Professional Dog Trainer – Behavior & Enrichment Specialist

Location: Seattle, WA (North Seattle / Shoreline / Mill Creek area) Job Type: Part-Time, W-2 Employee Pay: $35-$50 per hour Schedule: Flexible

About Us

The Pet Care Club of Seattle is redefining pet care by integrating behavior, enrichment, and training into everyday life. We're not a traditional dog walking company, and we're not a traditional training company — our model is built on the belief that real behavior change happens in real environments through consistent, thoughtful interactions, not isolated training sessions.

We're building a team of professional dog trainers who see dogs through a behavioral, emotional, and welfare-based lens — not just compliance.

About the Role

We're hiring a Professional Dog Trainer to help lead and expand our dog training and enrichment programs in Seattle. Our service area spans from Capitol Hill to Mill Creek, and we're specifically hiring for the northern end of our territory (North Seattle, Shoreline, Mill Creek).

This dog training position focuses on:

• Private, in-home dog training sessions
• Dog behavior support and behavior modification
• Integrating training into real-life care environments
• Mentoring and guiding our internal team on training consistency

You'll play a key role in shaping how dog training is delivered across the entire company, with growth potential.

Our Training Philosophy

We are a force-free, fear-free, science-based dog training company. That means:

• Positive reinforcement as our primary dog training method
• Prioritizing emotional safety, agency, and trust
• Using desensitization and counterconditioning for behavior modification
• Reducing stress, not suppressing behavior

This dog training company does not use or allow:

• Prong, choke, or shock collars
• Startle, intimidation, or correction-based training methods
• Dominance theory or "alpha" training frameworks

This approach aligns with modern behavioral science and humane dog training standards, which emphasize reinforcing desired behaviors over fear- or pain-based techniques. If you consider yourself a "balanced trainer," this will not be the right fit.

Responsibilities

• Conduct private, in-home and real-world dog training sessions
• Address dog behavior challenges including:
  • Reactivity
  • Fear and anxiety
  • Overstimulation
  • Leash skills and engagement
• Create customized, humane behavior modification plans for each dog
• Coach dog owners and clients with clarity and empathy
• Support internal staff on dog training guidance and consistency

Qualifications

Required:

• Strong foundation in learning theory and canine behavior science
• Deep understanding of canine body language
• Working knowledge of behavioral thresholds, triggers, and nervous system regulation
• Belief that dog training should improve a dog's emotional state, not just its behavior
• Strong communication skills with both dogs and human clients

Preferred:

• CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP, IAABC, or Fear Free Certification
• Hands-on experience with dog behavior cases (beyond basic obedience)
• Experience working directly with clients in private dog training settings

Benefits

• W-2 employment (not contractor)
• Competitive hourly pay aligned with Seattle living wage standards
• Paid training and continuing education opportunities

Apply today to join a Seattle dog training team raising the standard of humane pet care.