CPDT-Certified Dog Behavior Outreach Trainer

Animal Care Centers of NYC; New York (NY); On-site; Full time

Job description

The working schedule for this position is Tuesday - Saturday, 9AM -5:30PM with Sunday and Monday off.

Who We Are

ACC is one of the nation’s largest open-admission animal shelters, whose mission is to End Animal Homelessness in NYC. We touch the lives of nearly 20,000 animals each year. ACC is more than an animal shelter; we are a resource to the community, always seeking ways to keep the human-animal bond intact. With a 90% placement rate, our progressive, life‑saving initiatives contribute to the successful placement of our animals.

We strive to find loving homes for homeless and abandoned cats, dogs, guinea pigs and rabbits, both by adopting animals directly to the public and by partnering with more than 200 dedicated animal placement organizations (our New Hope partners). We also help keep NYC communities safe and rescue animals in need, responding to emergencies that involve animals as well as keeping our doors open 24/7 for people and animals in need.

Summary

The Behavior Outreach Trainer is a member of the Canine Behavior Team who focuses on creating training plans and running daily behavior modification sessions for dogs in Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC)’s care. You will also be designing and providing low‑stress handling training to staff and volunteers, and conducting training sessions for our staff, volunteers, fosters, and adopters to learn how to gently modify challenging behaviors. ACC uses only force‑free, reward‑based training methods.

ACC’s Behavior Program provides environmental enrichment and socialization for all cats and dogs in our care as well as thorough behavior assessments in order to make successful adoption matches. We strive to provide the highest possible quality of life for our pets during their stay. To that end, we are adding a training and behavior modification element to the Behavior Department, and we are looking for experienced canine trainers to help create, launch, and oversee this program.

Our ideal candidate is an experienced behavior modification trainer, CPDT‑certified, and excited to take on the unique challenges and rewards of working with shelter dogs. You also enjoy sharing your skill and knowledge with others in order to improve quality of care in the shelter, decrease stress, and help keep dogs in their homes. You are self‑motivated and able to work independently. You are passionate about animal welfare and improving the quality of life for sheltered animals, and you are excited to be part of a progressive shelter enrichment program.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or comparable work experience required.
• CPDT-KA (or certification in progress) required.
• 6 months experience with and/or knowledge of creating training plans to address a range of behavior challenges required.