Basic Dog Trainer or Canine Good Citizen Trainer

Training shelter dogs basic skills can be a very quick and rewarding process. Dogs that are worked with regularly will catch on quickly, and have mental stimulation in addition to physical exercise to help alleviate boredom, loneliness, and kennel stress symptoms.

Basic Dog Training Volunteers should be able to:
• Work with all dog breeds in basic training skills: “Come”, “Sit”, “Stay”, “Shake” and leash walking skills.
• Assist dogs in housetraining skills.
• Document in Chameleon how the animal is progressing.
• Work through incentive-based methods including Clicker training, and rewarding with treats for completing the task.
• Follow shelter policies including disease control protocols, animal safety procedures, and referring customer questions.
• Learn procedures of safely introducing dogs to other dogs, and prevention of dog fights.

Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Trainer Volunteers will be needed once we begin regularly scheduled classes. In addition to taking the dog through the training steps during the class, we also encourage that volunteers to be able to:

• foster the particular dog for a few weeks to assist in training outside of the shelter.
• be familiar with dog breeds, specifically “bully breeds”, and help these dogs especially become Canine Good Citizen.
• make it to scheduled classes.

Training Steps for Position:

Basic training volunteers are encouraged to meet with Volunteer Coordinator or Animal Services staff member to learn the basics about incentive based training and clicker training. CGC Trainers will need to meet with Volunteer Coordinator/Customer Service Manager to ensure position is a good fit.

Dogs that have even basic training skills have better chances of being adopted, and much higher chances of staying in their adoptive home. The better an animal is able to behave, the more likely they are to achieve a forever home! Training saves lives!

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Contact - Lidya, Education/Volunteer Specialist