Employment Opportunities

Puppy Class Instructor

Part-Time – Turramurra Veterinary Hospital, Sydney, NSW

 

The Role

We are looking for a new Puppy Class Instructor to join our team!

Are you a qualified dog trainer with a vibrant and engaging personality who would like to run our popular puppy classes at the only ASAV accredited Hospital of Excellence in Sydney’s North Shore?

Turramurra Veterinary Hospital is an independent family-owned practice with a supportive team who respect each other and collaborate to ensure that we provide the best care possible for our patients and their owners on a daily basis.

Our team consists of a team of around 30 animal-lovers, including 8 experienced veterinarians. We aim for the gold-standard of care for our patients with a strong focus on creating a positive client and patient experience that is low stress.

We are seeking a highly motivated qualified Puppy Class Instructor to replace our current Saturday trainer, Katie Bedrossian, who has (after being with the practice for over 15 years), decided to cease weekend work due to family commitments.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a trainee, newly qualified or experienced trainer to teach puppies and ‘puppy parents’ in a well-established Puppy Preschool and K9 Kindy, without the hassle of running your own business.

Classes are held on-site downstairs in a dedicated ‘puppy training room’ at Turramurra Veterinary Hospital, located in Sydney’s Upper North Shore.

 

About Your Role

We are looking for a dog trainer with a keen interest in running group classes for dogs ranging from 8 to 16 weeks in our Puppy Preschool and 4 to 6 months in our K9 Kindy class.

For the right candidate and dependent on demand, there is scope to perform one-on-one behaviour consultations with dogs of all ages that are either seeking further guidance on managing problem behaviours or have been referred from our veterinary team after a veterinary behaviour consultation for environmental modification.

Our puppy classes include a private orientation consultation, group classes (up to 6 participants per class) for 4 weeks and a private follow up consultation.

There are training videos available to assist in class structure and content delivery, as well as one-on-one training with our current Delta Institute qualified trainer, Katie Bedrossian. There will be plenty of time for a thorough handover for the role as Katie is available to continue to run our Saturday classes until 30^th August, 2025 (if required). Some of the initial training will be held on Fridays (between 9.30am-2.30pm), to tie in with Katie’s availability, but timing is flexible (minimum 3 hours).

Regular behaviour meetings with a member of the Customer Care Team and one of our behaviour-focussed vets to discuss ideas, provide two-way feedback and improvement in the client experience and our behaviour services.

 

Rostered Hours

As our weekend classes are most popular with our clients, we need a trainer who can commit to working Saturdays (hours TBC). We could accommodate a trainer who would prefer to work for 4 consecutive Saturdays, followed by a weekend off (no puppy classes for 1 in 5 Saturdays). Another option would be alternating with another trainer so the commitment would be fortnightly Saturdays. Please let us know your preference in your application.

Additionally, in peak periods where there is an increased demand for puppy school and/or behaviour consultations, we may have an additional class on one week day afternoon/evening.

Working hours would be a minimum of 6 hours per week, subject to negotiation, scaling up when required to meet practice demand.

 

Duties will include but are not limited to:

• Independently running 2-4 group classes a week
• Conducting private orientation and follow up consultations as part of the group classes
• Performing 15-minute complimentary phone calls for new puppy owners after their first veterinary consultation to address puppy training questions and introduce your services to our clients
• Keeping the training room clean, organised and stocked
• Processing payments for puppy supplies purchased (food/training aids)
• Providing content for social media posts on a fortnightly basis
• Contributing to our regular practice e-news

  

Essentials:

• Karen Pryor Academy’s Start Right Puppy Instructor Course (or equivalent qualification completed)
• Membership to either APDT Australia or PPGA (or both)
• Commitment to positive reinforcement methods of training
• Commitment to professional development with a passion for keeping up to date with the latest training and behaviour research and application
• Ability to work at least alternate Saturdays (note: preference will be given to applicants with more Saturday availability)
• Ability to follow directions carefully and have a willingness to learn with a positive attitude
• Dedicated, enthusiastic, highly motivated and self-directed initiative
• The ability to bring a positive attitude to the workplace
• The ability to bring a positive attitude to the workplace
• Physically fit for standing for an hour during class times, and lifting/carrying equipment to set up/pack up the room
• Excellent communication skills with both colleagues and clients
• Confident and capable handling skills when working with dogs of different sizes, breeds and temperaments
• Australian or New Zealand resident or citizen living in Sydney and able to work in Australia

 

Desirables:

• Delta Institute or Karen Pryor Academy Graduate or current student of Delta Institute Cert IV in Dog Training and Behaviour – completed at least up to Module 4
• A connection or familiarity with the local Ku-Ring-Gai area

 

What We Offer:

• Collaborative, diverse and supportive team environment
• Regular team lunches and social events
• Regular performance evaluation and professional development reviews

 

Remuneration:

Permanent part-time salary package is negotiable and will depend on qualifications, experience and availability, as well as including superannuation of 12% (from July 1, 2025). Annual leave entitlements are pro-rata as per permanent part-time Award requirements.

 

Application:

If this sounds like the ideal role for you, then we look forward to hearing from you!

For your application to be considered, it is important that you follow these steps:

Step 1) VIDEO INTRODUCTION:

Send through a 30-60 second video introducing yourself and why you would like to join our team at Turramurra Veterinary Hospital as our new Puppy Trainer.

Send video via WhatsApp to 0488 180 081.

Step 2) EMAIL:

Email through your CV with at least two references and a cover letter outlining your experience and suitability for the role to manager@turramurravet.com.au.

Please note that only applications with both application steps completed will be reviewed and considered for an interview.

 

We are looking forward to meet a talented, motivated and qualified dog trainer interested in joining our team.