Dog Wellbeing Technician

Guide Dogs; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 21,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days annual leave

Real Living Wage Employer

Flex pot

Job summary

Guide Dogs is seeking a proactive Dog Wellbeing Technician to ensure high standards of dog health, wellbeing and care. The role focuses on supporting canine welfare, handling techniques, and coaching volunteers in best practice within a kennel-style environment at our Reading office.

The successful candidate will have animal care qualifications and experience, be able to work 35 hours per week, and participate in a shift pattern across standard daytime hours.

Qualifications

• Qualification or experience in animal care required.
• Ability to handle a range of dog breeds, ages and temperaments.

Responsibilities

• Manage the care of dogs in a dedicated accommodation area.
• Provide specialist health care and support wellbeing initiatives.
• Identify health concerns and escalate appropriately.
• Support volunteers with dog wellbeing and care tasks.
• Maintain accurate records of canine health and welfare.

Skills

Animal care

Health & welfare

Behaviour support

Education

Animal care qualification

Job description

About The Role

Pawsome Careers - Make Every Day Meaningful

Come and join us as a proactive and purpose‑led Dog Wellbeing Technician and be part of something life‑changing - helping people with sight loss live the life they choose.

As a Dog Wellbeing Technician at Guide Dogs, you’ll play a vital role inensuring the highest standards of dog health, wellbeing and specialist care. TheDog Wellbeing Technician will be an expert in canine wellbeing and husbandry, with strong knowledge of dog health, behaviour, welfare standards and positivehandling techniques. You’ll use your expertise to make informed decisions,identify and accelerate health concerns, and coach colleagues and volunteers in best practice dog care. Our Dog Wellbeing Technicians play a huge part in ensuring everything we do enables us to deliver on our purpose and exceed expectations.

This role is based on-site at our Reading office. You will work 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday, on a shift basis. Shift hours are 7:30am to 3:30pm, 9am to 5pm, and 10am to 6pm.

Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for managing the care of a group of dogs in adog accommodation area, ensuring their routine husbandry needs are met.
• Work in line with national dog wellbeing practices andprocedures, including the provision of specialist health care.
• Monitor and maximise the wellbeing of dogs. Identify healthconcerns, make appropriate decisions and escalates in a timely manner.
• Support the development and maintenance of the dog'sbehaviour using current guide dogs handling techniques.
• Lead and support volunteers in dog wellbeing and fosteringto complete their role and tasks to the best of their ability. Providetechnical input to support their preparation, performance and development.
• Maintain accurate and up to date records. Interpret healthdata and identify concerns/trends within the local dog population.
• Transport dogs across the region for health-relatedappointments with internal and external bodies.

You

You’ll have a person‑centred, expert and optimistic approach to your work, grounded in a strong understanding of animal wellbeing and dog care principles. You’ll enjoy working in a kennel and dog accommodation environment, supporting colleagues and volunteers, with a dedicated focus on dog health, wellbeing, behaviour and positive handling techniques, whilst being committed to delivering the highest standards of care. You’ll act with integrity and honesty in everything you do.

Skills and Competencies

• A qualification in animal care, experience or equivalentrelevant work‑based experience.
• Able to undertake physical demands of the role, walkingdistances unaided and be able to handle and walk with a range of dog breeds, ages,sizes and temperaments.
• Able to meet the travel requirements of the role whichinvolves transporting dogs on a regular basis. In the absence of a full validUK Driving Licence, you will be expected to demonstrate how you will fulfilthis aspect of the role via alternative means.
• Experience of working in a kennel type environment - paidemployment or voluntary.
• Experience of supporting a customer serving basedorganisation.
• Proven understanding of the core principles of animal wellbeing.
• Demonstrable basic understanding of health and safety and safeguarding.
• Proven understanding of dog care principles and healthconditions.

Interviews

Candidates who are successfully shortlisted will be invited to attend an interview at our Reading office on 3 November 2026.

Benefits

Wewouldn’t be able to change the lives of people with sight loss without ourpeople. That’s why it’s important for us to provide a variety of benefits that reward our colleagues in a way that suits them and recognises the hard work and contribution that they make.

• 26 days annual leave. After three years of continuous employment, this increases to 28 days plus bank holidays.
• Real Living Wage Employer
• Flex pot - equal to a proportion of your annual salary to use