Mentorship / Classroom Assistant

If you have a passion for learning about positive reinforcement-based dog training, and want to gain practical experience, including hours for your professional certifications such as the CPDT-KA, and benefit from mentoring and coaching, this is for you.

We welcome classroom assistants to help us during:  

• Puppy Start Right (All Locations)
• Foundation Skills (All Locations)
• Reactive Dog Group Classes (South Etobicoke Only)

Position Requirements

• Commit to once-weekly assistant shifts at one of our brick and mortar facilities in Toronto, either evenings or weekends for about 3.5 hours
• Arrive punctually (approximately 10 minutes before class start) to assist with the setup of the classroom
• Greet students, confirm registration, ask Covid-19 screening questions and direct students to their class
• Help students clean up accidents
• Direct all and any training-related questions asked of students to the instructor on staff
• Help with end of class closing (tidy up, vacuum, replace items neatly)
• The ability to lift 50 lbs, or generally be strong, dexterous, and coordinated enough to restrain or time-out a large puppy during Puppy Socialization class playtime, or catch and hold a runaway Great Dane going to visit another dog in Foundation Skills class.

Ideal Candidates:

• Are obsessed with dog training! You already read books, watch videos, read blogs, listen to podcasts, subscribe to YouTube channels, and are passionate about learning.
• Have 2-3 years work experience, demonstrating you are professional, reliable, and committed
• Have work experience where you are customer-facing, and are comfortable with speaking with people
• Have experience in clicker training dogs, either from being a past When Hounds Fly student, or from other avenues
• Think that getting into dog training as a professional career would be amazing! 

Position Scorecard

• A perfect or very high Scheduled vs. Attended Ratio of volunteer shifts
• A perfect or very high ratio of punctual attendance (arriving 10 minutes before the start of the first class)
• A high ratio of self-started activity within boundaries of the role, vs. activity that has to be prompted
• Percentage completion of our reading/viewing list of dog training resources
• Amount of application of skills learned with your own dog/a dog you have access to

Compliance with the Employment Standards Act

Our past and present volunteers would tell you they derived a ton of value and learning from spending time in our classroom. Our Classroom Assistant role also meets the conditions required to be in compliance with the ESA:

1. The individuals do not consider their volunteering with the company to be in pursuit of their livelihoods and have no expectation of payment for the services provided. (Volunteers are not promised future employment because of their volunteering)
2. The company receives minimal, if any, benefit from the individuals (our classes do not depend on volunteers to run, nor do volunteers stand in for roles that would call for paid help)
3. The individuals are not performing the work of paid employees of the company (Volunteers do not and are not permitted to actually teach)
4. The individuals choose the type and nature of volunteering services rather than vice versa (Volunteers specify what locations/days/times might work for them)
5. The company provides little direction/control over the individuals, and allows them flexibility with respect to volunteering hours (most volunteers do 3 hours a week, and the list of things volunteers are asked to do is very small)
6. The economic imbalance between the Company and the individuals is not a factor in structuring the volunteer arrangement (There is no promise of future employment or financial benefit from volunteering)

How to Apply:

 Please send in a cover letter, and resume, and if applicable, training video reel to careers@whenhoundsfly.com

 and also complete our online Topgrading Career History Form (Web Form)