Puppy Trainer

About Us

The Autism Assistance Dogs Charity is a nationally accredited programme providing Assistance Dogs trained specifically to support autistic people and their families.

We are proud to be led by a multidisciplinary team, including autistic professionals, and are committed to providing inclusive, respectful and autism-informed support.

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced, compassionate and knowledgeable Puppy Trainer to join our team on a part-time basis.

The role is based at our farm in Congleton, Cheshire, with regular travel across North West England to provide training and support to puppies and their families.

You will need to be comfortable travelling to clients' homes within approximately a 90-minute radius of our Congleton base.

You will play an important role in developing the skills, confidence and behaviour of puppies preparing for their future as Assistance Dogs.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver practical puppy training sessions during pre-arranged home visits.
• Teach basic obedience, socialisation and essential skills in line with the Good Citizen Dog Training Awards.
• Support families with positive reinforcement training, appropriate behaviour around other dogs, recall and everyday handling.
• Provide guidance on puppy development, behaviour and training progress.
• Submit weekly written updates and video reports.
• Attend monthly Zoom meetings with the wider training team.
• Work collaboratively with families and colleagues to maintain consistent training standards.

Requirements

Essential

• Minimum 3 years of direct, hands-on dog training experience.
• Strong knowledge and practical experience of positive reinforcement training methods.
• Experience working with puppies and developing foundational obedience and social skills.
• Confident in communicating with and supporting families in home and community settings.
• Ability to work independently, manage appointments and maintain accurate training records.
• Full UK driving licence and access to your own car.
• Willingness to travel regularly throughout North West England, within approximately 90 minutes of Congleton.
• Successful DBS check required.

Desirable

• Experience training assistance skills, or willingness to learn.
• Experience working with neurodiverse individuals and families, or willingness to learn.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary.
• Mileage reimbursement at 45p per mile for eligible work-related travel.
• Full training in our core Assistance Dog training system.
• Autism awareness and safeguarding training.
• Paid annual leave.
• Company pension scheme.
• Professional development opportunities in advanced Assistance Dog task training.
• Potential to increase working hours over time.
• The opportunity to make a meaningful difference to autistic people and their families.

Pay: £27,000.00 per year

Application question(s):

• Are you able to travel regularly within a 90-minute radius of Congleton to deliver puppy training sessions?

Experience:

• hands-on dog training: 3 years (required)

Licence/Certification:

• Full UK driving licence and access to your own car (required)

Work Location: In person