Behaviour Officer

Dogs Trust Company Limited; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Dogs Trust is seeking a Behaviour Officer in Merseyside to lead dog behaviour assessments and develop training plans for dogs entering our centres. You will design and implement behaviour modification programmes to maximise adoption success and oversee their implementation by staff.

You will monitor progress, maintain detailed case records, and work with adopters throughout the adoption process to ensure each dog settles well into a new home. This is a permanent full-time role with benefits.

Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of dog behaviour and welfare.
• Experience writing and implementing training and behaviour modification programmes.
• Excellent communication skills with ability to handle delicate situations sensitively and professionally.

Responsibilities

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

Skills

Dog behaviour knowledge

Job description

Behaviour Officer

Application Deadline: 23 September 2026

Department: Rehoming

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Merseyside

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.

Rota is mixed shifts combing of 8.30am / 5pm and 10.30am / 7pm on a rolling basis.

Interviews will be provisionally booked for WC 28th September 2026 at our Merseyside Rehoming Centre.