Therapy & Support Animals Australia (TASAA) is seeking an experienced Lead Therapy & Assistance Dog Trainer & Handler to join our established team in Samford Valley, Queensland.

TASAA provides specialised puppy development, professional dog training, therapy dog training and certification, assistance dog development, canine rehabilitation and client education.

This is a highly specialised, hands-on position requiring considerably more than general dog-training experience. The successful applicant will be responsible for the development and training of puppies and adult dogs, delivery of TASAA training programmes, supervision and education of clients and handlers, management of dogs within our training facility, and maintaining exceptionally high standards of canine welfare, hygiene and biosecurity.

The role requires an experienced trainer who is confident working independently with multiple dogs of varying ages, breeds and temperaments while also working closely with clients, families, carers, veterinary professionals and the TASAA training team.

· Training and developing puppies and adult dogs using balanced dog-training methodologies.

· Training dogs in basic and advanced obedience, loose-lead handling, environmental neutrality, public-access behaviours and task-specific behaviours.

· Developing puppies from approximately eight weeks of age through critical developmental and socialisation periods.

· Assessing individual dogs for suitability for Therapy and Assistance Dog roles and identifying behavioural strengths and areas requiring further development.

· Preparing dogs for Therapy and Assistance work in a wide variety of environments.

· Conducting controlled environmental exposure and socialisation in public and professional environments.

· Developing individual training plans and maintaining accurate training and behavioural records.

· Monitoring the physical and behavioural wellbeing of puppies and adult dogs and identifying signs of illness, injury, stress or deterioration requiring further assessment.

· Educating clients and handlers in canine behaviour, handling techniques, training methodology and continuation of established training programmes.

· Working with clients with disabilities, additional needs and varying levels of dog-handling experience.

· Supporting dogs and handlers through assessments and transition into Therapy or Assistance roles.

· Supervising and mentoring training and kennel staff.





· Managing multiple dogs within a professional training and kennel environment.

· Maintaining strict kennel hygiene, infection-control, biosecurity and workplace safety procedures.

· Safely transporting dogs and puppies to training, veterinary and environmental-exposure locations.

· Maintaining TASAA's standards of animal welfare, professional conduct, client service and ethical dog training.

· Ability to work split shifts

Applicants must be able to demonstrate:

· Certificate III or IV in a relevant field and/or minimum 3 years professional experience in balanced dog training and handling.

· Minimum 12 months' professional experience in the training, handling and development of puppies from approximately 8 weeks of age.

· Proven experience in puppy development, critical-period socialisation and environmental exposure.

· Proven experience working with dogs of different ages, breeds, temperaments, behavioural presentations and training needs.

· Experience assessing individual dogs for suitability for Therapy and Assistance Dog work, including identifying their strengths and areas requiring further development.

· Experience training dogs for people with disability or additional needs.

· Demonstrated experience in public-access training and preparing dogs to work reliably in varied community and professional environments.

· Tertiary qualification in Animal Osteopathy, Animal Rehabilitation or a closely related discipline.

· Demonstrated knowledge of canine anatomy, biomechanics and musculoskeletal function.

· Demonstrated ability to assess canine gait, movement and musculoskeletal function and identify signs of joint dysfunction, pain, injury, restricted movement or other physical concerns that may affect a dog's behaviour, training or wellbeing.

· Demonstrated experience identifying and managing health and physical concerns in puppies and adult dogs and recognising when veterinary assessment or intervention is required.

· Demonstrated experience in canine rehabilitation and the safe operation of a canine hydrotherapy treadmill for dogs recovering from surgery,



injury or musculoskeletal conditions.

· Experience developing and implementing appropriate rehabilitation and conditioning programmes in conjunction with veterinary advice and monitoring dogs throughout their recovery.

· Experience liaising with veterinarians and other animal-health professionals regarding injury management, rehabilitation and return to training or normal activity.

· Experience in canine and equine wellbeing and rehabilitation.

· Demonstrated commitment to maintaining the highest standards of animal welfare.

· Proven experience managing a high-volume professional kennel or dog-training environment.

· Proven knowledge of kennel maintenance, hygiene, infection control, disease prevention and biosecurity, including maintaining a safe environment for both humans and canines.

· Proven experience supervising and managing staff members within a professional animal-care or training environment.

· Demonstrated experience working with clients of varying abilities, nationalities, backgrounds and levels of dog-handling experience to achieve and maintain training outcomes.

· Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to educate and provide practical guidance to dog owners, handlers, families and carers.

· Ability to work independently, make appropriate decisions regarding dogs in their care and contribute positively within a professional team.

· Physically capable of safely handling, restraining, exercising and training dogs of varying sizes, ages and temperaments.

· A current driver's licence and access to a vehicle suitable for safely transporting dogs and puppies.

· Ability and willingness to travel to different training, client and public-access locations as required.

· We are looking for an experienced qualified who is calm, observant, practical and confident around dogs.

· You will need strong dog-training skills, but equally important are excellent people skills. Much of our work involves teaching people how to understand, handle and continue the training of their dogs.

· You should be capable of making sound decisions independently, recognising subtle changes in canine behaviour or physical wellbeing, communicating clearly with clients and colleagues, and maintaining consistent training and welfare standards across multiple dogs.

· This is not an entry-level dog-training position.

Pay: $79,000.00 – $84,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person

📌 Lead Therapy & Assistance Dog & Puppy Trainer & Handler (Samford Valley)
🏢 Therapy & Support Animals Australia
📍 Samford Valley