Dog Walker Off Leash Pack Leader

Benefits:

Company car

Employee discounts

Paid time off

Training & development

#1 Dog Walker In SF – Work With Dogs Off-Leash, Outdoors, With A Great Team!

REQUIREMENTS:

Schedule: Full-time, Monday–Friday ~9:30am–4:30pm (opt in to more if desired)

Must Commit: Minimum 1-year (because of our training investment) (seasonal not permitted)

Live in SF or within 5 miles

NOT Eligible If You Live In: East Bay, South Bay, North of San Rafael (automatic rejection, no exceptions)

You must arrange TWO strong reference calls from past supervisors (to be supplied at the end of the hiring process should we get there)

Valid driver’s license & clean driving record

Pro experience with dogs preferred but not required — we train you!

Energetic, athletic, patient, and responsible

Great communicator, friendly, and ready to learn

We provide company vehicles. Extra $1/hr + mileage if you opt to use your own suitable vehicle

Winner of Best Dog Walking Company in SF + Bay Area multiple years

Looking for work outside? Want something new, exciting, active, and fun to offset the madness?

Fresh out of college and have no idea what to do with your degree? Studying for a grad degree and need to pay the bills? Need a sabbatical?

Simply love our fluffy, shaggy, large and small four legged barking friends?

Then we sure do have an offer for you: work with dogs. Seriously, it'll change your life. Your mind will be opened and your soul unleashed. It could be the best job you'll ever have. Keep reading!

We are always looking to meet quality candidates who could effectively LEAD OFF LEASH GROUPS OF DOGS THROUGH OPEN SPACE AT PARKS AND BEACHES with us. Teacher, dog trainer, coach, boot camp instructor, friend, confidant...we wear a lot of hats with these dogs, and sometimes they eat them!

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR are people who'd fit our core values well, who like being outdoors, who are responsible and caring, amiable, and professional at work. If you help us ensure that's you, you're in.

Why This Job Rocks:

Outdoors, active, and meaningful work

Work with dogs — your soul will be unleashed

Opportunity to learn dog training & behavior

Use company vehicle (no vehicle required unless you want the $1/hr bonus)

Make a difference and be part of a tight-knit, supportive team

Get your hands into a small business — we're agile, and want enrollment

SKILLS YOU'll USE AND BUILD:

Problem solving, quality verbal and written communication, customer service, leadership, professional judgment, self-planning/organizing, time management, safety, adaptability/flexibility, proactivity, patience, initiative, creativity, teamwork, geographic navigation.

TRAINING & PAY TIERS:

It’s not different roles, but a growth path — because we want you to see how far you can go here:

Trainee: $22/hr, ~30 days to complete.

Dogtoral Candidate: $22.50/hr, ~60 days to complete.

Puppy Professor: $23/hr. After both training curriculum are complete.

Dean of Dogs: $24/hr, avg~1 year+/-

Chancellor Of Canines: $25/hr, avg~1 year+/-

Pro: $26/hr, avg~2 year+/-

Team Leader: $27/hr+, avg~2 year

Raises continue from there.

Raises and promotions aren’t tied to time served. If you’re motivated or experienced, capable, and hitting the marks, you can move up quickly. We don’t believe in arbitrary timelines — growth here is based on readiness, not tenure

Annual earnings can reach $45k-65k+ with bonuses and extra work

Optional pet sitting and outside-hours walks = extra income

Earn PTO up to 15+ paid days off

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Lead regular packs of dogs off leash in open space shared with the public and other professionals.

Learn to analyze and diagnose dog training needs and perform dog training activities to build safe, prosocial behaviors.

Communicate with clients and managers about problems, successes, and ongoing daily activities with your dogs.

Work interdependently in a team of at least 10 other walkers and 2 managers.

Efficiently and safely navigate pickup and drop off driving routes and client home entry and exit instructions.

Help track and enable maintenance needs for a dedicated company vehicle.

THE HOURS:

Shifts typically run 6–7 hours, Monday through Friday, starting around 9:30 AM and ending around 4:30 PM. There are no mandatory nights, weekends, or holidays required.

Additional income opportunities include:

Boarding/Sitting, Extra Walks

Many teammates choose to take on regular extra walks before or after work to increase their weekly pay and hours but neither these nor sitting are mandatory

DURING A SHIFT YOU WILL:

Pick up your company vehicle in the service area

Use our app to read your daily schedule, routes, clients notes, etc

Drive house-to-house collecting dogs for your first pack

Take them to an off-leash location within our service area to run your adventure, with a teammate during training

Drop them off and repeat the route with your second pack of the day

Each group has 6 dogs you’ll get to know closely. Taking dogs off-leash can sound intimidating at first, but you’ll never be asked to do it alone until training is complete — and our training is extensive, hands-on, and high quality.

FAQs:

Where is the office? Where do we meet in the morning? We do not have an office; you pick up your company van inside our service area to start the day and get rolling to client’s houses, all of whom are regulars.

Will there be training? Yes, there’s ample on the job training. You are not asked to drop in and learn as you go.

Can I negotiate a higher starting salary if I have experience? Previous experience will undoubtedly help you move faster through our levels, as they’re not confined by time but objective performance metrics.

Are there medical benefits? Unfortunately at our current size we’re unable to provide benefits, but hope to be able to in the future if we can hit growth targets.

Development

Shadowing & full support during training

Learn advanced dog handling and leadership skills

Ongoing opportunities for growth. The learning curve is the earning curve

Build a resume of responsibility, leadership, service, organization, and emotional intelligence

About the Team

Friendly, fun-loving team of ~13

Ages 20–50+, great camaraderie

We hang out, grab drinks, and support each other

We are very considerate of who we bring on so that we build community

You’ll spend lots of time with coworkers and pups in the field

Meet the Team:

HOW TO APPLY:

Review the requirements above carefully

Submit a strong, personalized cover letter or intro email

Show us your personality & why you’d be a great fit

Include your phone number

Optional: Text, call, email or Indeed message us to follow up after you apply

Need More Reasons to Apply?

You want meaningful, non-desk work

You love dogs AND people

You're ready to grow, train, and take on responsibility

You want a job that’s active, structured, and outdoors

You’re reliable, upbeat, and eager to make a difference

You want to feel a part of a community

Inclusive Workplace

Citizen Hound is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all qualified applicants, regardless of race, gender, religion, orientation, identity, veteran status, or disability.