What are the responsibilities and job description for the Dog Handler position at Downtown Dog Lounge?
Description
Position Overview & Purpose
The Dog Handler is responsible for providing direct care for our dogs, as well as their health and safety while on-site, resulting in exceptional customer service and high-quality pet care.
A Week in the Life of a Dog Handler
The following is a list of general job responsibilities for the Dog Handler position. Please note that this list is not all-inclusive and may be amended to meet changing business needs.
Daily Operations
Requirements
Experience and Education:
Position Overview & Purpose
The Dog Handler is responsible for providing direct care for our dogs, as well as their health and safety while on-site, resulting in exceptional customer service and high-quality pet care.
A Week in the Life of a Dog Handler
The following is a list of general job responsibilities for the Dog Handler position. Please note that this list is not all-inclusive and may be amended to meet changing business needs.
Daily Operations
- Live out and be a positive advocate for Downtown Dog Lounge’s safety culture
- Understand and uphold the Purpose and Core Values of the business in actions and words
- Actively oversee a designated dog park/group of dogs in person to ensure positive and safe dog interactions and mitigate escalating behaviors
- Develop thorough knowledge and understanding of dog breeds and dog behavior
- Follow all safety guidelines and protocols
- Attend daily recap meetings, as well as read and understand recap daily
- Provide exceptional customer service, including transparent communication
- Develop strong relationships with customers (dogs and people)
- Learn basic customer service, Concierge, and front-facing role duties (answering the phone, replying to emails, posting in Slack, etc.)
- Perform additional services such as dog walks, dog jogs, and one-on-one play with a ball
- Become a proficient POS software/app user
- Assist with dog rotations and mealtimes
- Assist with running dogs at check-in and check-out
- Clean up after dogs
- Cleanliness of the location
- Perform additional cleaning and disinfection duties including, but not limited to, taking out the garbage, mopping, cleaning crates and surfaces, laundry, etc.
- Uphold DDL Purpose and Values, communicating clearly, openly, honestly, and kindly
- Communicate and participate as part of the team
- Attend periodic required trainings and All Team Meetings
- Mentor new team members as assigned
- Perform other daily tasks as assigned by the Pack Leader and/or Supervisors
- Cross-train for other positions within the company over time (concierge, pack leader, trainer, bather, etc.)
Requirements
Experience and Education:
- Minimum of High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent
- Must be 18 years of age to work independently in the dog parks
- Comfortable working within close proximity to approximately 30 dogs in an enclosed park
- Desire to develop a thorough understanding of dog behavior
- Quick reaction time to unpredictable situations
- Comfortable working in a loud environment
- Strong interpersonal and customer service skills
- Comfortable standing for 8 hours at a time
- Able to lift 45 pounds
- Must be flexible and will be expected to be available to work most weekends AND during holidays. This is non-negotiable!