Assistance Dog Trainer (Puppy & Advanced)

Medical Detection Dogs

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire (On-site)

£23,800 - £27,000 per year

Full-time

Permanent

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Job description

Medical Detection Dogs trains dogs to save lives.

We train specialist dogs to detect the odour of human disease, providing life-saving Medical Alert Assistance Dogs (MAAD) to people with complex health problems across the UK and collaborating with NHS Trusts and other researchers and Universities both in the UK and internationally to advance the early diagnosis of disease.

We have an exciting new opportunity to join this innovative charity that is a world-leader in its specialist field.

JOB TITLE: Assistance Dog Trainer (Puppy & Advanced)

LOCATION: Based out of our Training Centre in Great Horwood, near Milton Keynes with responsibility for puppies placed with socialisers in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Northamptonshire (with possible travel outside these areas from time to time)

SALARY BAND: £23,800 to £27,000

JOB TYPE: Full-time permanent, with occasional evenings and weekends required

REPORTS TO: Assistance Dog Training Manager

The Job

We are looking for someone with the skills, experience and passion to join our team of trainers responsible for organising and monitoring the progress of our puppies and young dogs, when required into advanced training to ensure they receive the highest standard of socialisation and training, thereby maximising their chances of becoming a Medical Detection Dog.

We have an exciting new opportunity to join this small innovative charity that is a world leader in its specialist field.

Responsibilities

Training and Development of Puppies:

Take responsibility for a group of puppies (approximately 10) allocated to socialisers living in your geographical area
Provide training that adheres to ADUK regulations and MDD quality standards in accordance with timescales and targets
To deliver effective training by holding puppy classes, 121’s and home visits with socialisers in your geographical area
Conduct regular training sessions with assistance dogs in training in various environments to ensure they are confident and responsive in real-world settings
To prepare the puppy to be a Medical Alert Assistance Dog, using positive reinforcement techniques to teach desired behaviours and modify unwanted behaviours
Regularly monitor progress of the puppies in your area and provide detailed, evidenced feedback to the senior team within Dog Supply and Training
Support and assist when required with the potential matches for a particular assistance dog partnership.
To successfully prepare the puppy to pass the relevant Assistance Dog assessments
Where necessary, highlight to your line manager, any dogs that are not progressing sufficiently through the training programme

Socialiser Support

Be the first point of contact for the socialisers in your area, which will include guidance, support and instruction to socialisers on effective work and training with their assistance dogs
Provide general health care advice within your core working hours

Socialiser Recruitment

When required, assist in the recruitment of new volunteer socialisers
When required, to assess prospective new volunteer socialisers, including home, workplace, pet dog and children assessments

Advanced Assistant Dog Trainer

When required, take dogs home during the advance training period to ensure continuous development and reinforcement of training routines
To arrange the training plan for each dog in advance training that’s under your supervision, including day to day arrangements for training, collection, pick up and holiday cover
To ensure all dogs receive the appropriate training required, to pass their final assessment
To work closely with the Medical Alert Assistance Dog (MAAD) team and to support the final stages of the dogs matching process, including agreeing any client specific queries before carrying out the client and dog meet onsite
To carry out any client specific training on the advanced dogs
When required, to support the dog and client home stay
To work closely with the Health & Welfare team regarding any dogs under their supervision
Complete the appropriate paperwork for training records, assessments and recruitment of volunteers
Report any concerns, communicate feedback and request guidance where appropriate.
To successfully complete the handover of the Assistance dog to the MAAD Instructor, within the timelines agreed
To carry out appropriate feedback to the Dog Supply team on how dogs are progressing under their supervision
To support with the Temporary Fosterer application process and provide support to the Temporary Fosterer’s who may look after advanced dogs in training
Where necessary, highlight to your line manager, any dogs that are not progressing sufficiently through the advanced training programme

Other

Update the Harlequin CRM database in a timely fashion to ensure accurate and up to date training, veterinary and health records
Support the charity’s fundraising, communications and volunteering teams as required, specifically in relation to your area
Share best practice with colleagues across the charity
Other tasks or ad hoc duties agreed with your line manager required to ensure the successful running of the charity

Knowledge & Experience

Experience in training Assistance Dogs
Minimum of 1-2 years of experience in dog training
Basic theory of practical dog training
Law in relation to dogs
Knowledge of medical conditions relevant to puppies between 8 weeks and 2 years of age
Dog and human psychology
Health and safety implications of dog and socialiser handling
Experience and understanding of ADUK, ADI regulations and MDD's internal quality standards

Skills and Abilities

Ability to demonstrate high quality judgement and a proven track record in relation to the following:

Dog training matters including the analysis of temperaments, appropriate training methods and requirements necessary to maintain public perception in assistance dogs
Solutions to training and behavioural problems
Socialiser training including the ability to assess each person’s preferred learning style and adapt as appropriate your training approach, the specific programmes to be followed
Strong and clear teaching and instructing skills
Ability to plan work, be organised and ensure that time is utilised effectively for yourself, colleagues and socialisers
Ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with a wide range of people internally and externally. This will include clients and their families, fosterers, other professional service providers, members of the public, the media, managers and other colleagues
High level of IT literacy and report writing skills including experience of using Microsoft based programs such as Outlook, Word, Excel, Internet Explorer and Power Point

Personal Attributes

You should be supportive of the charitable aims of Medical Detection Dogs and capable of working as part of a team, as well as able to motivate yourself.
You should be adaptable and positively embrace change by not only being flexible towards the ideas of others but also putting forward ideas to colleagues. This will involve creativity in problem solving and making appropriate responses to new ideas and unexpected situations.

Values & Behaviours

There are a few key values that we believe are important in the workplace:

· Respect

· Cooperation

· Honesty

· Fairness

Based on the values listed above, we encourage the behaviours below in the charity:

· Respectful communication

· Cooperating with others

· Honesty in all interactions

· Fairness in decision making

Benefits