Dog Behavior Trainer

APA! BACKGROUND:

Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austin’s most dynamic and best‑loved nonprofits. The organization is the leader in the no kill movement nationally and is considered a national thought leader in animal welfare. APA! locally rescues, treats, and adopts out 10,000 homeless dogs and cats each year, providing the safety net for Austin’s most at‑risk shelter pets, which helps Austin to be a no‑kill city, while also assisting other communities in saving homeless animals.

The organization is distinguished by the scrappiness of its grassroots, non‑traditional community‑based animal rescue work.

The organization continues to innovate best practices to save lives and teaches its renowned lifesaving model through American Pets Alive!, APA!’s national division. In 2020, AmPA! began the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) project, a collaborative movement of more than 10,000 animal welfare professionals working in nearly 1,900 organizations. HASS is the first‑of‑its‑kind collective of shelters and animal welfare professionals coming together to build community‑focused animal services that better meet the needs of people and pets by keeping human‑animal families together and keeping pets unnecessarily out of shelters.

The Dog Behavior Trainer plays a key role in the success of APA!’s mission to save the lives of dogs with behavioral challenges and help them thrive in adoptive homes. This position is responsible for hands‑on training, socialization, enrichment, behavior assessment, and behavior modification for a diverse population of dogs, ensuring their mental, emotional, and behavioral well‑being. From managing complex cases to leading volunteer education, the Dog Behavior Trainer is instrumental in advancing the health, safety, and adoptability of APA!

dogs.

The Dog Behavior Trainer is responsible for managing their daily responsibilities, maintaining clear priorities, and delivering consistent, high‑quality work that aligns with APA!’s values and goals. This includes staying organized, using data or feedback to inform decisions, and following through on key tasks and responsibilities with minimal oversight. This is a hands‑on, mission‑driven role focused on results, reliability, and teamwork.

APA! is a volunteer‑powered organization, so every staff member is expected to work alongside and support volunteers. The Dog Behavior Trainer collaborates closely with volunteers to complete day‑to‑day tasks, helps create a positive and inclusive environment, and actively contributes to a culture of shared effort and mutual respect.

This position may involve shift flexibility, weekend hours, and responsiveness during times of high need or MOD coverage.

Every individual at APA! is responsible for working in collaboration with volunteers; making sure volunteers are recruited, trained and feel impactful through their efforts at APA!. A core part of this role is creating a welcoming and empowering experience for volunteers, including assisting with onboarding, training, and volunteer engagement as part of the day‑to‑day workflow.

• Actively contribute to a volunteer‑powered culture by partnering with volunteers during every shift and helping create an inclusive, welcoming environment
• Work alongside volunteers to complete daily tasks, ensuring the work is shared and collaborative—not siloed
• Support the recruitment and onboarding process by welcoming new volunteers and helping them get oriented to the program
• Help retain volunteers by offering encouragement, guidance, and feedback during shared work
• Recommend strong volunteers for deeper involvement or specialized roles to your supervisor or volunteer manager
• Contribute to a positive culture by…