Are you an Amazing Dog Trainer who wants to make great money doing what you love?
Valor K9 Academy is looking to hire a professional dog trainer for our Chattanooga, Tennessee, location!
About Us
Founded in April 2014, Valor K9 Academy is a balanced dog training company with three locations, 14 team members and thousands of clients. We are located in Chattanooga TN, Spokane WA and Boise ID. Additionally, our company has a thriving online training platform for clients around the world.
Our business is home-based, thus all the training takes place at home or in public. We specialize in puppy training, obedience, service dog training and behavioral rehabilitation training. Our services include private lessons, boarding (called stay & play) and board & train services.
Our Chattanooga location is looking for a full-time dog trainer with experience in puppy training, on and off leash obedience and behavior rehabilitation. Candidate must have extensive experience. We’re looking for a trainer who’s comfortable teaching in-home and public private one-on-one lessons and is able to offer dog boarding and board and trains out of his/her home. The ability to teach group classes is a bonus.
The VK9-Chattanooga team consists of two trainers, one full-time and one part-time. We are in high demand with a steady wait list.
Our Training Philosophy
Valor K9 believes in the importance of a strong training foundation. We focus on communication, motivation and the relationship between owner and dog.
First, we always start by laying a strong training foundation with our four-legged students. This involves providing leadership and structure, confidence building, socialization & exposure as needed. It also includes meeting the dog’s basic needs for physical exercise, mental stimulation and training. During this initial phase of training, we introduce basic commands using rewards (food, praise) so that dogs are motivated to learn and eager to train.
Once the foundation is laid, we add a training collar, such as a Herm Sprenger prong collar or Starmark pro-training collar, if needed, to proof training around distractions. This ensures training is reliable without the use of a food reward. And finally, we layer in the E-Collar Technologies remote e-collar and the use of a long line to begin off leash training.
Our goal in training is to have a happily obedient and well-behaved dog. We want a dog who understands what’s expected of him and has consistently good behavior both at home and in public. Good training is fair to the dog and provides clear communication. It never involves the use of force, threats or intimidation.
Throughout the training process, the owner is a major player. We believe that dog training is 50 percent training the dog and 50 percent teaching the owner. We enjoy our clients, both two- and four-legged. And we’re honored to have a long list of dedicated clients who put in the effort needed to set their dogs up for success. We are truly fortunate to have such great clients!
About Chattanooga
Chattanooga is located in southeastern Tennessee, along the Tennessee River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. It has a population of 179,690 people as of 2019. Surrounding it are Lookout Mountain, Signal Mountain, Ruby Falls and Rock City with its sweeping views, sandstone formations and gardens. Nearby cities include Red Bank, Soddy Daisy, Cleveland and Collegedale, TN.
There are a number of dog sport clubs and facilities within close proximity to Chattanooga.
This beautiful city is among the top 100 best places to live in America. It is a dog-friendly city with a population that welcomes balanced training methods.
Our first location for Valor K9 Academy, we have a long list of established clientele in the greater Chattanooga area. There are also lots of pet-friendly stores and great high-end pet food stores like Nooga Paws. We’re partnered with Nooga Paws for years and appreciate their continued referrals.
‘Nooga has its own airport for convenient travel to neighboring cities. Chattanooga is close to Atlanta, Birmingham, Nashville, Knoxville and Charlotte. Click here to read more about living in Chattanooga.
Compensation
Compensation is based on experience and credentials. An experienced trainer will be compensated generously for their knowledge and experience. You can expect to make around $50,000-90,000.00 per year. All trainers are independent contractors and receive a 1099 at the end of the year.
Trainers set their own hours, take unlimited vacation time and only sign the clients they want to work with! We provide guidelines along which you will train to maintain our standards. You determine when you work, where and how often you work.
The Right Candidate
We are looking for a passionate, highly motivated and talented individual. We want someone who is honest, hard working and believes in our company values. We are looking for a trainer who enjoys teaching both ends of the leash, dogs and their owners.
The ideal candidate has a vast training background to include puppy training, obedience training and behavioral rehabilitation training in dealing with reactive, fearful and aggressive dogs. This individual has a training philosophy and methods that align with ours.
Trainer must be certified by a credible organization. We are seeking someone who has trained under Michael Ellis, preferably, since his methods closely resemble ours.
Upgrade Training
Transition training will be provided to the right person. This will be an approximately two-week program at our headquarters location. The trainer will study under Valor K9 Academy owner and head trainer, Amy Pishner, to learn The VK9 Method of training. This ensures consistency in the type and quality of training we provide our clients. All trainers receive mentoring and continued skill development throughout their career with Valor K9 Academy.
How to Apply
To apply, please send your résumé and a cover letter to Amy Pishner at info@valork9academy.com. Tell us about yourself, your background, your training experience and your training philosophy.
We are looking for a trainer that is able to start sometime between April and September 2020.
Thank you!
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