Behaviour Officer

Dogs Trust; Basildon; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Dogs Trust Basildon is seeking a dedicated Behaviour Officer to assess and design behavioural rehabilitation for dogs joining our centres. You will lead assessments and design training plans to improve each dog's chances of rehoming, while supporting adopters during the process and beyond.

You will monitor progress, maintain records, and supervise colleagues delivering behaviour plans. A thorough knowledge of dog behaviour, clear communication, and sensitivity are essential to help Dogs Trust

Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of dog behaviour and welfare.
• Experience writing and implementing training and behaviour modification programmes.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to handle delicate situations sensitively.
• Experience handling dogs with challenging behaviour.
• Passionate and committed to Dogs Trust.

Responsibilities

• Assess the behaviour of dogs before entry and during stay to identify needs.
• Design and implement Behaviour Modification Programmes and training plans to aid rehoming.
• Oversee and support the implementation of plans by colleagues.
• Monitor progress and maintain detailed records of each dog.

Skills

Dog behaviour knowledge

Behaviour modification

Communication

Record keeping

Job description

Behaviour Officer

Application Deadline: 24 November 2026

Department: Rehoming

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Basildon

Compensation: £27,500 per year, plus benefits

Description

Want to help get tails wagging again? We are looking for someone who can assess, design and implement behavioural rehabilitation for our dogs joining us in our centres.

As Behaviour Officer, you'll take the lead, figuratively and literally, when it comes to the assessments of our dogs and their training programmes. You'll play a key role in supporting adopters, during the adoption process and after rehoming, to ensure that every dog has the best possible chance of successfully settling into their new life.

What does this role do?

As a Behaviour Officer you’ll:

• assess the behaviour of dogs, before they enter the centre and during their stay, to identify potential behaviour needs,
• design and implement Behaviour Modification Programmes and training plans to enhance each dog’s chances of rehoming,
• oversee and support the implementation of training and behaviour plans by colleagues,
• monitor the progress of individual training and rehabilitation programmes and maintain detailed records of the progress of each dog.

Could this be you?

To be successful in this role, you'll need a thorough knowledge of dog behaviour and welfare, with experience of writing and implementing training and behaviour modification programmes. You'll have excellent communication skills with the ability to handle delicate situations sensitively and professionally and experience of handling dogs with challenging behaviour. But above all, you'll be passionate and committed to the work of Dogs Trust.

What does this team do?

Our rehoming centres house thousands of dogs each year until they are able to find a loving new home, and the success of our centres wouldn't be possible without our dedicated team of staff and volunteers; there is a real family-community within each of our centres. Come rain or shine, our team are out in all weathers to make sure the dogs have the best possible life. Dealing with thousands of visitors each month, our rehoming centres are the face of Dogs Trust and we pride ourselves on our staff providing the very best in customer service.

Interviews will be provisionally booked for 1st December 2026 at our Basildon Rehoming Centre.