's home and take the dog for 30-minute walks, using counterconditioning and desensitization techniques as necessary.
• Communicate regularly with the dog's owner to provide updates and pictures.
• Provide updates to senior staff about the walk.

Other Information: We provide extensive on-the-job training as well as separate training sessions to equip you with the knowledge you need to work with a large variety of challenging behaviors. Our senior staff also ensure someone is always available for coaching or troubleshooting while dogs are in your care.

Information on Pay and Benefits: This position pays $15/hour and reimburses for mileage. This position typically starts as variable part-time but may become full-time depending on your availability and the number of bookings available. Both part-time and full-time staff can accrue paid time off and sick leave.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: From $15.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Paid time off

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Night shift
• Overnight shift
• Weekends as needed

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Required)

Work Location: On the road